Brussels · Ardennes Semois Sweep
A 317 km loop from Dinant river
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Why this ride
River bends, forest roads and a proper Belgian escape. A 317 km loop that starts and ends near Dinant, about 5 h 28 of riding. It goes by way of Bouillon castle bend, Semois valley roads and Namur. Back roads rather than main roads, where the map allows.
Roadbook
- Dinant river gate
photo
Dinant is a small city squeezed between a river and a cliff. The Meuse runs through it, wide and slow, and the rock face rises almost vertically behind the old houses, with the citadel perched on top. The town has about thirteen thousand people, and the first view of it, with the Gothic collegiate church and its famously bulbous spire in front of the cliff, is one of the great pictures of Belgium.
Several things come from here. Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, was born in Dinant in 1814, and the town honours him with sculptures of giant saxophones along the bridge. The hard biscuit called couque de Dinant, made of flour and honey and so tough that it can break a tooth, is a local curiosity, usually stamped with elaborate designs. The strong Leffe beers take their name from an abbey on the edge of town. And the Rocher Bayard, a rock pillar beside the river, is said to have been split by the magic horse Bayard, which carried four brothers away from Charlemagne.
For a rider, Dinant is both a destination and a gateway. The roads along the Meuse north and south, with their curves, cliffs and river views, are among the best in southern Belgium, and the route into the Ardennes plateau and the Semois valley climbs through woods and meadows. Fuel is easy, with stations on the main roads, and cafes and restaurants line the river. Moules-frites, local cheese and waffles are the standard meals, and many of the riverside places have terraces.
Traffic can be heavy on summer weekends, when tourists and boats fill the quays, and the road along the river is busy with campers. Weekdays and early mornings are better, and the light on the cliff is best in the morning. The Citadel can be reached by a cable car or a steep flight of steps, and the view from the top is worth the climb.
On a damp day, mist hangs on the river and the cliffs disappear into cloud. It is moody and atmospheric, and the hot chocolate in a riverside cafe tastes better for it.
- Bouillon castle bend
sight
From the bend below the castle, Bouillon seems to hang between the rock and the river. The Semois, a slow, green stream, loops round the town in a tight horseshoe, and the old fortress stands on the ridge above, grey and square against the dark forest behind it. The bend is the sort of place where you cut the engine, because the sound of the water below and the smell of damp leaves and woodsmoke are part of the view.
The valley is a product of old geology. The Ardennes are the worn-down roots of a mountain range that was raised some three hundred million years ago, folded and compressed, and the Semois has cut through the hard schist and slate to make its meanders, leaving steep wooded flanks on one bank and gentler slopes on the other. The thin soil carries oak, beech and hazel, with wild boar and roe deer in the woods and kingfishers over the water. The valley is also known for its tobacco, grown here since the seventeenth century, and old drying sheds with slatted sides can be seen in the villages.
Riding in this area is a fine experience. The roads follow the river, rising and dropping across the spurs, with tight bends and steep little climbs, and each ridge brings a view of the next loop. The tarmac varies, and after wet weather the shaded stretches stay slippery with mud and leaves. In summer the villages are busy with canoeists and campers, and in autumn mist fills the valley in the morning. The border with France is only about a dozen kilometres away, and the old fortress town of Sedan, where Napoleon III surrendered in 1870 and where German armour broke through in 1940, is within easy reach.
Fuel is available in Bouillon, and it is wise to fill up in town, since the smaller villages along the river have no pumps. A cafe by the bridge is a pleasant place to look back at the castle. Come in May or October for the best colour and light, and bring a warm layer, as the valley holds the chill.
- Semois valley roads
scenic
The Semois is one of the most winding rivers in Europe, and it spends its time in the southern Belgian Ardennes carving deep, looping meanders through a forested plateau of slate and sandstone. The roads here follow the loops, climbing out of the valley and dropping back to the water, so that in a single morning you cross and recross the river and look down on the same bend from several angles. Bertrix is the nearest sizeable town, and Herbeumont, with its ruined castle on a rocky spur above the river, is the prettiest of the villages.
The valley has a character of its own. The houses are built from local grey slate, with roofs of the same stone, and the villages sit tight against the hillsides. The Semois is also known for tobacco, one of the few places in Belgium where it is grown, a tradition that goes back a long way, and you may still see tobacco leaves drying in barns in late summer. Walkers, canoeists and cyclists all come here, and the river is a favourite for kayaks in warm weather.
For a rider, it is a serious pleasure. The corners are tight and frequent, the road surface is generally good, and the forest closes in on both sides so that the light flickers through the trees. The viewpoints over the river meanders, such as the one at Rochehaut, are among the most famous in Belgium, and are worth a stop. Take it steadily, because the roads are narrow, and there is local traffic, tractors and logging trucks. Belgium is strict with speed cameras, so keep an eye on the limits in villages.
The Ardennes forest is dense and old, with beech, oak and spruce, and it is home to red deer, roe deer and wild boar. They cross the roads at dawn and dusk, so slow down in those hours. In autumn, the forest smells of damp leaves and mushrooms, and mist hangs in the valley in the mornings. Winters here can be cold and foggy, with ice on the roads, and many places close for the season.
Bertrix has fuel, supermarkets and a few places to eat, about four kilometres away, and Chiny, further along the river, has more. Smaller villages have a bakery or a cafe, but it pays to plan lunch. Local specialities include ham from the Ardennes, game in season and a fine local beer.
- Namur food
food
Namur sits at the meeting of two rivers, the Sambre and the Meuse, and a great fortress stands on the rock above them. The Citadel, one of the largest in Europe, has been rebuilt many times, by Spanish, Dutch, French and Belgian hands, and it still dominates the city's skyline. From its terraces, you look down on the red roofs, the river bends and the forested hills beyond. The city is the capital of Wallonia, the French-speaking half of Belgium, and has a university, a market, and a lively riverside.
There is plenty to eat. Namur has a good reputation for food, with restaurants ranging from traditional Walloon places to modern bistros. A local speciality is the tarte al djote, a cheese and chard tart, and the region is known for its beer, its jambon d'Ardenne and its chocolate. The old town, with its narrow streets and squares, is full of cafes and bakeries, and a stroll along the quay with a waffle in your hand is a fine way to spend an hour. The cathedral of Saint-Aubain, with its domed top, is an unusual, Baroque landmark.
For a rider, Namur is the sensible place to eat and refuel before heading into the Ardennes. It is large enough to have fuel stations on all the approaches, and there are plenty of parking spots by the river. The roads along the Meuse, south toward Dinant and Givet, are among the prettiest in Belgium, following the river between limestone cliffs, with castles, rock climbers and little villages along the way. The surface is good, and the corners are flowing, but the traffic can be heavy at weekends. To the east, the Condroz plateau offers quiet farm roads, and to the south, the Ardennes proper begins.
Namur sits on the border between the plains and the hills, and the change in landscape is clear within a few kilometres. The Meuse valley is dotted with rock formations and ruined castles, and the cliffs at Freyr are a favourite with climbers.
Weather is mild, but the Ardennes can be cold and wet, so pack a waterproof. Summer weekends are the busiest time, with riders from all over the Benelux region, so go early if you want the roads to yourself. Namur is a good city to wander, and a coffee on the Place d'Armes or by the river is a pleasure.
- Back to Dinant river gate
finish
Back at Dinant river. That is the ride.