Lower Ourthe Valley from La Roche to Liège

From La Roche the road follows the river. In 7.5km/4.75mi there can be seen on a hilltop on the left the little pilgrimage chapel of Saint-Thibaut, built in 1639. It belongs to the family resort of Marcourt once the seat of the counts of Montaigu whose castle (1050) ruins can still be seen.

On the border between the Ardennes and the Famenne lies Hotton, a place which has long been inhabited, for in the vicinity were found relics of the Neolithic and Roman ages. From a steep cliff which dominates the village there is a fine view of the Ardennes and the Famenne: forested hillsides on one side and extensive meadows and pastures on the other.

Durbuy has an exceptionally charming townscape; although it has few more than 350 inhabitants it nevertheless has had the title of a town since 1331. It lies on both sides of the Ourthe and most of it is barred to traffic. The narrow streets and the old houses, as well as the remains of the town wall, give the impression that here time stands still. Not to be missed are the castle of the counts of Ursel, the old cloth hall, the law courts and the parish church (16th-18th C.).

Beyond Durbuy the road leaves the Ourthe Valley and meets it again near Barvaux, an important tourist resort with a large water-sports complex at the foot of the Rocher de Glawans.

Bomal which follows near Barvaux earns its living from tourism. Here the Aisne coming from the south joins the Ourthe. The Aisne flows through a pretty valley which is excellent for walking and where there is an imposing view of the rocky walls of the Roche à Frêne.

The Château de Logne is one of the finest castles in the Ourthe Valley. It was built in the 11th century and in the 15th came into the possession of the quarrelsome de la Marck family who bore the scarcely flattering nickname of "Sangliers des Ardennes" (wild boar of the Ardennes). The castle, destroyed on the order of Charles V, was rebuilt in more recent times and can be visited. Finds from the castle are on show in nearby Vieuxville in the Ferme de la Bouverie.

The road turns away from the river north of Bomal and returns to it in Hamoir. Here the celebrated sculptor Jean Delcour (1627-1707) and his son and painter Jean-Gilles (1632-1695) were born; the latter carried out the painting on the high altar of the village church, whereas the father was responsible for the altar sculpture and part of the tabernacle in the Romanesque church of Saint- Pierre in nearby Xhignesse; this church is notable for the blind arcades in the apse.

In Hamoir the little river Néblon joins the Ourthe. This stream winds for 14km/8.5miles through wild vegetation to the pretty village of Ocquier, in the vicinity of which, near Vervoz, remains of Roman villas and third C. graves have been found.

The next stage of the Ourthe Valley tour after Hamoir is to Comblain-au-Pont at the confluence of the Ourthe and the Amblève which is surrounded by impressive rocks such as the Rocher des Tartines, the name of which is due to its tart-like form.

Between Comblain-au-Pont and Poulseur to the north the first nature park in Belgium was created on the bank of the Ourthe in 1946; this is the Parc naturelle des Roches-Noires, du Chession et du Vignoble.

Near Esneux the Ourthe makes a large bend and forms a peninsula. Interesting rock formations, a few ruined castles in the surroundings and the Parc du Mary with its arboretum can be explored here.

Tilff is the last rural village before reaching the industrial conurbation of Liège and is therefore very popular for local excursions by the townsfolk. A very original museum is the Musée de l'Abeille which is concerned with the history and art of raising and keeping bees, illustrated by models, implements and a collection of beehives. Some of the beehives are active so that visitors can see the bees at work.