The best traffic-free bike rides around Wanze

A really nice place to have a drink after your walk (open Wednesday and Sunday)

The current castle ensemble is largely 16th century, but was built around a 14th-century square keep. The location of that keep was, of course, strategically chosen: slightly elevated above the surroundings, this point offers a good view. The original military architecture gave way in the 16th century to a balanced combination of defense and residential comfort. In addition to the main building, the domain includes a farm, a barn, and several outbuildings, which together form a coherent whole. All these constructions are built from locally quarried limestone rubble, while carefully dressed limestone was used for lintels, sills, door frames, and window frames. This choice of materials testifies to the craftsmanship and the prosperity of the owners during that period. The oldest known lord associated with Famelette is Thiry Lardinois de Famelette, lord of Moha, indicating the close ties between the domain and the local feudal power structures. In 1441, the castle passed into the hands of Collar de Hosden, who held the office of bailiff of Moha. His function as a representative of the lordly authority underscores the administrative importance of Famelette within the region. A decisive phase in the castle's history began in 1558, when it was acquired by the Berlaymont de Floyon family, an influential noble dynasty in the Southern Netherlands. Under their rule, the domain underwent two thorough renovations, during which the existing medieval structures were expanded and embellished. The Berlaymont de Floyon family remained owners of the castle until the early 19th century, an era marked by profound political and social changes, including the consequences of the French Revolution. Famelette subsequently came into the hands of the noble Aspremont Lynden family, who sold the domain in 1878 to the Collinet family (owners of Carmeuse, the quarries). Source: www.burchten-kastelen.be

This RAVeL follows the old railway line 127, which once ran from Hannut to Huccorgne. The RAVeL winds through the heart of Hesbaye, past grain fields and orchards, and through villages like Villers-le-Peuplier and Avennes, before ending in the Burdinale and Mehaigne Valley Nature Park.

Please note that the second part of the walk is inaccessible due to the quarry expansion. There are no signs indicating the direction of travel. A sign from the town indicates the change in the local road where you rejoin the trail. Information should be provided at each end to avoid unnecessary backtracking.

In Fumal, two historic buildings stand out: Fumal Castle and Saint-Remy Church. Fumal Castle is a medieval fortified manor house, with later extensions, which was once the power base of local lords and still dominates the village skyline. Saint-Remy Church is a Gothic-Renaissance church, with elements from various periods, and has been the religious center of the village for centuries. Together, they are important witnesses to Fumal's history and heritage.

One of the events held annually at this location is the Marsinne Folk Festival (September). It was founded in 1991 at the Moulin de Ferrières, but moved here years ago. Furthermore, a brewery has also been located at the castle farm since 2013: the Leopold 7 brewery, actually a reconstruction of a brewery that was already active here in the mid-19th century.

Beautiful and stately, gorgeous

Durbuy is first mentioned in 1078 (as Dolbui) and in 1084 (under the current name). The first traces of habitation are found during excavations in the Anticlinaal cave by Count Pierre d'Ursel. The d'Ursel family still inhabits Durbuy Castle. Before the current castle, there were already others. Based on the archives of Luxembourg, a castle was destroyed and in the eleventh century, another was built by Henry II the Lame, who had received the domain from his mother Rageline, sister of Pope Stephen II, and her husband Albert II of Namur. Around 1156, that castle was severely damaged by flames and during the succession wars of the Duchy of Limburg, it was destroyed several more times. From 1412, Durbuy came into the hands of the House of Burgundy and at the end of the fifteenth century, the then-existing castle was destroyed by Maximilian of Austria, like all the castles of the la Marck family: besides Durbuy, these also include the castles of Logne and La Roche. In 1628, Baron Antoine Schetz of Grobendonck leased the Durbuy estate for 40,000 gold marks, a very considerable sum. Besides being a baron, he was also Count of Grobbendonk, Lord of Tilburg and Goirle, Pulle and Pulderbos, and Wezemaal. He was in the service of the Spanish and had led the defense of 's-Hertogenbosch during the Eighty Years' War. At the age of 71, he was also governor of the city of Leuven during the Siege of Leuven. And he was the first in a long line of the d'Ursel family who, to this day, inhabit the castle. In 1731, the castle was rebuilt by the then Duke of Ursel. Countess Auguste d'Ursel, who acquired the d'Ursel family's possessions in Durbuy, then modernized the castle from 1880 to 1882 with the help of architect Thirian from Namur. During the Second World War, the castle was occupied several times and in 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, it was used as a field hospital by the American liberators, with the billiard table serving as an operating table. Sources: historical overviews in Word documents on the website of Count Jean-Michel d'Ursel, current resident, at https://www.chateaudedurbuy.be/historique.html