Hiking in the Ardennes is seriously underrated and that’s why I described some great options in this guide. Some of the best hikes in Belgium are actually in the Ardennes. All hikes include a GPX-file which will help you to navigate these stunning and sometimes hidden walking trails in Belgium.
When it comes to hiking in Belgium in my opinion the place to be is Wallonia or more specific the Ardennes region!
Table of Contents
Introduction to This Ardennes Hiking Guide
When it comes to find interesting hiking opportunities in a specific region it’s sometimes hard to know which walks fit best to your needs. As I’m quite a hiking fanatic I created this guide to hiking in the Ardennes.
If you’re looking for hiking buddies or you want extra information check out this Facebook group: Walking-Hiking-Trekking in Belgium
This is basically a collection of individual articles that I wrote before. There’s always a link included to a more detailed blog post. When I write new articles I will add them to this guide as well.
This guide to Hiking in the Ardennes describes in detail +10 hikes and is a must have for outdoor enthousiasts that live in or visit Belgium.
What are the Ardennes?
The Ardennes is a region that is located in the South from Belgium and it stretches all the way into France. I will focus on the Belgian Ardennes in this hiking guide.
This region is especially known for its many forests, beautiful meandering rivers, hilly landscapes and in general just beautiful nature.
In contrary to the rest of Belgium the Ardennes are not as densely populated so it makes for a great region to go for a walk (or two). When hiking in the Ardennes you can disconnect completely from civilization and to my experience this is the only region in Belgium where this is really possible.
As most people consider the High Fens of Belgium part of the Ardennes I included some hikes from that region in this blog post as well.
The Ardennes is together with the Belgian North-Sea coast one of the most visited regions in Belgium when it comes to tourism. The Ardennes is also very popular amongst Dutch tourists.
What is a GPX-File?
A GPX-file is a file that contains details about a specific route. It contains latitude, longitude coordinates and altitude information. The file is written in XML format which is universal and easily readable by many smartphone applications, smartwatches and hiking GPS devices.
When a gpx track file is imported into a gpx viewing device such as a smartwatch, smartphone, gps-device the coordinates are all connected and a line is created. When the right maps are on the device this line shows a route that you can follow.
Keep in mind that most of the hiking routes mentioned in this article are not ‘official’ routes so using a GPX-file is a requirement.
All hikes in the Ardennes layed out on a map
When you’re staying in a certain region in Wallonia and wondering where the nice nature walks are you can consult this guide.
Below you find a Google Map with all the starting locations pinned. Each pin represents a different article that you can click on to see the exact link. When clicking on the link you will be redirected to the detailed blog article on my website. If you like hiking you might consider bookmarking this page for later.
Hiking in Wallonia has never been this easy!
Hiking in the Ardennes Guide
1. Waterfall hike in the High Fens of Belgium
When it comes to waterfalls Belgium is not the most famous destination but this hike will take you along 2 of the most impressive natural waterfalls in Belgium. In my opinion this is one of the best hikes in Belgium as it serves waterfalls, stunning viewpoints, scenic landscapes and you’ll pass even a beautiful castle called Reinhardstein. This 19 kilometers waterfall hike will take you about 5-6 hours to complete.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: WATERFALL HIKE IN THE HIGH FENS IN BELGIUM
2. Hike around the Nisramont Lake in the Ardennes
In the National Park Les Deux Ourthes the river splits up into an eastern part and a western part hence the name ‘The Two Ourthes’. During this hike you will walk along the eastern and western Ourthe which is also called the lake of Nisramont or in french Lac de Nisramont. This lake is dammed by the Nisramont dam. If you’re looking for a real hike in the Belgian Ardennes this 16 kilometers hike will take you about 6-8 hours of walking. Do not underestimate this hike because there are stome steep hills to conquer!
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HOW TO HIKE AROUND THE NISRAMONT LAKE IN THE ARDENNES (16 KM)?
