No more beautiful panoramas than those of the rolling Land of Herve around the centuries-old abbey of Val-Dieu in Aubel. A challenging walk along shady hollow roads, open grasslands, and forests.

Text and photo Chris Van Minnebruggen

At the border of the provinces of Liège and Limburg, the thirteenth-century abbey of Val-Dieu still attracts many visitors. This has much to do with the success of the abbey beer, the cheese, and the restaurant with a spacious terrace. Of course, there are also the abbey church and the adjacent park. It is pleasant to walk here over hollow roads, but the real charm lies in that delightful system of all those green and white gates that allow you to avoid asphalt and almost endlessly traverse fields and then grasslands. You weave among the cows while enjoying the rolling landscape. One of the most beautiful views can even be had from an old military observation post, which in a distant past had to defend Liège against invaders.

The route

Start at the small lake (V) with the observation hut of Natagora opposite the abbey, Val Dieu 227 in Aubel (1). RD, enter the forest, cross the little bridge and after 100 m RA. Through a metal gate, then through the field to a house. LA descend along a hollow road. At the T-junction with asphalt, RA uphill. After 800 m of forest path to a picnic table with BBQ (2). RA and at house Knuppelstock, RA to Observation Post MN 18 (3). Further on LA through a pasture. At the asphalt, RA and at the T-junction RD, descending through the pasture. Again over a path, and RD next to the barbed wire. At the intersection at the top of the pasture RA, hollow road (follow red diamond). Cross La Bel and Route de Val-Dieu. At the T-junction LA and after 20 m RA again through a gate into the meadow, following blue-white until reaching the asphalt road. RD cross the meadow diagonally to the right. In the corner, LA through a gate into the next meadow. Watch closely, as after 150 m the path goes through another gate under the bushes. Walk diagonally left upwards to the white gate. Cross this meadow and RD through several gates to a few houses. LA, up Bois d’Ansy and at house number 272 RA, a gravel path. At the T-junction RA along the farm and descend along the field road. Cross La Berwinne and route du Val-Dieu and RD onto the hollow road, ascending. At the asphalt RA and at the intersection with Rouaux, RA down the earth path. At the resting bench RA and soon steeply downhill, hollow road. At the asphalt, briefly LA Rossenfosse and after 50 m RA, steeply descending. LA, 100 m Route du Val-Dieu and at house number 907 LA. At the asphalt, RA and then cross. RD over the Berwinne, past a BBQ spot (4) and beyond the Gîte rurale, LA, gravel road. Cross at the asphalt, over la Bel and next to Aux Berges de la Bel (5) uphill. At the fork with a bench, RD. In the village keep left, Rue de la Fontaine, then LA Rue de Lammerschot. At the Y-junction, LA and at house number 20 through a gate back over familiar terrain to your starting point.

Pasar 2021/9 – Last route check 2021/7

Distance 12.8 km

Not suitable for strollers/buggies/wheelchairs