Belgian Ardennes. Ardennes - mountains in Belgium

I got inspired and decided that going down into the caves would be our first adventure in the Ardennes.

The town of An-sur-Lesse has been living off these caves for more than a century - they say that tourists descended there already 300 years ago. Now, in addition to the caves, there is also a safari park with supposedly “wild animals”, a huge children’s playground and a “video game” Speleogame. Having looked at the price of tickets and taking into account the child’s desire to go on a safari, we bought a comprehensive ticket.

The timing turned out to be such that the safari became the first item on our program. Visitors are seated in two huge vans attached to a truck and driven around the reserve, allowing disembarkation in some places. Our impressions were not at all enthusiastic - it seemed that there were few animals, they were all in such “zoo” cages and enclosures that they were not at all suitable for a safari. The sleepy owl in the cage looked especially depressing... Omega Park near Ottawa is a real safari :) But the caves that followed the safari are a complete delight!

First, the truck took us through the main street of the town, then we got out into the fields, with fat-butted Belgian cows

And about 7 minutes later we entered the territory of the reserve, where we were met by such a curious owner. There was no grass at all on the territory of the wild boars, but only this kind of dug up earth. I wonder if these are the features of their habitat?

And his neighbor is in a gloomy mood - they are not allowed to go to the hogs.

One of the landings in an open field, near the place where the Less River goes underground into caves. Small dots in the distance are resting deer; there are several species of them in the reserve.

After the safari, we almost immediately boarded an old tram and headed to the caves. You can't get to the entrance without a tram. Despite its very respectable age of 100 years, the tram with three cars rushed along the tracks so briskly that it brought to mind the Disneyland roller coaster... The tram brings tourists to the entrance to the cave. At the stop, the guides are already waiting for their groups. The program includes about an hour in the dungeon (the air temperature there is +13, so stock up on appropriate clothing), a show of light and music and going out through the underground river (now tourists go out into the white light along bridges, before visitors were more romantically taken out on boats) .

We were lucky because... For tourists who do not speak French or Dutch, an English-speaking group has been created. As far as I understand, this does not always happen. A family from Germany approached our guide and asked if they could join, to which the guide said: “Are you Germans? Go over there to the Dutch group, you will understand everything.” They turned around, puzzled, and left, and the guide joyfully announced: “The Germans have no idea that they understand Dutch, but they understand almost everything!”

We walked about 3 km underground, while as many as 14 km of caves were documented and explored. The caves at An-sur-Lesse were the result of millennia, during which the underground part of the Lesse River eroded limestone and created bizarre chambers and passages underground. The size and, accordingly, age of stalactites and stalagmites make us think about the transience of our human life...

In the first hall you want to not let go of the camera. And the guide, looking at the stunned tourists, chuckles and only says that we were happy early - it will only get better. The spacious halls of the cave are very beautifully illuminated, almost everywhere is dry, but cool.

Here you can see the dimensions of the internal halls and the old steps along which tourists were once taken, not knowing that the magnificent halls of stalactites lay ahead. We are led through relatively new halls, which were accidentally discovered in the sixties and painstakingly cleared of the earth that had clogged them.

These amazing curtains hang from the ceiling. They are so elegant that they transmit light no worse than Egyptian alabaster.

And then the guy on the left successfully got into the frame to enhance the impression of the size of the stalagmite - this is the tallest stalagmite (about 5 m). Considering the snail's growth rate, can you imagine how old he is? The guide said that it is about 10-12 thousand years old!

In one of the transitions from hall to hall, the guide draws attention to a small illuminated recess - there you can watch how crystals grow.

In the next room, a small lake with a completely mirror-like surface of water attracts attention.