3. Hike along the rivers Ninglinspo and chefna
The Ninglingspo hike is probably the most popular in Belgium and I admit it is very beautiful but in my opinion a bit short. That’s why I decided to connect both the Ninglingspo trail and the Chefna trail which is another wild river in Belgium. During this walk you will be mostly walking next to the river and there are several cascading waterfalls which makes it very interesting. If you combine these two hiking trails you have a walk of about 14 kilometers and will take you 4-5 hours. Be aware that you might get wet feet as you will have to cross the river several times without a bridge. The water level is pretty low usually so some decent hiking boots should suffice.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HIKE NINGLINSPO AND CHEFNA – WILD RIVERS IN BELGIUM
4. Panorama hike in Bouillon the heart of the Belgian Ardennes
When you’re looking for a walking holiday in the Ardennes, the region of Bouillon is as great option, there are lots of great hiking opportunities here. This region also has some multi day hikes such as the GR16 that follows along the Semois river. This hike called the 14 panorama route of Bouillon will take you along the most beautiful viewpoints in the Semois valley. With it’s 28 kilometers it is definitely not a short hike but if you’re up for a real adventure you won’t regret. This walk in the Semois valley would take you about 8-9 hours to complete.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: BEST HIKE IN BOUILLON BELGIUM IS THE 14 PANORAMA ROUTE (28 KM)
5. Hike in Stoumont along Ambleve river and Chateau de Froidcour
This hike that starts in the little town of Stoumont will take you along the Ambleve river and different scenic viewpoints such as chateau Froidcour. This route is from the popular hiking guide Originele wandelingen (Or original hikes in English). As lots of walks described on my website there are no trails markers so using a GPX is necessary. This is a beautiful 17 kilometer hike in the Ardennes that you won’t easily forget. In about 6-7 hours you can finish this route.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: STUNNING HIKE IN STOUMONT AT AMBLEVE RIVER AND CHATEAU DE FROIDCOUR (17 KM)
6. Hike in Saint-Hubert forest in the Ardennes
This 22 kilometers hike in the Saint-Hubert forest allows you to really enjoy silence and take in beautiful green atmosphere. Most of the way you will have a stream of water running next to the trail with once in a while a glimpse of a small waterfall. This walk, that you can complete in 5-6 hours, in a beautiful region of the Belgian Ardennes is rather long but because of the easy to navigate paths it never really feels hard. If you’re looking for a walking holiday in Belgium this nature hike absolutely needs to be on your bucket list!
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HOW TO HIKE IN THE SAINT-HUBERT FOREST IN BELGIUM (22 KM) ?
7. Hike at Chateau de Veves and Furfooz along the Lesse river
The region around Dinant and the Lesse river are your best options if you’re looking for hiking near Brussels and you want to get a glimpse of the Ardennes in Belgium. This is a wonderful, rather easy, 15 kilometers hike around Chateau de Veves that passes through the quaint little villages of Veves and Furfooz. Later into this walking route you will witness some beautiful rock formations from ‘Parc de Furfooz’ along the Lesse river. This nature walk in the scenic area of the Belgian Ardennes can be finished in 4-5 hours.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HIKE AT CHATEAU DE VEVES AND FURFOOZ (15 KM)
8. Hike to Rocher du Bieley in the High Fens of Belgium
You might have seen this viewpoint on Instagram as it is quite popular amongst the influencer community. With reason of course. Rocher du Bieley is one of Belgium’s most scenic viewpoints. There are different routes to reach this point and in the post below I described one. The 17 kilometers hike can be completed in 5-6 hours. As the elevation gain is quite limited this hike is quite easy. Make sure to verify if the Belgian army isn’t doing any shooting practices that day (link to verify is provided in the complete blog post).
