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The Belgian Ardennes are an ideal area for hiking. The landscape is varied and you don’t have to travel far to get there. The area has well signposted hut-to-hut routes and extensive overnight networks. You’ll find multi-day hikes through forests, along rivers and over hills. With the right preparation, you can plan your own walking holiday here. In this blog, you’ll discover which routes and networks best suit your travel plans.
Why the Ardennes are so well suited to walking holidays
The Belgian Ardennes combine natural beauty with excellent walking infrastructure. The area is characterised by hilly landscapes, dense oak and beech forests, fast-flowing rivers and authentic villages. This mix makes it suitable for both short day walks and extensive multi-day treks. For anyone who loves walking holidays in nature‑rich areas, the Ardennes offer exactly that combination of comfort and authenticity.
The paths are well maintained and waymarked. You can walk independently. You don’t need to keep checking your GPS. Many routes are available as downloadable GPX files, which makes planning easier. You’ll also regularly come across rest spots and smaller villages where you can stay overnight or take a break.
‘ Book your accommodation in advance, especially in high season. ’
Multi-day hiking routes with overnight options
Escapardenne Éislek Trail
This route connects Kautenbach in Luxembourg with La Roche‑en‑Ardenne in Belgium and covers roughly 160 kilometres. The hike takes 5 to 7 days. The route crosses both the Belgian and Luxembourg Ardennes. It leads you through vast forests, over open fields and past remote villages. The stages are waymarked in both directions, giving you flexibility in your planning.
This trek is suitable for experienced hikers. The level is difficult, with significant elevation changes and long stages. You can stay overnight in hotels, B&Bs or small‑scale accommodation in the villages along the way. Book your accommodation in advance, especially in high season.
Transardennaise route
The Transardennaise runs from La Roche‑en‑Ardenne to Bouillon and also covers around 160 kilometres, divided into 7 stages. This route follows three well‑known rivers: the Ourthe, the Lesse and the Semois. The landscape is typically Ardennes: rolling, green and peaceful.
Along the way you pass charming villages where you can stay overnight in between. The route is less strenuous than the Escapardenne, but still requires a decent level of fitness. The hike leads you through nature reserves, quiet villages and along stretches of water. You’ll be far away from busy tourist spots.
Trappist route
The Trappist route is a themed hike. This route links three well‑known Trappist breweries: Chimay, Rochefort and Orval. The total length is 290 kilometres, divided into two sections:
- Chimay to Rochefort: 174 kilometres
- Rochefort to Orval: 116 kilometres
This route combines hiking with Belgian culture and gastronomy. You can visit the abbeys and sample local products. The route runs through varied landscapes and offers plenty of accommodation options for multi‑day hikes. It’s a good option for anyone who, besides hiking, is also interested in local traditions.
The Ardennes on foot from Bastogne
This route starts and finishes at Le Mardasson in Bastogne and covers approximately 68 kilometres, spread over 5 days. The walk is part of the Liberation Route Europe (a European hiking network along historic war locations). The route runs through the Parc naturel des Deux Ourthes. The area is hilly and wooded, with regular clearings offering viewpoints.
The route is also accessible by mountain bike, which can be handy for mixed groups. You can stay overnight in hotels and B&Bs in and around Bastogne and in smaller villages along the way.
Special walking areas and networks
The High Fens
The High Fens form a unique upland peat area with extensive marshes, heathlands and forests. The area offers dozens of waymarked routes of various lengths. You can do both short day walks of 6 kilometres and longer hikes of 15 kilometres or more.
The landscape changes significantly with the seasons. In spring and summer the heathlands are in bloom. In autumn the forests turn red and orange. In winter the area has a bare, almost mystical appearance. Pay close attention to the weather conditions: it can quickly become foggy and cold.
Around the Gileppe Dam
The Gileppe Dam is a large reservoir. Around the lake there are several hiking routes. The paths are well maintained and offer views over the water and the surrounding hills. Parking is free, and you can have lunch in the viewing tower by the dam.
The routes vary in length from 5 to 12 kilometres. It is a quiet area, suitable for families and less experienced walkers.
Short walks for a day out
Not every walking holiday consists of multi‑day hikes. The Ardennes also offer beautiful short routes that you can walk in half a day:
- Walk along the Ninglinspo: 6 kilometres along a mountain river, suitable for families with children from around 7 years old
- Walk along the Hoëgne: a short but impressive route through woodland
- Ladder walk in Rochehaut: a special hike with climbs via wooden ladders
These routes offer the same nature experience as longer hikes. They are less strenuous. They also require less planning.
‘ The Ardennes are suitable for walking all year round. ’
Practical preparation for your walking holiday
Route descriptions and maps
To plan your walking holiday you need reliable route descriptions. Websites such as Ardennen.nl offer more than 25 walks. You’ll find detailed descriptions there. You can also download GPX files. VisitWallonia.be also has a wide selection with short descriptions for each route.
Download the GPX files in advance. Then upload them to your GPS app or walking watch. This way you can also navigate offline. If needed, print a map as a back‑up, especially for routes in less populated areas.
