If Belgium is known to anyone, for anything more than its beer and its
chocolate, then it must be on account of the Ardennes. Encompassing a
relatively small, yet astonishingly beautiful, area they can be found in the
countryÂ’s southeast corner, in close proximity to the borders of both
Luxembourg and Germany.
One overcast Saturday morning I was filled with more determination than ever
to visit a part of Belgium so close to me, yet one that IÂ’d for so long
neglected in preference of Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp. With my time in
Belgium drawing to a close, I decided it had to be now or never, and what a
lovely day I had.
The towns of Coo and Stavelot are easily accessible from
Liege – the town rather unfortunately referred to as the effective gateway
to the Ardennes.
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On no accounts should you base your illusions of the
romantic Ardennes, before arriving there, on Liege – a rather grimy, filthy
and industrial place youÂ’ll be pleased to leave behind. Trains run every two
hours from Liege, in the direction of Luxembourg. IÂ’d advise you to get off
at ‘Trois Ponts’ (Three Bridges) though. Not because there’s anything of
particular interest there, but this is the place to be to pick up the bus
for a quick ride over to Stavelot, just 5km away. Stavelot is a quaint
little town and well worth a visit for a number of reasons. It boasts many
architecturally interesting buildings and structures, including an Abbey
(currently under renovation) dating back to the sixteenth and eighteenth
centuries and an immense and impressive Arch nearing a thousand years old.
Let yourself wander to see what is across the other side of the river and
youÂ’ll certainly be struck upon beholding what must definitely be one of the
smallest and oldest of churches that I have ever had the chance to come
cross. If you’re not up to visiting the three or so museums also to be found
in this dear town, it is still worth making a bee line for Stavelot (in the
direction of the Tourist Office) if youÂ’re a walker or a rambler and desire
to uncover and explore further the delights of the Ardennes on foot.
At the Tourist Information Office, ask for ‘une carte des promenades de Stavelot’ –
that is, if you can manage a few words in French! If not, you might do just
as well to ask for ‘a map of walks around Stavelot’ and this costs 200 BEF.
There are many walks to chose from, of various lengths, and each one
individually identified with a name and symbol. You might be forgiven for
thinking that this arrangement was designed to help you instead of hinder
and somewhat puzzle you (but going on BelgiumÂ’s general ineptitude at
labelling and indicating anything, it hardly comes as a surprise).
That aside however, IÂ’d advise you to head towards the small village of Coo,
approximately 5km away, if you think you fancy a stroll anywhere! And if
you do give up with the labelled map idea completely, you could just always
follow the road signs, designed for the motorists as opposed to hikers, and
youÂ’ll fare just as well. YouÂ’ll be rewarded with some lovely scenery of
rolling hills, woods and unique houses along your walk, which also runs
virtually parallel to the river down in the valley below. And be sure to say
“bonjour” to all the people you pass along your way, for the folk out in the
country are known to be quite a bit friendlier than your average Belgian!
On approaching Coo, youÂ’ll descend a fair bit, down a winding tour through a
wood. Given the size of Coo, you wonÂ’t find any signs to point you in the
direction of the centre. On approaching the station, turn right and
continue to walk for a further five minutes where youÂ’ll then be dumbfounded
with the choice of activities on offer for you.
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Coo plays host to a whole range of outdoor activities from kayaking, to mountain biking, quads and
paint balling, mini-golf and even more walks! ThereÂ’s even a small adventure
park with rides in this village. However, be sure to see the waterfalls that made
their appearance there at some point between the fifteenth and seventeenth
century. It is also worth taking the cable car to the top
of the “mountain” and be sure to ask for a return ticket at
the bottom unless you are wearing a good pair of boots and you fancy an
adventure! The descent on foot is by no means easy, considering how steep the
hill actually is, and the fact that it is advertised that it takes just
20 minutes. Think twice before attempting this, but do make it to the top, as the view is absolutely fantastic.
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