From Alken to the French Ardennes
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RouteXpert Guy Heyns - Adv. RouteXpert
Last edit: 10-12-2024
Route Summary It is a pleasant course that turns completely into a motorbike playground from route point 28.
Nice curves on excellent asphalt slide under your wheels in a loop while you are on your way through a very interesting and very beautiful area to Monthermé, a quiet French village where you can enjoy a good night's sleep.
Relaxing ride on which multiple types of motorcyclists can easily feel at home.
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Verdict
Duration
5h 3m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
251.45 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The departure (rp1) is in the center of Alken, the Limburg village that is very well known in Belgium for its brewery (marked on the map) and located near the departure point. You can easily park just in front of 'In de Ton', a local and cozy café with plenty of parking space in front and next to it.
Immediately after departure you dive into the country roads. Before you reach the first petrol station on your road (rp4 - 13 km), you should have a nice look around ... after all, this route takes you past several beautiful castles and just past rp 3 you have already passed the Castle of Ordingen (on your right side…).
We are not going to list all the castles along the route, but would like to draw your attention to the fact that you will encounter many nice things along this route, including some beautiful castles. Not all of them are equally well preserved and some of them are even dilapidated, but that is no less beautiful or interesting.
At route point 6 you leave Flanders and enter Wallonia. From here you are allowed - unless otherwise indicated - to drive 90 km / hour outside the center - good to know in any case… even if you return to Flanders. The Flemish road police will not hesitate to supplement your holiday album with a more expensive photo copy if you do not comply with the Flemish rules upon your return.
The route continues in a very relaxing and pleasant way towards route point 14, where you will encounter the Maas for the first time. Please feel free to take a look at the breadth of this lifeline and the industry that has been placed around it. You will also get to know the Maas further on this route, and a little higher upstream, in its 'natural' habitat.
Before that, however, we will first enjoy the Walloon roads and the playground that is yet to come….
At route point 17, we would like to draw your attention to the Castle of Faulx-les Tombes. Note… you are only going to see a flash of it at this waypoint and you must look carefully at the top right. But it is a beauty of a castle, unfortunately not to visit because it is privately owned.
Fun fact is that the village of Faulx-les-Tombes, which was built all the way around the castle, actually consists of two different villages (Faulx & Les Tombes), separated by a river called 'Samson' (what's in a name…).
The comfort that the road offers you allows you to dream away for a moment of any wealth and how - you too - can become lord of such an estate, but as long as the lottery shop is not nearby, it is best to drive on and stay enjoy the nice road that takes you further to Ciney at route point 20.
Ciney is known not only for the famous beer that bears her name, but also because Ciney is the capital of this Condroz region. By the way… the beer in question…. is brewed in ... Alken, the village where you left 100 kilometers ago ... Not only all Ciney beers are made there, but also a lot of other abbey beers ... Take a look at the bottom left where the Alken-Maes brewery is explained.
Historically, Ciney played a very important role in the wars between the County of Namur and the Principality of Liège. One of the most important wars was the 'Guerre de la Vache', which ruined the local atmosphere for three years between 1275 and 1278. The war started after a dispute over the sale of a cow on the market. The farmer, who was convicted of stealing the cow, was falsely executed by the 'other party' and the fire was lit for three years….
Today you can take a pleasant break in Ciney, because it is a pleasant village, although I can imagine that opening a beef steak restaurant may raise some questions here. Perhaps that is why you will find many pizzerias & pita tents ... No problem, therefore, to enjoy a short and tasty lunch here. And you can do that here. Further along the route, catering establishments are much scarcer ...
On the way to route point 27, where the curves playground starts, you will notice that the course is becoming more and more winding. Especially enjoy the beautiful surroundings through which you drive.
Just after route point 28 you will arrive on the loop placed in the route. Open all your senses and absorb the surroundings of Bouillon deep into you. Driving in this region is breathtakingly beautiful and varied. The roads are beautiful and they lead you through beautiful woods and forests. Keep in mind that the entire Ardennes area is a lavish hunting area where deer, wild boars and other large game are abundantly present. So be careful in the forest areas and adjust your speed, unless you unintentionally wish to thin out the wildlife stock.
Bouillon (rp33) is a small, but not unimportant city in this region. Godefroid de Bouillon, one of the most important leaders of the first Crusade, came from here. But also the great (?) Napoleon himself spent the night here shortly after his defeat against the Prussian army and just before his surrender. So, historically, bouillon has contributed quite a bit.
But also geologically, Bouillon is interesting and the region attracts a lot of tourists, purely because of its beauty and pure nature, which the river Semois is not foreign to. Bouillon is also literally surrounded by a large meander of this Semois that forms the 'The tomb of the giant'. The name came about because the trees on this peninsula in winter more or less form a large cross on the island.
The rest of the route takes place all the way along the banks of the Semois, you meander, along with the river, into France at route point 39. You then follow the Semois all the way until it surrenders in the arms of the Meuse, the river where you sleep along in hotel 'Les Boucles de Meuse' in Monthermé, the end point of this route.
