Top 15 Natural Monuments around Musson

The Trench of Gates: Gateway to Gaume, Gateway to Legends 1. What is it? Physical Description The Trench of Gates is a deep and spectacular rocky gorge, naturally carved by the Vire River (a tributary of the Semois) into the sandstone plateau of the Gaume forest. Located in the village of Dampicourt (commune of Rouvroy), on the French border, it forms a narrow and winding notch, framed by high sandstone walls and strangely shaped rocks. Its name comes from its topography: the site gives the impression of crossing several successive natural "gates." 2. A Strategic Position: Military History The true fame of the Trench of Gates comes from its historical role as a natural fortress and strategic border post. A Gallic Stronghold? : Its easily defensible configuration suggests that it was used as a refuge since the Gallic era. The Roman Fort: Its strategic role became evident during the Roman era. The Romans established a castellum (a fortified camp) there to control the passage between Belgic Gaul and Imperial Trier, and to protect the nearby Roman road. Remains of these fortifications were still visible several centuries ago. A Millennial Challenge: Due to its position on the border, the site has been contested and fortified throughout history, from the Middle Ages to modern wars. It offered an ideal control point over one of the few passable passages through the region's wooded terrain.

The trail from this viewpoint is a real balancing challenge towards the end, very rocky with large gravel. It seems to me that a few years ago the trail was not so perilous. It is part of the official permanent route "La Croix Renson en Gaume" which advises to do it clockwise, so this uphill trail is impossible! Except for a trialist with Hulk legs and a motorcycle traction. 🙄

It depends which way... 😀😇

It stings a little 😂

It is between Etalle and Virton, very precisely in Croix-Rouge, that you will find the place called "Trou des Fées". Well known to the inhabitants of the region, this unique site is at the center of many legends relating to the history of D’jean dMady but also and especially to that of the fairies of Gaume.

The origin of the place's name is mysterious. According to some, this name comes from a transcription of the name "Trou du Perdu" (Perisher's Hole). Amidst pine trees, heather, and blueberry bushes, this place represents a steep landscape where the Fourneau stream has shaped a gorge with a waterfall. A little higher up, a waterfall has formed and accentuates the erosion downstream. Above, the stream trickles over a slab of black sandstone. This formed above a significant layer of waterproof marl that stopped the infiltration of the sand present here to above it. A beautiful waterfall has formed due to the presence of the stream and the erosion that followed.

The Tranchée des Portes covers an area of 100 hectares. It is the largest Iron Age stronghold in Belgium. This development required an abundant workforce. The construction and maintenance of the rampart suggest a well-organized social entity. Unlike Montauban, which was occupied occasionally, the Tranchée des Portes is not a refuge but an oppidum, that is to say, a fortified site where people settled for the long term with their livestock and crops. It is a fortification that owes its name to the deep ditch (5 m) that precedes its rampart. Consisting of an earthwork over 3 m high, formerly surmounted by a palisade, this barrier, pierced by 3 gates, extends over 1 km. This type of defensive site is called a barred spur. It was often used in the protohistoric period (Iron Age). We chose a place with 2 or 3 steep and almost impassable sides and we blocked access by building a wall on the vulnerable side with what we found on the site (stones, trees, earth)

Very beautiful course & very pleasant paths for running!