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HIKE TO ROCHER DU BIELEY VIEWPOINT IN THE HIGH FENS IN BELGIUM
9. Hike around Gileppe Lake in Jalhay
This is another hike in the High Fens of Belgium. This time around Lac de la Gileppe in Jalhay. In about 15 kilometers you walk all the way around this dammed lake which has some amazing viewpoints along the way. Also there is a wild-camping spot about halfway on this route. If you follow the instructions in my complete article you can enjoy a beautiful sunset over the lake! As this route is mostly over asphalted roads it is quite easy and can be completed in about 4-5 hours.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HIKE GILEPPE LAKE IN JALHAY, BELGIUM (15 KM)
10. Hike in the valley of Bayehon and Warche in Malmedy
A scenic 24 kilometers hike in the High Fens in the East of Belgium along the Bayehon and Warche rivers. The route can be completed in about 7-8 hours. This could be in my opinion one of the best hikes in Belgium. In the same region as the waterfall hike mentioned earlier in this article. Similar region but different nonetheless. The Bayehon valley is quite impressive and could be called, with a bit of exaggeration, the little Switzerland of Belgium. If you’re staying in the High Fens region around Malmedy then I would definitely recommend to put this one on your list to complete the perfect Ardennes walking holiday!
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: HIKE THE VALLEY OF BAYEHON IN MALMEDY (25 KM)
11. Hike to Le Tombeau du Chevalier in Herbeumont
It could be called a spinoff of the other viewpoint Le Tombeau du Geant and it’s even in the same region. Le Tombeau du Chevalier or the Knight’s Tomb is a viewpoint that looks out over the valley of the Semois. The regions of Herbeumont and Bouillon provided amongst the best walks in the Ardennes and maybe even in Belgium. During my childhood I spent countless holidays here and I still love going back every time. On this adventurous (literally) 15 kilometers hike you will start at the fortress of Herbeumont and make your way into the valley of the Semois river and back to the town of Herbeumont in about 4-5 hours. You will even have to cross the river once. And yes, that’s without a bridge so I would recommend only doing this in late spring and summer.
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: ADVENTUROUS HIKE IN HERBEUMONT – LE TOMBEAU DU CHEVALIER (15 KM)
12. Hike to Le Tombeau du Geant in Botassart
This hiking route of 17,5 kilometers starts at the viewpoint Le Tombeau du Geant and it can be completed in 7-8 hours. This is one of Belgium’s most famous viewpoints and I can understand why. I found this route on the website Originele Wandelingen (Or Original hikes in English) and in this hiking book it is mentioned as the hardest of all. With 2 Semois river crossings (no bridge) and quite some steep hills to conquer I can see why. Only for the real adventurers!
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: ADVENTUROUS HIKE IN BOTASSART – LE TOMBEAU DU GÉANT (22 KM)
13. Kayak to La Roche-En-Ardenne from Nisramont and hike back
If you like a challenge this would be a perfect Ardennes Adventure for you. Starting at the Nisramont dam you descend the Ourthe river for 18 kilometers with a kayak. This will take 4-5 hours. Upon arrival in La-Roche-En-Ardenne you hike back along the Ourthe for 22 kilometers which will take about 5-6 hours. You could easily make this a weekend getaway if you sleep one or more nights in La-Roche-en-Ardenne and break this up in 2 days. I finished this whole route in a day but it was quite challenging, especially when a storm broke out and I still had 3 kilometers to go in the dark. If you’re going to do it in one day leave early enough!
Full article including maps, GPX-file and detailed description: KAYAK TO LA ROCHE-EN-ARDENNE FROM NISRAMONT AND HIKE BACK
Bonus Hikes around Belgium
Hiking in the Flemish Ardennes is also quite popular and the advantage is that if you’re in the Flemish region you could easily consider this as a day trip. One of my favorites is this one: BEST HIKE IN THE FLEMISH ARDENNES – THE PANORAMA ROUTE (16 KM)
Luxemburg is within driving distance from Belgium and has some great hiking destinations as well:
HIKE IN NATURWANDERPARK FROM GERMANY TO LUXEMBURG (27 KM)
HOW TO HIKE THE E1 SEGMENT OF THE MULLERTHAL TRAIL IN LUXEMBURG?