The Semois Vallei lies in the South of Belgium, close to the border of France. Nestled in the Ardennes, the picturesque town of Bouillon and the surrounding Semois Valley offer a captivating blend of history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes. This hidden gem in Belgium invites visitors to step back in time, explore medieval architecture, and immerse themselves in the tranquil beauty of the Semois River meandering through lush forests.
Our Experience
Day 1 Bouillon – (17KM – 4 hours)
As we live in The Netherlands, we drove to Bouillon and arrived around 10:00. We parked at Rue de L’Hospice, which is a free parking lot (not many spots so arrive early). We had a bunch at Boulangerie Michels Benoît with a great view of Bouillon and the river, before we started our hike.
The hike was very diverse, offering both stunning views of medieval architecture, farmlands, many stairs and green. What Halfway the hike we crossed Rochehaut, a small lively town with great views on the Semois River and Frahan. We treated ourselves with some ice cream from Pom’ de Pain and enjoyed the sun. After a 2 hours hike, going up- and downhill, we arrived at our accommodation Camping Ile de Faigneul. The camping offered everything that we needed: a frietkot (place where they sell fries) and a specialty beer bar. We booked in advance a wooden tent (see picture below), which is a great option as you don’t need to carry along heavy tent materials. It was a cold evening, so we were happy we brought our thick sleeping bags.
Day 2 Bouillon (13,7KM – 3 hours)
The next day we enjoyed breakfast (bread that we bought at the camping shop) and started our hike back. We passed a camping and walked along a the Semois river with great views. As we arrived in Bouillon, we saw the castle from an even better viewpoint and walked all the way up to the entrance of the castle. This provided a great overview of the city of Bouillon. After a lunch in the city center, we got back to the car and drove back to The Netherlands.
What to pack
- Hiking poles (nice to have)
- Enough water – at least carry 3 liters with you
- Backpack
- Some energy bars
- Sleeping essentials (in our case a sleeping bag + pillow)
- Fresh set of clothes
GPX Route
I’m a big fan of Komoot, so here you can find the route with distance, time, height differences all-in-one for each day:
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