In this beautiful hall, where stalagmites rise on the sides, and the finest stalactites hang from above like curtains, you feel like you are in the belly of a miracle Yudo-fish-whale:)

Behind this stalactite splendor, the largest hall in the cave awaits us. If I remember correctly, its diagonal size, from corner to corner, is 129 m. Then we are led into a hall with benches. Everyone sits down, the lights go out for a few seconds - pitch darkness. A kid from a neighboring group roars in fear. But then music begins to sound, and multi-colored rays of light capture the bizarre shapes of a cave, an underground river, stalactites and stalagmites. Quite a nice show that was made, one might say, from scratch. After the show, the tour ends and tourists are led out along the walkway. Before leaving, they let you listen to the echo of a cannon salvo and admire the acoustics in the underground kingdom.

The underground river shows the way out.

And here is the way out...

The guide reminds that tips make up a significant part of his salary and takes out a special bag. We throw him 2 euros and leave not far - right at the exit from the caves there is a cafe strategically located :) Next door are fields and a huge playground.

Cows lazily watch over playing children

Our ticket included visiting a caving game and a local museum. We visited Speleogame because the youngest tourist really insisted on it. The game is completely stupid, you can safely skip it and not waste your precious time. We didn’t look into the museum, because... They were in a hurry to leave for Rochefort.

Along the Belgian Ardennes. Hydroelectric power station in Koo.

The Ardennes are relatively low mountains, most of which are located in the south-eastern part of Belgium. They also partially capture the territory of Luxembourg and France. The greatest height is about 650 m. The slopes of the Ardennes are covered with birch, spruce and oak forests. Despite the fact that the population density in Belgium is one of the highest in Europe (higher only in the Netherlands and some substates such as Monaco), the Ardennes are rather sparsely populated. As a result, among densely populated areas, we get a kind of oasis of relatively untouched nature, practically in the center of Europe.

Today we will go to the small village of Coo, located in the depths of the Ardennes. It is located on the Liege - Luxembourg railway line. Trains run there every two hours, so you can get there without any problems. Immediately after departure from Liege, the train turns into a picturesque river valley and delves into the green Ardennes.

Autobahns have much lower permissible slopes than ordinary roads, so in very rough terrain it is necessary to build such viaducts across valleys.

The dominant color here is green in different shades. The forests are mixed but mostly deciduous. Between them there are pastures with cows.

There are a lot of tunnels and viaducts on the line.

There are also some completely remote places.

Arrival at Koo station. A short stop and the train quickly rolled off towards Luxembourg.

There is an observation deck on one of the mountains near Koo, which offers stunning views of the surrounding area. You can get there by cable car. But you can also walk, as I did.

Below you can see the train and a piece of the viaduct.

Among the forested mountains is a horseshoe-shaped reservoir. At the foot of the mountains there is a fairly powerful pumped storage power station. But we will return to it a little later.

The nature there is incredibly beautiful.

The village itself is very small; near it there is an amusement park with various attractions.

Another interesting object is the waterfall located directly under the arched bridge. The sun was almost shining into the lens, so we didn’t get a beautiful photo of the waterfall.

The water in the river is clean and transparent.

You can kayak along the river. I wonder why wear life jackets if the average depth in the river is knee-deep, well, in the deepest places, maximum waist-deep? :)

Let's take a walk around the reservoir.

It’s a very beautiful place, I really didn’t want to leave here.

Now about the hydroelectric power station. It is pumped storage and works according to the following principle. When there is excess electricity in the network, for example at night, the station’s hydraulic units turn on in pumping mode and pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper one. During peak load hours, the station's hydraulic units are switched on in generator mode and generate electricity. The height difference there is 275 meters, which, coupled with significant volumes of the upper and lower reservoirs, will allow generating a significant amount of electricity. The power of the station is 1150 MW, which is comparable to one unit of an average nuclear power plant. This is quite enough to supply electricity to approximately one or even one and a half million people. The station can generate such power within 5 hours. Then the water needs to be pumped back into the upper reservoir. The station is controlled automatically from Brussels.

The poster depicts two upper reservoirs located on the top of a mountain.

