Luik Givet de Citadellen langs de Maas
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RouteXpert Stijn Claus
Last edit: 28-06-2021
Route Summary We have lunch at the Abbey of Maredsous.
The roads are mainly secondary roads.
Most of the sights are off the main road, but these are clearly marked from the main road. Please note that the road surfaces of the access roads are not always in good condition.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
4h 29m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
211.38 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Today there are still many remains of the citadel visible. From here you get a beautiful panoramic view of the city center of Liège.
Then we follow the banks of the Maas to Huy. Here we find the Huy citadel. This was once one of the most beautiful castles of our region, but due to its strategic location, the castle must make way for a sober but impregnable fortress. In 1940, the Germans turned it into one of the most lurid prisons in Belgium: for more than 7 years more than 7,000 people were locked up in the dungeons as the last leg before they boarded the train from death to concentration camp.
The route takes us to Namur, where the Counts of Namur built their residence. Between the 15th and 18th centuries the fortress was repeatedly besieged, so that it always passed into different hands. Skilful military architects and engineers are trying in vain to turn it into an impregnable stronghold, making the citadel of Namur in the 18th century one of the largest in Europe, with 80 hectares of defenses. It was Napoleon who gave her the name "termite mound of Europe" because of the miles of underground passages.
From Namur the route goes further south, we no longer follow the banks of the Maas and drive through the woods to the abbey of Maredsous. In addition to a guesthouse and a reception building with shops, museum space, this Benedictine monastery houses a restaurant.
After lunch at the abbey we drive back to the Maas valley. This brings us to the medieval ruins of the castle and the fortified village of Poilvache. From the rocky hill on which the fortress is located, one has a good view over the valley of the Maas.
A dozen kilometers further on the route arrives in Dinant. Here we meet two reinforced locations.
The first fortifications on the rocks above Dinant date back to the 11th century. They have to protect the border town of the prince-diocese of Liège on one of the few bridges over the Meuse against the counts of Namur, with the castle of Crèvecoeur on the other side.
From Dinant we drive to France, on the way we pass by the castle of Freÿr It is called a greatly reduced Versailles. It was originally an Renaissance castle, expanded in the 18th century and was once the residence for dukes and their royal guests.
The route ends at the Citadel of Givet. This fort was built in 1555 by order of Emperor Charles V. He needed a strategic position in the heart of Europe and the location of Givet was perfect in his eyes.
Part of the Citadel of Givet is the Fort Charlemont. You can visit this historic monument. The fort has, among other things, an 800-meter long tunnel system, 3 kilometers of trenches and an abandoned village with 48 buildings.
This route gets 4 stars because of the beautiful view of the route and the many nice sights.
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Namur Province
About this region
Namur ( nə-MOOR, nam-OOR, French: [namyʁ]; German: [naˈmyːɐ̯] (listen); Dutch: Namen [ˈnaːmə(n)] (listen); Walloon: Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration.
Namur stands at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers and straddles three different regions – Hesbaye to the north, Condroz to the south-east, and Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse to the south-west. The city of Charleroi is located to the west. The language spoken is French.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Beez, Belgrade, Boninne, Bouge, Champion, Wallonia, Cognelée, Daussoulx, Dave, Erpent, Flawinne, Gelbressée, Jambes, Lives-sur-Meuse, Loyers, Malonne, Marche-les-Dames, Naninne, Saint-Servais, Saint-Marc, Suarlée, Temploux, Vedrin, Wépion, and Wierde.
Read more on Wikipedia
Namur stands at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers and straddles three different regions – Hesbaye to the north, Condroz to the south-east, and Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse to the south-west. The city of Charleroi is located to the west. The language spoken is French.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Beez, Belgrade, Boninne, Bouge, Champion, Wallonia, Cognelée, Daussoulx, Dave, Erpent, Flawinne, Gelbressée, Jambes, Lives-sur-Meuse, Loyers, Malonne, Marche-les-Dames, Naninne, Saint-Servais, Saint-Marc, Suarlée, Temploux, Vedrin, Wépion, and Wierde.
