Alongside the Meuse river from Montherme to Alken
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RouteXpert Guy Heyns - Adv. RouteXpert
Last edit: 10-12-2024
Route Summary Every now and then a frivolous side jump is made on very nice roads that help to maintain your cornering talents, whether ascending or descending.
Enjoy this pleasant, relaxing ride that also takes you along Dinant, a tourist attraction in the Condroz.
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Verdict
Duration
4h 49m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
230.90 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review It passes a number of nice places such as Givet & Dinant and you cross the Maas 10 times while you follow its banks for 174 kilometers.
Here and there, however, we leave these banks to look very fun and frivolously on the smaller roads to hone our cornering talents.
So plenty of variety on this return route from the French Ardennes.
As already mentioned, the route starts in Monthermé, France. First the banks of the Semois are followed, and then, believe it or not, to catch a 'colleke' in the North of France. Do not expect intensive bends or climbing on this 'Col du Liry', but rather enjoy the first magnificent forest you drive through (Forêt Domaniale de Château-Regnault) while 'descending' back to Bogny-sur-Meuse. There you will find a connection to the famous 'green' Michelin roads and these roads form a 'red' thread through this route, in which road quality is of paramount importance.
At Haybes, just after Fumay and after a possible refueling on the route (rp 6- 50 km) we cross the Meuse again and dive into some great forests (Forêt Domaniale de la Manise / d'Hargnes-Lurier & Bois de la Cloche). In the middle of these forests you will also get to process some nice pins, so that will be enjoyed from the front row.
You stay in this green area until you reach route point 8 and after 83 kilometers arrive in Givet, the last city before the French-Belgian border. Perhaps a short break is recommended here instead of in the higher Dinant. In contrast to Dinant, Givet offers ample parking options and perhaps also space on its terraces along the Maas. After all, in Dinant it can be very busy on a sunny weekend day….
At route point 10 (86 km) you pass the French-Belgian border and meander back to the Meuse, which you cross again in Hastière-Lavaux. You will then continue along the Meuse to Dinant (rp12 - 109 km).
Dinant is a tourist attraction with its Citadel and home to Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. It can be very busy on a summer day. Parking options in and around the center are very limited, even for motorcycles. Maybe something to take into account ...
Just after leaving Dinant there is another very nice attraction and that is the Leffe Abbey (rp13). You will probably have no trouble recognizing the Abbey tower. This is depicted on the 13 different types of Leffe beer that originated in this abbey. Today, however, the Leffe varieties are brewed in Leuven and 'royalties' are paid to the abbey.
If Dinant is or was too busy, you can stop at route point 15, barely 8 kilometers after Dinant, at a small but nice picnic area for a short break.
Enjoy the roads that are cut here and the peace and nature they offer you. It will soon get busier when you approach the city of Namur. To avoid the crowds there, we stay on the right side of the Maas to dive back into the woods after the Naamse bend. The Bois de Jeumont, d'Herpet, Rouquimont, Lier, de la Justice, the Gresves, the Faux,… they all slide under your wheels, just to illustrate the beautiful, green area you cross here. At route point 23 and after 173 kilometers you will arrive in Andenne where, just before you cross the Maas for the 10th and last time, you can take a short break in a pleasant square.
For the rest, the ride to Alken then follows beautiful, good and rural roads where the speed from route point 26 is reduced to 70 km / h outside the built-up area. After all, you are back in Flanders, where different speed limits apply. From the Walloon-Flemish border it is then another 23 kilometers to the arrival in Alken, where you can enjoy a last farewell drink in 'De Ton' or in 'Sportwereld'.
This return route from the French Ardennes is particularly varied and offers something for everyone. Excellent road surface, beautiful nature, varied views, quite a bit of history, nice hills and even a real 'col' are your part on this route that deserves a five star rating because of its surprising, yet always fascinating route.
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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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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