Through the woods near Gedinne

Almost 50 km you cycle up and down through the wooded landscape of Gedinne in Namur along narrow and uncrowded paved roads. Those who do not like too steep climbs can sleep on both ears. Nowhere does this journey become difficult. Stopping at the Millennium Tour is a must: you are at the Croix Scaille, with its 503 meters the highest point in the province of Namur. High on the tower, you get a breathtaking view of the vast forests. There is also a picnic area, a playground and a tourist office. You can also shorten this tour to 35 km.

1. Appointment to the church of Gedinne (V). Cross the intersection and pedal towards Louette-St-Pierre. In front of the Café des Sports, turn right towards Office du Tourisme. Leave the park with the tourist office on the right and pedal on the rue les Fosses, just before a bridge over the Houille. At the end of this road, you pedal right and cross the Houille. On the right, ignore the road that passes before the pond to the campsite of the Etang de la Croix Scaille and take the narrow and ascending paved road, on the left in front of the house. After a short climb, it continues to undulate between the meadows. You ignore a road on the left and arrive at a dangerous crossroads. Continue carefully straight, direction Croix Scaille, Ferme Jacob and the Millennium Tower. You arrive on another paved road and follow it to the right, almost straight. Skip back roads and pedal straight to the Millennium Tower, passing a picnic area and signs about resistance during World War II.
2. Tour with a view The Millennium Tower (1), which can only be seen rising above the trees late, is certainly worth a stop. You are here at Croix Scaille, the highest point in the province of Namur, at 503 m above sea level. It is definitely worth climbing through the steel tube to one of the three plateaus, at 15, 30 and 45 m altitude. From the highest platform, the view is breathtaking, including the vast forests and above two plumes of smoke from the cooling towers of the Chooz nuclear power plant in France. There is also a picnic area, a children's playground and a tourist office. Then continue towards Willerzie and the France, pass an open red and white barrier to a bus parking.
3. The Jacob Farm (2), where you can pic-, is nearby, but our tour turns left. Follow the road of the maquis for a moment, with information panels on the past of the war. Ignore the back roads and continue to follow the narrow paved road through the forest straight, again past an open red and white barrier to another paved road. On the left, the road below dead, so on the right, almost straight. It continues to gently undulate through the forest and you continue to ignore all the side roads. From the forest, you bend past Willerzie's first houses. You ignore another side road on the right, pass the Willerzie agglomeration sign, then take the first street on the left. At the end of this short paved road turn right, direction church. Keep the church on your right and the beautiful square on the left. In this way, you arrive at a crossroads, which you cross, towards Bourseigne-Neuve and Féline, further after the cemetery and between the meadows. Ignore the back roads and head into the forest. It's not a really difficult climb, but the slope is still quite long.
4. Just after a war memorial (3) for paratroopers, ignore the road to Rienne on the right. Again between the meadows, you can see the plumes of smoke from Chooz's cooling towers coming out of the ground, so to speak. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead and pass a diagonal road on the left to the church of Bourseigne-Neuve. Here you have the choice: the long journey (total 47 km) turns left, the short (35 km) right.
5. The shortest route Turn right, direction B.-Vieille (Bourseigne-Vieille) then the first road on the left, direction La Houille. At the junction with the crucifix, keep right and follow a narrow paved road, where it is best to stay away in bad winter weather according to a road sign. After a panorama on your left, you will walk through the forest, rolling and winding to the Bourseigne-Vielle - Vencimont road. Follow it to the left until it reaches the fork after the Vencimont agglomeration sign. Here turn right, direction Sart-Custinne.
6. Full tour Turn left, via the wide rue de Féléne. At the T-junction turn right, direction Féline, first between the meadows, then along the edge of the forest and finally for a long time in the forest. At first, you can go down and take spectacular turns. Past the Felenne nameplate, you cross a stream and swell a little further in front of the restored water mill (1800). Now you start a fairly long climb. From the forest, you will be rewarded with a beautiful panorama on the left. Past the first houses of Felenne and a playground to the Felenne-Beauraing road. Turn right here, on the other side of the playground, direction Beauraing. Continue to follow this wider paved road, first between the meadows and then back into the forest. After about 4 km, you turn right towards Vencimont. Another 7 km according to the sign: a nice walk on a narrow paved road through the Bois aux Sept Chênes and the Bois de Beauraing.
7. Past a triangular square with a picnic area, you leave the road to Javingue. Then you go down in front of the agglomeration sign and the first houses of Vencimont to the rue de Vonêche. Turn right, immediately go through Grande Street and pass a few catering establishments that go down to the church. Here straight on the rue du Moulin, a rising street for local traffic. At the fork, a little further, you descend steeply and cross an intersection next to house number 26. Now continue straight until you reach the Vencimont - Sart-Custinne road via the old bridge over the Houille. Follow it to the left.
8. Ascent and descent From there, the shortening again follows the same route, with another long climb on a narrow paved road through the forest. From the forest, you pass in front of the Sart-Custinne agglomeration sign. Get off at the church and pay attention here, immediately after left into Rue Saint-Roch. You climb quite steeply to the end and turn right at the Chapelle Saint-Roch (4), at an altitude of 380 m. Now follow a narrow ribbon of asphalt to the end. Turn right for a while, then turn left sharply. Further through a beautiful open landscape, passed a few fish ponds and a chapel, on the Houille and along the Moulin de la Galette, once a watermill, now a holiday home for groups. Turn left at the T-junction, direction Malvoisin.
9. You can climb through the forest again, do not worry about the side paths and go down after the sign of the name of Malvoisin to the Fountain of Malvoisin (5), also at 380 m above sea level. Turn right here and walk up St. Hillaire's Hall to the church. Keep the church on the right and turn right at the end of Rue de l'Eglise. The road splits almost immediately. Turn right, follow Rue de Nonichamps, direction Patignies, and ignore the secondary roads. This winding road takes you to Patignies after 2 km.
10. At the crossroads of the church, continue straight ahead and continue on Rue de Malvoisin. Ignore a gravel road diagonally to the right and keep right at the fork, direction Gedinne. Don't be put off by the 25 next to the place name, because the comma is gone. On the left, it goes to Gedinne-Gare and the train station is 3.5 km away. On the left you get a nice panorama. It continues to undulate towards a priority road. Cross carefully. Past the Gedinne agglomeration sign, you enter another street, with a cross on a tree on the right. Turn right here and at the next fork, with a rest bench under a linden tree, left. Now go down only to the church. At the junction with the wild chestnut, keep right and then immediately turn left until you reach the church.