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Statistics 
19Amount of RX reviews (Namur Province)
19431Amount of visitors (Namur Province)
3790Amount of downloads (Namur Province)
Route Collections in this region 25 Magnificent trails in France
This MRA route collection contains 25 beautiful motorcycle routes in different parts of France, such as the Ardennes, the Alsace, Vercors, the Drôme, the Ardèche, Cote d'Azure, Gorges du Verdon, the Ariège, the Dordogne and Brittany.
The routes have been carefully created by Bert Loorbach, who is an enthusiastic motorcyclist himself. He lived in France for a year and a half, during which time he devoted himself to mapping the unknown and beautiful back roads of France especially for motorcyclists.
The routes are bundled in the Motortourgids France part 1 of Kosmos publishing house and now also available in MyRouteApp.
I have taken over the routes in MRA and sometimes adjusted them slightly to make them even more interesting for the motorcyclist.
The routes have been carefully created by Bert Loorbach, who is an enthusiastic motorcyclist himself. He lived in France for a year and a half, during which time he devoted himself to mapping the unknown and beautiful back roads of France especially for motorcyclists.
The routes are bundled in the Motortourgids France part 1 of Kosmos publishing house and now also available in MyRouteApp.
I have taken over the routes in MRA and sometimes adjusted them slightly to make them even more interesting for the motorcyclist.
View Route Collection
5 tours in Belgium in flat Flanders the hills of the Pays des Collines and the Ardennes
Those who like a winding and hilly course, along many small lanes with little to no traffic, will certainly find what they are looking for in the Pays des Collines, the region east and south of Ronse.
Between Diksmuide and Ypres there are many commemorative monuments of the First World War. In Vinkt in East Flanders, the monument commemorates the massacre that took place in May 1940.
Along rural quiet roads you can taste the history of World War I and II.
Marche-en-Famenne is an excellent starting point to thoroughly explore this plateau, which is cut by rivers and strewn with coniferous forests. The real Ardennes are the most hilly areas of Belgium behind the Meuse. Nature plays an all-important role on this trip.
In addition to the Ardennes, the route with start and end point in Huy also goes through a part of Condroz and Famenne. The Condroz, where wooded hills and valleys alternate, and the Famenne, which makes the transition to the Ardennes plateaus. In the summer it is wonderful motorcycling in the vast forests. You will not only enjoy the natural beauty, but you will also pass numerous castles, wild flowing Ardennes rivers, quiet villages and authentic tourist towns.
The tour from Namur runs through the Meuse area where you discover that the tributaries of the Meuse are of picturesque beauty. You will pass a large number of castles and fortresses. The roads along the Maas are busy arterial roads. But as soon as you can you will look for the smaller roads that are immediately a lot quieter and take us through forests and meadows.
Between Diksmuide and Ypres there are many commemorative monuments of the First World War. In Vinkt in East Flanders, the monument commemorates the massacre that took place in May 1940.
Along rural quiet roads you can taste the history of World War I and II.
Marche-en-Famenne is an excellent starting point to thoroughly explore this plateau, which is cut by rivers and strewn with coniferous forests. The real Ardennes are the most hilly areas of Belgium behind the Meuse. Nature plays an all-important role on this trip.
In addition to the Ardennes, the route with start and end point in Huy also goes through a part of Condroz and Famenne. The Condroz, where wooded hills and valleys alternate, and the Famenne, which makes the transition to the Ardennes plateaus. In the summer it is wonderful motorcycling in the vast forests. You will not only enjoy the natural beauty, but you will also pass numerous castles, wild flowing Ardennes rivers, quiet villages and authentic tourist towns.
The tour from Namur runs through the Meuse area where you discover that the tributaries of the Meuse are of picturesque beauty. You will pass a large number of castles and fortresses. The roads along the Maas are busy arterial roads. But as soon as you can you will look for the smaller roads that are immediately a lot quieter and take us through forests and meadows.
View Route Collection