Upper Meuse Valley

The Meuse describes a curve at the vertex of which lies Anseremme at the mouth of the Lesse.

Paddle a canoe or kayak down part of the 21 km Lesse river. The river is lined with natural areas, castles, caves and there are two sections of rapids.

A little way downstream from Waulsourt on the other bank rises the ruins of Château-Thierry, picturesquely situated on the Rocher du Chien (dog crag).

A trip along the Meuse, which is also very pleasant by bicycle as there are few gradients, begins in the double parish of Hastière near the French border. A little further on is the part of the village called Hastière-Lavaux where the grottos of Pont d'Arcole are through which flows a subterranean spring.

On the far side of the bridge over the Meuse from the grottos of Pont dÁrcole lies Hastière-par-Delà where at the beginning of the 11th C. Irish monks founded a monastery. The purely Romanesque parish church with its massive tower remains from that time; the choir, however, was added in 1264. The choirstalls date from the same period and are some of the oldest in Belgium. In the crypt can be found two Merovingian sarcophagi.

Remaining on the left bank looking Downstream we come to Waulsourt on a bend in the river. The fine castle was originally the palace of the abbots of the convent founded in the 10th C.

A French garden is found at the Chateau, with a central axis marked by a canal. Jets, pools and a variety of trees make this an elegant and lovely garden.

Remaining on the right bank looking downstream are the massive formations of the Rochers de Frênes which are pierced by grottos in which Stone Age people have left their traces. From the viewpoint on the top of the rock an extensive view over the Meuse can be enjoyed; on the opposite bank can be seen Profondeville, one of the most important holiday places in the valley.

Leaving the Rocher de Frênes the Meuse is crossed for the last time; in Wépion, the center of a large strawberry growing area, is a very original strawberry museum.

A few kilometers past the Château de Poilvache we reach Yvoir, a popular holiday resort particularly for its island in the Meuse. Just south of the village lies the "Oasis nature" a 10ha/25 acre park. Signposted paths lead through botanical gardens, educational plantations, and past an old castle and a farm where visitors can study the flora and fauna of Belgium.

A breeding place for butterflies where visitors can follow the development of the butterfly or observe them as they fly in the vivarium.