Do you like rich and varied landscapes? Then put on your walking shoes for the most beautiful hikes in the Ardennes!
The Ardennes is full of thousand-year-old forests between France and Belgium with countless hidden secrets. To hike in this green setting is to enter a preserved natural space conducive to healing. With more than 1,000 km of marked trails, this department of the North is a delight for hikers and nature lovers.
From the family walk to the sports hike, we take the full view of the impressive panoramas of the Ardennes. Travelvibe makes you discover the most beautiful hikes to do in the Ardennes. Follow the guide!
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The 9 Most Beautiful Hikes to do in the Ardennes
1. Montherme via the valleys of the Semoy and the Meuse
○ Duration: Several days
○ Distance: 50.7 km
○ Height difference: 2,310 m
○ Difficulty: Difficult
We start this top with a hike that will give a hard time to the most athletic in “the pearl of the Ardennes.” In the heart of the Ardennes Regional Natural Park, take this 50 km marked trail.
As the Meuse meanders, discover the emblematic villages of the region such as Tournavaux and Monthermée. Another way is for you to admire forest landscapes composed of beech, birch, and oak.
We appreciate the forest’s calm tinged with the lapping of the Meuse or the Semoy in the background. On the heights, you even enjoy a breathtaking view of Monthermé, surrounded by the U-shaped arms of the Meuse. The famous Ardennes Horseshoe Bend!
The houses perfectly fit the shape of this symbolic landscape of the region. A break is necessary just to enjoy the present moment between two strides. It is one of the most beautiful hikes to do in the Ardennes.
2. The Ridges of the Meuse in Monthermé
○ Duration: 4h30
○ Distance: 14.2 km
○ Height difference: 640 m
○ Difficulty: Difficult
Discover the Natural Park of the Ardennes on a smaller part, such as that of the Crêtes de la Meuse. This ascent is still as sporty as the first, with a difference in altitude that will challenge your legs. Besides, some passages can put you to the test around the Roche Bayard and the 4 Aymon sons if you are dizzy.
Besides, this hike is worth a visit for its magnificent views of the Meuse Valley and the town of Monthermé. We advise you to stop at the belvedere of the Longue Roche or the Roche Seven hours to embrace this peaceful landscape.
Do not miss the Ardennes Horseshoe Bend, which has nothing to envy for our American neighbors!
3. Tour of the Lac des Vieilles Forges
○ Duration: about 3 hours
○ Distance: 10.9 km
○ Height difference: 121 m
○ Difficulty: Easy
In the heart of the Ardennes massif, not far from the Meuse valley, discover the Lac des Vieilles Forges. This path, bordered by wildflowers, runs along the entire lake in the shade of Ardennes trees. Also offering a beautiful family walk, the lake hosts a leisure base on one of its shores.
While the parents rest after this walk, the children can happily play in the water. Also, many water activities are available such as kayaking, sailing, or paddleboarding.
There is even an Accrobranche park and a children’s play area. It has pedal boats and trampolines. Enough to delight adults and children all day long. Tour of the Lac des Vieilles Forges is among the most wonderful hikes to do in Ardennes.
4. Piot Cross Trail
○ Duration: about 2h30
○ Distance: 11.6 km
○ Height difference: 407 m
○ Difficulty: Easy
Not sure which hike in the Ardennes to choose? So why not the path of the Cross Piot and its Mount Piot 316 meters high. Progress quietly to the rhythm of your steps in a calm and soothing environment typical of the region. Here again, breathtaking panoramas reveal the beauty of the Meuse Valley and the Bar.
The Meuse continues peacefully at Donchery in the Canal de l’Est. To become unbeatable in the surroundings, stop at the orientation table. It reveals all the secrets of this hike. Also, its landscapes have seen many battles in the region’s history.
5. Circuit des Étangs in Signy-le-Petit
○ Duration: about 4 hours
○ Distance: 14 km
○ Height difference: 285 m
○ Difficulty: Medium
Discover the artificial ponds of La Motte and the old Forge with this hike in the Ardennes. Enjoy the calm surrounding nature in the heart of the Thiérachiens groves and the Rocroi plateau. Also, admire on your way the Chapelle-des-Glands, a theatre of local legend.
Like many water points, the pond of La Motte hosts a leisure base with paddle and pedal boat rental. It is also a swimming place supervised by lifeguards in July and August, ideal for children.
Take a well-deserved break after engulfing the kilometers without stopping. Circuit des Étangs in Signy-le-Petit is one of the best hikes to do in Ardennes.
6. Around the Chartreuse du Mont-Dieu
○ Duration: 5h
○ Distance: 20.1 km
○ Height difference: 252 m
○ Difficulty: Medium
This hike takes you to discover the Chartreuse de Mont-Dieu. It is an ancient monastery founded in 1132 in the middle of an impressive forest of 1,123 ha. It welcomed the Carthusian monks into its midst until the French Revolution.
This trail is worth a visit. Admire this historical place’s extraordinary architecture and witness an incredible past. The path takes you through a wooded environment in the heart of the Bois du Mont-Dieu to Neuville-à-Maire. It is not for nothing that this is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Ardennes!
7. GR® 14, section 5: Champagne-Ardenne
○ Duration: Several days
○ Distance: 77.2 km
○ Height difference: 1,937 m
○ Difficulty: Medium
Among the hikes in the Ardennes is the part of GR 14 and, more precisely, section 5. From Grandpré, reach Belgium via the mythical city of Sedan.
Hike for 77 kilometers among the forests of the Ardennes massif and the hilly meadows of the region. The Meuse accompanies you well stretched for a few kilometers like a guide who knows by heart his path.
It is another way to discover this part of France’s varied and often unknown landscapes. Champagne-Ardenne is one of the great hiking trails in Ardennes.
8. The Val de Serre
○ Duration: 4h30
○ Distance: 22.2 km
○ Height difference: 123 m
○ Difficulty: Easy
The beautiful region of pre-Ardennes hills nestles a hiking trail on an old railway. Travel the kilometers among the meadows, woods, and wetlands of the Val de Serre. An impressive variety of landscapes characterizes the Ardennes region so well.
On this trail, discover the fortified church of Saint-Martin in Montcornet or the former collegiate church in Rozoy-sur-Serres. Maybe you will have the chance to admire an Hobereau falcon or a kingfisher.
Noise between the leaves? Surely a deer or a mischievous hare that hides away from any human presence. Do not hesitate to go to the tourist office of the country of Thiérache to find out more.
9. The Trans-Semoysian
○ Duration : 1h10
○ Distance: 4.7 km
○ Height difference: 76 m
○ Difficulty: Easy
Among the hikes in the Ardennes, do not miss the Trans-Semoyienne along the Semoy. This pretty greenway created in 2016 winds from the city of Monthermé to the Hautes-Rivières via Tournavaux and Thilay. This hiking trail is carried out on foot and by bike for the most athletic.
Many viewpoints punctuate this trail to make you discover breathtaking panoramas. Make a stop at La Roche at 7 am, or at le Liry, you will tell us about it.
The hikes in the Ardennes offer a multitude of varied landscapes for visitors to this emblematic region. So what are you waiting for to discover this pretty corner of France armed with your walking shoes?
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