The station's machine room is located underground. You can get there through a 175-meter tunnel.

Engine room. There are 6 hydraulic units installed here. It’s interesting that I didn’t meet a single living soul either near or inside the station :) Only the uniform hum of ventilation and noticeable vibration from the operation of the hydraulic units.

Discover a selection of the best places and attractions in ARDENNES BELGIUM

The Citadel de Dinan located in the province of Namur in Belgium is one of the main tourist attractions when traveling around Belgium. Built in the 18th century, when the region was under the rule of the Bishopric of Liège. The beautiful valley leads you to historical sites including dungeons, a museum of weapons, kitchens and carriages. The vibrant architecture of the various castles located in this place will definitely mesmerize you.

Place Reine Astrid 3, 5500 Dinant, Belgium

Known as Chateau de Bouillon in French, Bouillon Castle is located on a rocky site on the banks of the Semois River. The castle built by Godfrey of Bouillon was sold to Otbert to finance the first crusade. The first choice of a traveler to visit, the castle is connected to an old bridge. While today, many houses and towns overlooking the castle have been developed in the city. The castle has architectural designs from the 17th century along with an illustration of Godfreey of Bouillon. The place will also attract you with a small museum and a bird show.

Esplanade Godefroy 1, 6830 Bouillon, Belgium

Henri Chapelle is an American cemetery and memorial mausoleum for those American soldiers killed during World War II. The memorial is the primary resting place for approximately 7,992 members. The cemetery has a row of sloping tombs, which will give that look untold in the interpretation of the World War. There is also a portico with a chapel and a map room where you can find maps engraved on granite, and on the columns of the portico, the names of missing soldiers are engraved. This is a must see place for those interested in history.

Rue American Memorial 159, 4852 plombir, Belgium

A home to a major history of the Second World War, the Bastogne War Museum has a lot of history to share in. Today's tourist spot, the Bastogne Museum will give you insight into the World War and especially the Battle of the Bulge with audio guides and three films taken from a four-person perspective. The film shown from a different perspective will allow you to understand the situation of the war easily; making yours more interesting.

Colline du Mardasson 5, 6600 Bastogne, Belgium

Andrennes is a city still preserving its heritage and the Cathedral de Liège is a living example of this. A magnificent place to visit, the cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. This is the place that helped the place of Liege achieve the status of Athens of the North. In the 17th century, the cathedral was considered a place of tyranny and as a result it was destroyed. Later, a new cathedral was needed and was finally erected. The manner and design style of this place will definitely mesmerize you and it is one of the best training places for architects.

Cathedral Square 6, 4000 Liege, Belgium

IN Belgium I went to drink mineral water and swim in it. All this happened in the small resort town of Spa.

In Germany the road was absolutely uninteresting, forest and fields, and only when we crossed the border with Belgium in the Aaachen area did the landscape begin to change slightly. And since many industrial enterprises are concentrated in this area, the landscape outside the window was quite specific.
Another feature of Belgium is that it is the only one in Europe that lights up the autobahns.

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwestern Europe, which only since 1993 has become a federation of the regional communities of Wallonia and Flanders, as well as the Brussels metropolitan area. It borders the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. As a cultural border between Germanic and Romanesque Europe, the country is also divided within itself, both culturally and linguistically. Belgium has two main languages ​​– Dutch, also informally called Flemish, spoken in the north, in Flanders, and French, spoken in Wallonia, in the south.

The capital, Brussels, is officially bilingual, but French is the predominant language, and in the east of Belgium there is a small German community of approximately 50,000 people. This linguistic diversity has developed historically, and often leads to political divisions, which are reflected in the country's complex governmental and political systems.

