Page 217 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg
P. 217

CENTR AL  W ALL ONIA      215


       the Viroin valley, as well as its       the same complex is Réserve
       flora and fauna. The Musée              d’Animaux Sauvages, a safari-
       Malgré du Tout et Parc de la            style park featuring animals
       Préhistoire explores the lives of       once native to the Ardennes.
       prehistoric hunters and farmers         These include bears, lynx, bison,
       through archaeological finds            wild boar and wolves. Tours of
       and reconstructions. Lastly, the        the reserve are conducted in
       Espace Arthur Masson, in an old         open-sided coaches.
       boys’ school, celebrates the life
       and work of local novelist Arthur
       Masson (1896–1970).                     f Rochefort
                                               5 km (3 miles) NE of Han-sur-Lesse.
       E Musée du Chemin de                    Road Map D4. * 12,500. £ @
       Fer à Vapeur                            n Maison du Tourisme du Val de
       Plateau de la Gare 1. Tel (060) 300948.   Striking corner towers of the sturdy   Lesse, Rue de Behogne 5; (084)
       Open Jul–Aug: daily; Mar–Jun &    Château de Lavaux-St-Anne
       Sep–Nov: Tue–Sun. & - =                 345172. ∑ valdelesse.be
       _ Steam Festival (2nd weekend
       of Sep). ∑ insiteout.brinkster.net  visiting the site where the Virgin   A pleasant town, Rochefort
                           Mary appeared to five children   serves as a good base from
       E Ecomusée du Viroin  in 1932 and 1933.  which to fan out into the
       Rue Eugène Defraire 63. Tel (060)       wooded hills and valleys of
       399624. Open daily. & - =               the Ardennes. Rochefort’s big
       ∑ ecomuseeduviroin.be  d Domaine des    attraction is the Grottes de
       E Musée du Malgré Tout  Grottes de Han   Lorette, a limestone cave that
       Rue de la Gare 28. Tel (060) 390243.   Rue J Lamotte 2, Han-sur-Lesse;    is unusual for its towering
       Open Thu–Tue. & =   7 km (4 miles) E of Lavaux-Ste-Anne.    verticality. There are good views
       ∑ museedumalgretout.be                  over the town from the Château
                           Road Map D4. Tel (084) 377213. @
       E Espace Arthur Masson  Open Apr–Aug: daily; Sep–Mar: more   Comtal, set upon a rocky
       Rue Eugène Defraire 29. Tel (060)   restricted timetable, see website for   outcrop. The château consists of
       391500. Open Mar–Oct: Tue–Sun;   details. Closed Jan. & 8 - =   a Neo-Gothic castle dating from
       Nov, Dec & Feb: Tue–Thu, Sat, Sun. &   ∑ grotte-de-han.be  1906, built next to the ruins of a
       9 - = ∑ espacemasson.be                 castle dating from 1155 and
                           The most celebrated limestone   demolished in the 1740s. The
       s Château de        cave system of the Ardennes,   celebrated Trappist beer called
                                               Rochefort is made at the mon-
                           the Grottes de Han is situated
       Lavaux-Ste-Anne     in the pretty valley of River   astery at St Rémy 2 km (1 mile) to
                           Lesse. The river also flows   the north, but the brewery is not
       Rue du Château 8, Lavaux-Ste-Anne;
       44 km (27 miles) E of Couvin.    through the cave and has   open to the public.
       Road Map D4. Tel (084) 388362.   created its impressive water   T Grottes de Lorette
       Open 10am–6pm Wed–Sun & public   features. Access to the cave
       hols (daily in school hols). Closed 1 Jan,   entrance is by means of a   Drève de Lorette. Tel (084) 212080.
       24, 25 & 31 Dec. & - =    historic tram from the centre    Open Jul & Aug: 10:30am–4:15pm
       ∑ chateau-lavaux.com  of the village of Han-sur-Lesse.   (visits every 45 mins); Apr–early-Nov:
                           There are impressive galleries    daily. Closed Wed.
       Located on the plains of the   of stalactites and stalagmites,   P Château Comtal
       Famenne region, part fortress,   but boat rides through the   Rue Jacquet. Tel (084) 214409.
       part château, Lavaux-Ste-Anne    caverns are perhaps the most   Open call or check website for times.
       is a fusion of power and elegance.  memorable highlight. Part of   &∑ chateaurochefort.be
       Dating to 1193, it has round 15th-
       century corner towers, topped
       by onion domes, rising from a
       moat. In contrast, the courtyard
       inside is flanked by arcaded
       Renaissance façades. The interior
       has a series of furnished rooms
       with museums on local wildlife
       and traditions of Famenne rural
       life. Visitors can also join tours of
       the surrounding wetlands.
       Environs
       Beauraing, 11 km (7 miles)
       to the west, has numerous
       sanctuaries that serve pilgrims   Visitors near a bear enclosure in the Réserve d’Animaux Sauvages




   214-215_EW_Belgium.indd   215                             18/10/16   3:02 pm
   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222