A mountain bike circuit in Vielsalm

A slightly sloping family tour that winds through the countryside and forests around Vielsalm.

We leave the Tourist Office towards the village of Salmchâteau and we head to the parade of the Fosse Roulette, one of the most special sites in the region. This spectacular part of the valley owes its name to the old quarries along the slopes where slate was extracted.

In this corner of the Ardennes, the coticule, a natural millstone, was extracted in quarries (Musée du Coticule, rue du Coticule 12 in Salmchâteau). The sharpening stone was used to sharpen various types of knives and was known from the barber of Seville to the carpenter of Nazareth and the tanner of Pau.

In the region, a whole economic and social life had developed around the ore. The museum, located in Salmchâteau, tells the story of this story that ended in the 1950s. On the ruins of the castle of the Counts of Salm, the path climbs without difficulty, to the listed hamlet of La Comté.

We continue the ascent through the countryside and the forest and reach the Grand Sart which in winter and under the snow resembles the plains of the Jura... A descent brings us back to Vielsalm. At the end of the visit you will have a look at a lake, the Lac des Doyards: holiday atmosphere guaranteed...

Every year, at the beginning of August, Vielsalm organizes the "Sean Kelly classic", a route through the region for trained cycling enthusiasts. A stele was erected in the city in tribute to the famous Irish cyclist.

Route type: Few roads and difficult paths.

Type of bike: Mountain bike recommended.

Difficulty: A pleasant journey, without technical paths. A vertical drop of 120 m leads to Grand Sart, at an altitude of 520 m.

Children: From +/- 12 years.

Departure: Tourist Office, Avenue de la Salm 50 in 6690 Vielsalm.

Signage: Follow the mountain bike signage of circuit No. 1 (triangles and red circles).

Parking: at the Tourist Office.

Difficulty: Medium

Duration: 2 hours