The country owes its name to the Celtic tribes of the Belgae and the Romanesque province in northern Gaul where they settled, which is known as Gallia Belgica. Historically, Belgium was part of the "low countries", which also included the Netherlands and Luxembourg. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, Belgium was a thriving commercial and cultural center. From the 16th century until its independence as a separate country in 1830, Belgium, then considered the Southern Netherlands, was the site of many battles between the forces of Europe, earning it the nickname "The Arena of the European Struggle". Modern Belgium is one of the founding countries of the European Union; its headquarters are located here, as well as the headquarters of many international organizations, in particular NATO

They say that there is not a piece of wild nature left in Europe that has not been inhabited, cultivated or spoiled by people. This is said by those who have not been to Wallonia.
There are fields and forests everywhere, a third of all Wallonia is forest, cows graze on the grass, although some are very small. And narrow, non-highway roads leading to the Ardennes Mountains. They don’t reach the serpentine, which makes your head spin, like in Switzerland, because the mountains are not high, the maximum height is 694 meters. Many lands in Wallonia, near the foothills of the Ardennes, are protected. We have finally completed the high-speed railway, now you can get here much faster, for example, from Paris.

The landscape begins to change only in the territory of southern Wallonia, small villages begin to appear in the lowlands and on the Ardennes hills, countless castles and, finally, the third largest city in Belgium, Liege.

River Meuse. The river originates on the Langres plateau in France, flows north, and passes through Belgium. At Namur it turns northeast, flows west of the Ardennes, after Liege it turns north.

Liege is the third largest city in Belgium, located on the banks of the river. The city traces its history back to 705, when a certain Frank named Dodon, motivated by blood feud, killed the bishop of the local church, Lambert. After which Lambert was canonized, and the place of his death became popular among pilgrims.
The square, named after the bishop - St. Lambert's Square, is still the central place in the city. Walking along it, you cannot pay attention to the main decoration of the city - the Palace of Prince-Bishops, built in 1526.
The palace is interesting because the outside is made in the Gothic style, and the inside is decorated in the style of the Renaissance.
Of course, I couldn’t see any of this while flying along the autobahn, but I hope next time I’ll get on it.

The melancholy was mortal, the city has one main street, and a couple more to the sides. Spa is the oldest health resort in Europe and the name of this particular town gave its name to a whole area of ​​spa relaxation. This small town is proud of its thermal springs, known since the 16th century, and the fact that the Russian Tsar Peter I, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, the King of Belgium Leopold II, the writers Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas and a host of other famous people visited the Spa resorts. And they drank the miraculous mineral water from the underground springs of Spa even before our era.
The balneological centers of the Spa resort offer a complex of treatments based on 7 thermal springs enriched with iron and carbon dioxide. Moreover, the English word “spa” itself - mineral waters - comes precisely from the name of this city.

Mineral water bath built in 1868.

The world's first casino Garden.

The town is very small, but it has a lot of magnificent flowers, literally at every step. I love these flowers.

Another bathhouse, but it is currently being restored.

Beer is rightfully considered one of the main attractions of Belgium. There are about 600 varieties of it here, and the traditions of brewing and even bottling Belgian beer are almost a thousand years old.

On the crosses of Belgian cathedrals, a figurine of a rooster is used as a weather vane. Because the rooster crowing scares away evil spirits.

I still don’t understand what the minaret is doing here. Or is this not a minaret? I have never seen such things near Catholic cathedrals in Europe. We have it in Kamenets-Podolsk, but it’s clear there, either the Poles were sitting there, or the Turks. In Belgium now, every sixth person is a foreigner, and of these sixth, every second person is Muslim. So anything can happen.

Georg Kriens, who was the first violin in the orchestra on the Titanic, lived in this house. As you know, the orchestra played until the last minute.

Monument to those killed in the first and second world wars.

Another bath

At the top, on the hill of Anet and Lubin, the Walloon Romeo and Juliet, a new bathhouse has recently been built.

That's the whole city, 10.5 thousand inhabitants.

The town of Spa is also famous throughout the world for the fact that next to it is located the world famous auto racing track called Spa-Francorchamps, where the Belgian stage of the Formula 1 race is held.