The route from Alken to Monthermé is very fun, pleasant to ride, surprising and versatile and offers all types of riders a special atmospheric stay on excellent road surfaces. The area is breathtakingly beautiful and extremely varied as you drive 'through mountain and valley' to your destination - Monthermé. Not only because of all these characteristics, but also because of the historical value of the region around Bouillon, we give this route a five-star rating and we are not alone here. Michelin's maps also indicate a great many beautiful and 'green' roads with which they want to draw the attention of all kinds of drivers to the special road quality and beauty in and of this region. Enjoy it!
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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'.
Nearby routes ;_vue_de_la_partie_occidentale_du_château-fort_(XIIIe–XIX_siècles).jpg/1280px-Bouillon_(Belgique);_vue_de_la_partie_occidentale_du_château-fort_(XIIIe–XIX_siècles).jpg)
Luxembourg
About this region
Luxembourg (French: Luxembourg [lyksɑ̃buʁ] (About this soundlisten); Dutch: Luxemburg [ˈlyksəmˌbʏrx] (About this soundlisten); German: Luxemburg [ˈlʊksəmbʊʁk] (About this soundlisten); Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg; Walloon: Lussimbork), also called Belgian Luxembourg, is the southernmost province of Wallonia and of Belgium. It borders on the country of Luxembourg to the east, the French departments of Ardennes, Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle to the south and southwest, and the Walloon provinces of Namur and Liège to the north. Its capital and largest city is Arlon (Luxembourgish: Arel, Dutch: Aarlen), in the south-east of the province.
It has an area of 4,459 km2 (1,722 sq mi), making it the largest Belgian province. With around 285,000 residents, it is also the least populated province, with a density of 64/km2 (170/sq mi), making it a relatively sparsely settled part of a very densely populated region.
It is significantly larger (70%), but much less populous than the neighbouring Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. About eighty percent of the province is part of the densely wooded Ardennes region. The southernmost region of the province is called Gaume or Belgian Lorraine (main city: Virton).
The Arelerland or Arlon region (in red on the map of arrondissements, below) bordering the neighbouring Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg has the particularity that many of its residents have historically spoken Luxembourgish, a language closely related to German, rather than the French or Walloon spoken elsewhere in the province.
The province was separated from the neighbouring Luxembourg by the Third Partition of Luxembourg, de jure in 1830–31 by the Conference of London dealing with the consequences of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, de facto in 1839, after William I, King of the Netherlands and Grand-Duke of Luxembourg, agreed to its decisions and thus the province was given to the newly created Kingdom of Belgium.
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It has an area of 4,459 km2 (1,722 sq mi), making it the largest Belgian province. With around 285,000 residents, it is also the least populated province, with a density of 64/km2 (170/sq mi), making it a relatively sparsely settled part of a very densely populated region.
It is significantly larger (70%), but much less populous than the neighbouring Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. About eighty percent of the province is part of the densely wooded Ardennes region. The southernmost region of the province is called Gaume or Belgian Lorraine (main city: Virton).
The Arelerland or Arlon region (in red on the map of arrondissements, below) bordering the neighbouring Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg has the particularity that many of its residents have historically spoken Luxembourgish, a language closely related to German, rather than the French or Walloon spoken elsewhere in the province.
The province was separated from the neighbouring Luxembourg by the Third Partition of Luxembourg, de jure in 1830–31 by the Conference of London dealing with the consequences of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, de facto in 1839, after William I, King of the Netherlands and Grand-Duke of Luxembourg, agreed to its decisions and thus the province was given to the newly created Kingdom of Belgium.
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Route Collections in this region Route collection MRA NAVIGATION GRAND TOUR 2019
MRA NAVIGATION GRAND TOUR 2019 in short:
From 2019, MyRoute-app organizes every year the "MyRoute-app Navigation Grand Tour" exclusively for MyRoute-app Navigation users. During the Grand Tour you drive 4 routes during the calendar year. A few commands are included in each route. Participants who capture all 4 tracks via MyRoute-app Navigation have the chance to win a great prize. In 2019 we had chosen the 2nd World War as the theme for the 4 routes.
The routes and the assignments:
As mentioned, the theme of 2019 was the 2nd World War. A loaded theme, you are confronted with the dual nature of humanity; the willingness to kill for an ideology, we are better than them, cruelty, slaughter, but also heroism and sacrifices, would it ever change? I myself am very interested in world history, I have even studied it for a year at the university and certainly the 1st and 2nd world war have my interest. So it was no task to put together the routes, drive yourself and come up with the assignments.
Have fun driving these beautiful and interesting routes with a loaded theme!
From 2019, MyRoute-app organizes every year the "MyRoute-app Navigation Grand Tour" exclusively for MyRoute-app Navigation users. During the Grand Tour you drive 4 routes during the calendar year. A few commands are included in each route. Participants who capture all 4 tracks via MyRoute-app Navigation have the chance to win a great prize. In 2019 we had chosen the 2nd World War as the theme for the 4 routes.
The routes and the assignments:
As mentioned, the theme of 2019 was the 2nd World War. A loaded theme, you are confronted with the dual nature of humanity; the willingness to kill for an ideology, we are better than them, cruelty, slaughter, but also heroism and sacrifices, would it ever change? I myself am very interested in world history, I have even studied it for a year at the university and certainly the 1st and 2nd world war have my interest. So it was no task to put together the routes, drive yourself and come up with the assignments.
Have fun driving these beautiful and interesting routes with a loaded theme!
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.
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