Camping in the Ardennes during the ACSI FreeLife TestTour
9 August, 2023
For the ACSI FreeLife TestTour, two Dutch teams went to the Belgian provinces of Liège and Luxembourg. The active holidaymakers and the bon vivants look back at an unforgettable trip through Wallonia and the Ardennes.
For many campsite visitors, Wallonia is a transit route to the south. And yet it is worth the while to stay here just a little longer. The French-speaking part of Belgium is full of surprises. The glowing hills of the Ardennes are bursting with picturesque locations and places of interest. And there are wonderful meals and drinks to be had everywhere.
Liège: historic and futuristic at the same time
Bon vivants Eric and Inez were only familiar with the capital city of the province of Liège, also named Liège, because they had always driven past it. Eric: ‘I am really very curious about Liège. We have driven past it so often, but I’ve never been in this city before.’ They discover that the city is full of surprises, like the stately Paleis van de Prins-bisschoppen (Palace of the Prince-Bishops) and the Maastricht-Liège Canal that is just outside the centre.
Bon vivants Inez and Eric visit the beautiful Liège-Guillemins railway station.
Reinhardstein Castle
South of Hautes Fagnes – Eifel Nature Park, Eric and Inez come across an entirely different surprise in the Liège province, a castle they have never even heard of. Reinhardstein Castle is beautifully hidden in the woods near the village of Ovifat. Nearby is Robertville Lake, where later that day they soak up the beauty and tranquillity of the region during a tour in an electric boat.
Reinhardstein Castle lies hidden in the woods of the Ardennes.
The chateau is completely intact, just as many of the remnants to be found here are, such as weapons and instruments for amputation. The bon vivants are not bored for a single moment. ‘We have seen a lot of castles. Usually, you wander around for hours, but you have actually seen the entire castle within half an hour,’ says Eric while Inez nods in agreement. ‘Here, you walk around for an hour to an hour and a half, and you aren’t bored at all. Every room has something interesting in it – the wall tapestries and the decorative weapons from when this castle was still inhabited.’
The medieval Reinhardstein Castle holds many old instruments of torture and weapons
Beer tasting
The ultimate reward lies waiting for Eric between Malmedy and Stavelot. After a walk of nine kilometres and 160 altimeters, the bon vivants prepare themselves for a tour and a beer tasting. They are visiting the small-scale brewery of Bellevaux, which produces around 120,000 litres of beer annually. The Dutch pharmacist Wil Schuwer resigned from his practice for this. His son Tom has taken charge of the hop boilers now.
Beer-lover Eric is particularly fond of the blonde version. ‘This is a truly refreshing beer that isn’t too heavy on the stomach. I have a modest beer cellar at home, so I’ll buy a six-pack to take home.’ That six-pack contains the four main beers: Blonde, Brune, Blanche and the Malmedy Triple. And Inez? She’ll stick to 0.0 and is happy with the Bellevaux Cassis.
Inez and Eric enjoying a good beer at the beer brewery Bellevaux.
Walking around Saint Hubert, hunting capital
Active holidaymakers Ronald and Emily travelled a bit more south in Luxembourg for the TestTour 2022 Wallonia. For the sake of clarity, this is not the country but the Belgian province of Luxembourg. Around Saint-Hubert, Ronald and Emily follow the wooden walkway of the surrounding birch woods, the second-oldest nature reserve in Wallonia.
Saint-Hubert is also known as the hunting capital of Wallonia. Take note that the hunting season is only three months long: from 1 October until 31 December. If you want to get to know the woods and local game in another way, you could also opt for an electric scooter, a Segway or roller skis.
Ronald and Emily hike through the woods around Saint-Hubert
Cycling along the Belgian cycle route RAVel
The active holidaymakers would gladly be woken from their sleep for a cycling tour – especially Ronald. Leaving from Han-sur-Lesse – known for the similarly named caves – Ronald and Emily get on their bicycles for a cycling tour. They travel over the RAVel (Réseau Autonome des Voies Lentes) and cycle from cycle junction to cycle junction on their way to Rochefort. Their route is a former railway line. This is why the route has very little variations in altitude and there are old passenger buildings along the way.
If you follow the green cycle routes of the RAVeL, you pass through all of Wallonia.
SUPping (standup paddleboarding) on a reservoir
In addition to adventurous cycle routes and walking tours, the Walloon province of Luxembourg has great locations to do stand up paddling also known as SUPping. Not far from La Roche-en-Ardenne is the reservoir of Nisramont, which is where the Brabant campsite visitors climb on the SUP board for a meditative paddling journey.
The lake of Nisramont allows you to SUP in beautiful, lush surroundings and you relax completely.
Camping in the Ardennes
For everyone who loves to camp in the countryside, walk in the woods and enjoy unique view, the Belgian Ardennes are a suitable location to holiday. This region has numerous picturesque cities that are worth visiting. The best-known are Malmedy, Durby, Bouillon, La Roche-en-Ardenne and Dinant. Here you can enjoy the narrow streets, old (some even medieval) houses and historic castles. In brief, there is plenty to explore during a camping holiday in this region.
Our two test teams both stayed for a week at lovely campsites in Wallonia. Eric and Inez went camping with a Dethleffs Aero 470 EL caravan at Camping Anderegg in Waimes. Ronald and Emily went looking for adventure with the Bürstner Copa 500 campervan at camping Sandaya Parc Le Clusure.
You will find various types of campsites in the Ardennes. If you prefer peace and quiet, space and tranquility, a Great Little Campsite would suit you best. But there are campsites with fun activities and a swimming pool to be found here, too. We have selected several of the best campsites for you:
If you are looking for more inspiration about camping in the Ardennes, you will find even more interesting information and inspiration for a camping holiday in Wallonia in our blog. For example, read these blogs about the Ardennes:
- Top 5 campsite in Belgium
- The 5 most beautiful kayak routes in Europe
- 7 trips in de Ardennes that your children will love
Or maybe you have already been to Wallonia and the Belgian Ardennes and have some more good tips. We would love to hear them.
1 Comment
Really interesting – as we appear to have very hot summers there are many more places to visit and enjoy camping