I found some time and went to see another local attraction. This is the small town of Sougneux-Remouchamps, where people come for the stalactite-stalagmite cave, which is more than a million years old, and the longest underground river ride in the world.

700 meters by boat along the Rubicon is a real extreme. The cave gradually converges overhead, forming narrow gorges. You have to tilt your head all the way to the boat to avoid being carried away by the overhanging stalactites. There is darkness all around, and only stalactites and stalagmites glow in the dark, taking on the forms of human fantasy. Light spots stand out on the ceiling - fossils of tiny animals that lived in the sea 350 million years ago.

The first stupid thought that came to mind was whether anything fell on the tourists’ heads. There was a certain fear in the depths of my soul; I really didn’t want to slip on the wet narrow path, hit my head on overhanging stones, or wipe the dirty wall with my shoulder. The cave at Sougneux-Remouchamps has a fairly long labyrinth and a huge, 100 meters long and 40 meters high, gallery, which gives way to smaller and smaller halls and passages. Since 1924, the cave has been dimly illuminated by electricity; before that, people walked with torches, and this is why the stones in some places changed their natural color, and green moss began to appear here and there. I even saw a fern bush. I was especially impressed by the hall with a 40-ton block hanging overhead and threatening to fall off at any moment. The guides make threats mainly as a joke, because, according to scientific calculations, this block will hang on until it causes a collapse. Stalactites and stalagmites grow at the rate of 1 cubic centimeter per hundred years.

In some places you had to bend your head to your knees so that you could swim, the water in the river is +5, except for transparent cannibal shrimp there is nothing in the river. Bats live in caves. An average of 2,000 people visit the caves per day.

That's probably all. Finally, I raided a jewelry store and a candy store, both of which I pleased myself with. I also bought different beers.

Stretching through Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, the Ardennes is one of the most popular gateways for adventure lovers. The Belgian part in the south makes it a stunningly beautiful region, expanding through deciduous forests and mountain slopes with some of the most picturesque villages and towns in between. If you find yourself here, make sure you follow one of these magical walking routes to the most scenic spots.

High nature reserve

A ski area between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands, this 4,501.2-hectare elevated area is the largest nature reserve in Belgium. The unique flora and fauna make it for various beautiful walking routes, especially impressive for autumn or spring walks in the Trô Maret valley. Curved by small wooden bridges, it gives way to the harsh desert landscapes that stretch east of the German border. Some of the paths rise sharply upstream, providing clear views of the windy moor.

Maison du Parc Naturel Hautes Fagnes-Eifel: Beautrange 131, Robertville, Vimes, Belgium +32 (0) 80/44 03 00

Crossing the Semous Valley

This is a large route characterized by rocky passages, dense forests and clear waters, located near the picturesque “Pearl of the Semaes Valley” in the city of Bouillon. Small hardwood paths that push the heart towards the valley offer magnificent views of the landscape and Clairefontaine Abbey. As you continue to walk through the pine forests along the river, spectacular views of the valley await you, especially when you reach the two main points Vue de l'épine and Pic du diable. A great place for enthusiasts looking to discover the valley and its hidden gems.

Bouillon Tourist Office: Esplanade Godefroid 1, Bouillon, Belgium +32 (0) 61/46 62 57

Geological Park La Roche à l "Appel

This is a short but great hike into the protected natural area of ​​the Ardennes and Gaume, home to the geological formation in which the Roche à l'Appel park is located. The composition of the forests and valuable botanical character make this area amazingly rich and varied. Geology lovers can have a very educational day around the ancient village of Muno, before reaching the center of the geological park, which offers two different walking paths immersing itself in dense mixed forest, offering spectacular panoramic views of the Southern Ardennes, a few steps from the French border.

Tourist Office of the Semois Country between the Ardennes and Gamay: Esplanade du Panorama 1, Florenville, Belgium +32 0 61 31 12 29