Wallonia | Living in Wallonia| Leisure activities (Culture and nature)

GREEN WALLONIA

"Anyone who has never strolled along the paths of our forest knows nothing of their exquisite delights" (Jacques Mercier, Belgian writer)
With over 530,000 hectares of forest, amounting to 82% of the total forest area in Belgium, Wallonia's natural heritage is completely unique. This rural heartland is called the Ardenne and represents a true oasis of tranquillity, which it owes to the fact that it is monitored, protected, regenerated, analysed and studied on a daily basis, thus allowing more and more people to visit and respect the area.
Ecotourism is a very significant asset in the development and promotion of the Wallonia region.

From leafy glades to healing waters

From the Transardennaise trek (rambler's path extending for 160 kilometres) to the Points verts cycling circuit run by ADEPS (hundreds of kilometres of cycling paths open to the public), tourists can choose from a wide and varied selection of activities in Ardenne.

Whether it is visiting its nature reserves and nature parks or partaking in nature treks, educational rambles and the discovery of wild fauna, glades and glens, game parks, wild animal reserves and more.

You can also come to Ardenne to cure your aches and pains at the thermal baths of SPA. In former times, these baths were frequented by tsars, royalty and celebrities, but they are open to everyone today.

Why not make the most of a relaxing week in the area and take the opportunity to ramble through the autonomous network of slow paths (RAVEL) which criss-cross the whole of the Wallonia region?

Parks and formal gardens

For the real enthusiasts, don't miss out on a visit to the Annevoie gardens near Namur, a park in the European style whose waters have played tricks with the light and flown through waterfalls and streams for more than 230 years. Located in Mariemont park, the most extensive arboretum in the province of Hainaut also deserves mention, as do the French gardens at Beloeil, and the gardens surrounding Jehay castle near Liège.

outstanding heritage of natural sites and monuments

Wallonia's most important heritage undoubtedly lies in its natural sites, which have been extensively preserved. Its dense and mysterious forests in Ardenne, the moors and bog lands of its nature park in Hautes Fagnes, meandering rivers that weave their way along its valleys, caves and dark recesses, the traces it still holds from life in previous millennia (skeletal remains of the famous iguanodons of Bermissart, Neolithic miners of Spienne near Mons, megalithic tombs of Wéris). A varied and relaxing countryside to inspire lazy daydreams and pleasant strolls...

However, the country's rich heritage also conceals a long creative tradition. Who hasn't heard of the splendours of Mosan art? Between the 10th to the 13th century, this art form achieved great fame in Wallonia in areas as diverse as sculpture, silverware (baptismal fonts of Saint Barthélémy church or works of Hugo d’Oignie) and architecture, with remarkable buildings such as the Stavelot abbey or the Nivelles collegiate church.

A land of castles (Bouillon, Walzin, Vêves, Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, Spontin, Crupet, Modave, Corroy, Freÿr, Seneffe, LeRoeulx, Enghien and Belœil) where memories of former times linger on.

These places bear witness to feudal rivalries and modern fortunes. It is also a land of UNESCO-classified belfries (Binche, Charleroi, Mons, Namur, Thuin et Tournai), symbolising the impact and long history of our communal freedoms.

Wallonia is also known for its contemporary architecture. In particular, this can be seen in the works of Gustave Serrurier-Bovy, a leading designer and architect who has smoothed the transition between Art nouveau and Art déco. The 19th century saw the birth of important structures such as the Grand Hornu museum or the Cité ouvrière working class quarter in Bois-du-Luc, both illustrating the area's industrial architectural heritage.

Over the past number of decades, new towns such as Louvain-la-Neuve or the university campus at Sart-Tilman physically reflect the preoccupations of modern architecture.

Wallonia's rich heritage is also based on a succession of technical achievements and feats of true industrial genius: The hydraulic lifts of the Canal du Centre, classified as a world heritage site, the vertical lifts of Strépy, the only structure of its type in the world, the Ronquières inclined plane, the Eau Rouge viaduct spanning some 650 metres in length or the cable-stayed bridges of Ben-Ahin or Wandre, all of great aesthetic as much as technical value.

a land of folklore and tradition

A land of tradition and popular legend, Wallonia's folklore is rich and diverse. It extends back to often very ancient practices and stands testimony to the warm and welcoming nature or the Wallonia people.

Numerous carnivals animate the region with their bright and varied colours. From the carnivals of Malmedy to Fosses-la-Ville via Stavelot, the most well known being of course the carnival of Binche, where traditional Gilles characters belted with heavy jangling bells and white ostrich-feathered headdresses echo their haunting, bewitching rhythm the length and breadth of the town.

Parades of giant carnival figures (Goliath, Madame Goliath and the Bayard d’Ath horse), Grand feu de Bouge celebrations to welcome the onset of summer, Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse folklore processions, the famous jousting contest on stilts at Namur, August 15th celebrations in Outremeuse, a whole range of festive events representing countless opportunities to discover the history of the various folklore traditions and practices of the region.
Museums such as the Musée de la Vie wallonne (museum of country life in Wallonia) and the Musée international du Carnaval et du Masque de Binche (museum dedicated to the Binch carnival mask) preserve the region's traditions, which are firmly ingrained in the collective imagination.

Museums

Open to the general public, and often intimate as they are set in traditional surroundings, the museums of Wallonia offer a series of rare fixed and temporary collections, local in origin but of great interest to visitors who travel from all over the world.
Unless indicated otherwise, some museums are open to the public free of charge on the first Sunday of every month.
http://www.lesmuseesenwallonie.be/

Sport

All types of sport are played in Wallonia with professional Wallonia athletes excelling in diverse disciplines: Automotive sports, combat sports, team sports, swimming, fencing, golf, cycling, athletics etc.

For help with organising your trip to Wallonia, please contact the Tourism promotion office.