Walking trail Belvaux (Rochefort) - Les Rouges-Gorges

In the past, the village of Belvaux was well-known for its snails. This is why the villagers are nicknamed ‘Caracolis’ (Walloon for snails). On the riverbanks, you can see a sculpture of the ‘Caracolis’ by the local artist Stéphane Renard.

Less than a stone's throw away from an elegant river bend, you can admire an old public bakery. A long time ago, it was used to bake spelt bread, emmer bread and sometimes even rye bread.

Built in 1857 on the location of the former chapel, the building was restored in 1932. The choir, which was painted by a local artist, features naked cherubs surrounding the Holy Virgin, presiding over the main altar. The statue of Saint Laurent dates from the 14th century and the altarpiece from the 16th.

This iconic river has it source in the Province of Namur, more specifically in Ochamps, and winds its way northwards for about 84km (approx 52.2 miles). The Lesse crosses though the villages of Daverdisse, Halma, Chanly and Resteigne, and then plunges into the sinkhole of Belvaux on the heights of Han-sur-Lesse before reappearing at the cave exit and flowing towards Lessive, Villers-sur-Lesse and Houyet, terminating its journey in Anseremme, where the river flows into the Meuse. The Lesse is home to trout, grayling, pike, barbel, carp, chub, eels, minnows, gudgeon, grey slugs and lamprey...

The Castle is private property. On your right, you can spot the Castle of Resteigne, a robust 18th century construction extended by a farm. The main building and the coach tower in the listed façade both date back to the late 11th century. The castle and verdant gardens stretch out between the village houses built alongside the river and the bridge, up to the watermill. During the 12th century, the castle belonged to the Loraine family, then during the 15th century, to the Berlo family, Lords of Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, then to the Mérodes family in the 16th century. In 1627, the baron of Rouveroy, Lord of Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, occupied the castle and added the wings and the west facade that looks out over the gardens. He sold the property to the Hoffschmidt barons in 1668.

Now we're heading back towards Belvaux, the charming little village of the Calestienne area where we started our walk. But was does Calestienne really mean?The southern part of the Famenne, between the schist-laden Famenne soil and the Ardennes, is called the Calestienne, which is where you are now. The Calestienne area is a narrow strip of only a couple of miles long which stretches out across the entire breadth of Wallonia, from Chimay to Couvin in the west, to Hamoir, Ferrières and Aywaille in the east, even passing through Givet (in France), and, Beauraing, Rochefort, Marche-en-Famenne, Hotton and Durbuy. The word Calestienne was invented by botanists who were so impressed by the local flora - that is incomparable to anything found in the adjacent areas- that they thought it would be a good idea to give this small but singular territory its own specific name. The etymology of the world Calestienne (from the German word ‘Kalkstein’, limestone) refers to the limestone that you have had the pleasure of admiring on the façades in the village and that constitutes most of the hills that encircle the Lesse Valley.It’s the physical and chemical properties of this same limestone that led to the creation of the famous caves of Han-sur-Lesse.

This small corner of the Famenne, is situated in the Lesse and Lomme Natural Park which was created in 1954 to protect the area’s natural and built heritage as well as its specific fauna and flora. Belvaux is also known for the Chasm of Belvaux (only accessible during the visit to the Wildlife Reserve) : this is where the Lesse River enters the limestone soil of the Boine massif by a staggering siphon some 50 meters deep. The river chose this subterranean route more than 100.000 years ago.