The Crossing of the Central Ardennes 2008 |
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| For enquiries about this holiday telephone 01946 861652 | [ Baggage Transfer ] | [ What is Included? ] |
The Crossing of the Central Ardennes 2008 |
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Day 1. Car travellers arrive in La Roche-en-Ardenne; rail travellers at Sprimont. Day 2. If you arrived on day 1 at Sprimont, transfer to La Roche-en-Ardenne. The walk starts with a steep climb through forest, out of the valley in which La Roche is situated. After levelling off you leave the trees behind. For the rest of the day you mainly walk through idyllic open country, close to the forests. Cross the valley of the western Ourthe, to Roumont with its Château and then through another stretch of woodland to end at Sprimont (about 16 miles). Day 3. This stretch is almost entirely through forest, and for those who appreciate solitude and the enlivening air of great forests - this will be a highlight of the entire walk. Characterised by both long ascents and descents, this is a fairly demanding day, but also rewarding. You end at St. Hubert, a small town dating back to 687 and well known today for its fine basillica, as well as a fine museum of Walloon life (about 15 miles). |
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Day 4. Today you will always be walking either uphill or down!
The beech and oak forest is remote, and if you keep quiet you can
be almost certain of seeing game; deer in particular.
Following parts of the valleys of the rivers Palogne, Masblette and
Diglette, you finish at Nassogne, home to a fine collegiate church and
with a history dating back to the Roman Emperor Valentinian in 372
(about 17 miles). Day 5. Today's walk is noticeably easier than the ones before. Shorter, with less demanding ascents, this stretch is also much more open. Less wildlife maybe, but you will see instead the fine Ardennes horses. The route first descends again to the valley of the Masblette before starting to climb gain, offering fine views. Finish at the prosperous village of Awenne (about 9.5 miles) or continue to Mirwart (about 12 miles). In order to make today and tomorrow's distances more equal, you can walk to Mirwart and then be transferred back to Awenne. You will then be taken back to Mirwart the next morning. |
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Day 6. This stage of the walk links nature and culture. It is also
reasonably level, following, rather than crossing the valleys. The
valley of the Marsau at the beginning is one of the most beautiful
of the whole route. The ponds you pass at the start are breeding ponds
for restocking many of the Ardennes rivers. After a stretch of forest
you reach Redu, as a book town Belgium's Hay-on-Wye, but also home to
the Euro Space Centre. Finally to the large village of Daverdisse
where the church is home to a fine polychrome retable
(about 15 miles from Mirwart or 17.5 miles from Awenne).
Transfer to Porcheresse. Day 7. After two gentler days, this is the longest stage of the walk. During the course of the day you start to leave the classic Ardennes country of forest behind. Much more of the route is across meadowland, while the valleys become less less deep cut and you pass through more villages. A large part of the route follows the valley of the river Our; en route is the picturesque village of Our, named for the river. The stage ends in Paliseul (about 17 miles). |
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Day 8. The final day is the easiest; no significant climbs and
potentially the shortest distance. Paliseul lies nearly 2 miles off the
route and 16 miles from the end at Bouillon. However, while you can,
of course, walk the whole way, your host in Paliseul will transfer you
to Mon Idée from where you can enjoy a walk through a mixture
of woodland and open country, passing through the pleasant villages
of Mogimont and Sensenruth to finish in the striking former ducal
capital of Bouillon (about 16 miles). |
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Tour Details: 8 nights Bed & Breakfast. In Sprimont and Bouillon
at good quality bed & breakfast houses, otherwise in typical Ardennes
inns, often members of Logis de Belgique. Accommodation is
in double or twin rooms with private shower/WC.
Dinner on all nights except the last. Transfers as required during the
course of the walk. If you travel by car, a transfer from Bouillon back to your car at La Roche en Ardenne is included. If you arrive in the Ardennes by train whether from London by Eurostar, by sea and rail, or from Brussels or Charleroi airport, transfer from Libramont to Sprimont on Day 1 is included. The bus journey from Bouillon to the railhead at Libramont is not included. On request, we will arrange a taxi transfer for an extra charge. Packed lunches are not included, but can be ordered from your hosts the evening before. Dates: Available throughout the year. |
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| Tour Codes: |
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| 8 nights - full tour as described above | TRA/8 |
| 6 nights - Sprimont to Paliseul | TRA/6 |
| 3 nights - Sprimont to Nassogne | TRA/3 |
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Tour Code: TRA/8 2008 Tour Price: Rail via Brussels - £599 2008 Tour Price: Self Drive via Harwich-Hoek van Holland - £592 2008 Tour Price: From Brussels Airport or from Charleroi - £513 2008 Tour Price: Half Board (7 nights) - £incl. 2008 Tour Price: Single Supplement - £ 73 2008 Tour Price: Baggage Transfer, per stage walked, 1 or 2 people - £ 21 |
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2008 Tour Price: Adjustment for tour TRA/6 Deduct from TRA/8 prices - £124 |
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2008 Tour Price: Adjustment for tour TRA/3
Deduct from TRA/8 prices - £349 |
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Please check our travel page for information on other ways
of travelling to your holiday. Please contact us for prices when using one of these other routes, and also for single supplements, child discounts and so on. |
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| For enquiries about this holiday telephone 01946 861652 | [ Walking in Belgium ] | [ General Info ] |