Accommodation and luggage transport
Many walking holidays in the Ardennes offer the option of luggage transport. Your belongings are taken to your next overnight stop while you walk with a light daypack. This makes multi‑day hikes a lot more comfortable.
You can opt for hotel‑to‑hotel walking. In that case you sleep in a different place each night. This gives more variety, but also requires more planning. Book your overnights well in advance, especially in the high season between May and September.
When to go
The Ardennes are suitable for walking all year round. Each season has its own character. In spring and summer it is green with pleasant weather. This period is ideal for longer hikes. Autumn offers beautiful colours, but also more rain. In winter the High Fens are particularly beautiful, but also colder and more slippery.
Take into account the short days in winter. Plan your stages so that you arrive before dark. In summer it stays light for longer. It can be busier then on popular routes.
Highlights along the way
During your walking holiday you’ll come across various natural and cultural highlights:
- Le Tombeau du Géant: an impressive viewpoint over a bend in the River Semois
- Redu: the book village of the Ardennes, full of second‑hand and independent bookshops
- Provincial domain of Mirwart: an area with lakes and a castle
- Celtic site of Cheslé: a historic site with wooded slopes and viewpoints
These spots make your walking holiday more varied and offer moments of rest between stages.
What else you need to know
Make sure you have good walking boots with sufficient grip and support. The terrain in the Ardennes can be slippery, especially after rain. Take enough water and snacks with you, as not every route has facilities along the way.
Check the weather forecast in advance and adjust your clothing accordingly. Layers work best: a base layer, an insulating layer and a wind‑ and waterproof outer layer. Also take blister plasters and a small first‑aid kit.
On multi‑day hikes it is useful to have the contact details of your accommodation to hand. Some remote areas have limited mobile coverage.
On the Traveler Tips website you’ll find much more information. You can read how to plan walking holidays. You can discover suitable destinations. You’ll also find practical tips for along the way. Find out which other natural areas and routes are interesting for your next trip.
Frequently asked questions
If you mainly love nature and are of average experience, shorter walks such as the routes along the Ninglinspo or the Hoëgne and routes in the High Fens or around the Gileppe Dam are a good fit. For more challenge and a longer immersion in nature, the Escapardenne Éislek Trail and the Transardennaise are suitable, but they do require more experience. If you’re looking for a mix of nature and culture, the Trappist route is ideal because you combine walking with visiting breweries and villages. If you also want historical and scenic highlights, the five‑day “Ardennes on foot” route in the Parc naturel des Deux Ourthes is a good choice.
By car you quickly reach the Ardennes via the E25 (towards Liège–Luxembourg) or E411 (towards Namur–Luxembourg); by train you can travel via, for example, Liège, Namur or Libramont and from there take a regional connection or bus to your walking area. For popular walking routes such as around La Roche‑en‑Ardenne, the Escapardenne or the Transardennaise you can search on sites like Ardennen.nl, VisitWallonia.be and Ardennenwandelen.nl. There you’ll also find packages with hotel‑to‑hotel walks and often luggage transport. Choose accommodation in walking hubs such as La Roche‑en‑Ardenne, Bouillon, the Parc naturel des Deux Ourthes or near the High Fens for direct access to well‑marked paths.
Plan your hikes with GPX files from sites such as Ardennen.nl or VisitWallonia and load them into an app like Komoot, so you have to search less on the spot and can walk more relaxed. Opt for hotel‑to‑hotel walks or treks with luggage transport to travel more comfortably and still tackle long routes such as the Escapardenne or Transardennaise. Seek extra experience in lesser‑known areas such as the provincial domain of Mirwart, the Celtic site of Cheslé or quieter parts around the Gileppe Dam instead of only the well‑known hotspots. Combine short iconic sections such as Ninglinspo or Hoëgne with a visit to villages like Redu (book village) or La Roche‑en‑Ardenne to mix nature, culture and gastronomy.
Along many recommended walking trails in the Ardennes you regularly pass through villages with cafés, restaurants and sometimes shops selling regional products, especially around places like La Roche‑en‑Ardenne, Bouillon and around the Gileppe Dam (which has, among other things, a restaurant in the viewing tower). On popular routes such as Ninglinspo and Hoëgne there are often car parks and simple food outlets or snack bars at the start and end points. Rest stops are usually natural places along rivers, viewpoints and picnic spots; on longer routes there are also overnight options such as hotels and chambres d’hôtes. Public transport (bus and sometimes train) links larger villages and towns along long‑distance routes such as the Escapardenne and Transardennaise, making it possible to plan stages using public transport.
Combine your walks with visits to sustainable initiatives, such as local farms, Trappist abbeys or small‑scale producers along routes like the Trappist route. Choose accommodation with eco‑labels or that offers luggage transport, so you can walk multi‑day routes such as the Escapardenne or Transardennaise with a lightweight rucksack. Use GPX routes in apps like Komoot and take your own water bottle and lunch box to reduce waste. Also plan a rest day with a short walk, for example at the Ninglinspo or High Fens, so you have time for local culture and gastronomy without extra car journeys.
