Wandelen in de bossen van Natuurpark Haute-Sûre Forêt d'Anlier - Nature

Hiking in the Natural Park Haute-Sûre Forêt d'Anlier, for a special experience.

5 min DREAMING.

Walking in the heart of an always generous nature.

The enchanting forests and endless fields make walks in and around the Haute-Sûre Forêt d'Anlier Natural Park a special experience for people who take the time to come and discover this part of the Ardennes, close to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. I chose it and I'm glad I did it. This exceptionally protected area, due to its biological resources, invites nature lovers like me to visit this natural park. The 833-square-kilometre park is located in the province of Luxembourg and covers seven municipalities. Here you will find both unspoiled nature and a number of nice villages. Around the park there are forest landscapes and fields that you can cross on foot or by bike. At 9.00 a.m. I met Damien, one of the employees of the park and of course a great lover of his work area. Today he takes me on a tour of discovery through the park via the beautiful loop walk "boucle des Moulins" starting from the village of Chêne, part of the municipality of Léglise. We park on the parking lot of the village, tie the laces of our walking shoes and take the road that runs out of the village. We walk past the Géronne farm, a large organic and pedadogical livestock farm with about 30 different breeds. There are Galloway cows and Ardennes draught horses that greet visitors in a friendly way.

<<Walking in a landscape that seems infinite>>>

We continue our walk through the meadows where Belgian Blue cows (a typical cattle breed in the region) see us pass by in peace and quiet. These impressive animals seem to come from a book of mythological creatures. Although they graze nonchalantly and quietly in the Ardennes grass, we'd better not cross the meadow. A bit further on there are horses that are rural, muscular and impressive enough to withstand the winters in the region. The animals seem to watch over the land. They are used to the climate, so the fresh morning doesn't seem to bother them. Yet the wind is gently tapping us in the face of this autumn morning. Although we're wearing a warm coat, we'll end this hike in a t-shirt, with a lovely sun that has come especially to shine a poetic light on this nature picture

Unspoilt nature and nice villages

In the next village Lescheret there's no one to be found at the time we walk through it, the inhabitants are all at work. I discover the typical houses, the facades and the beautiful front doors and immediately fall in love with these grey country houses. The chimneys smoke softly and give a picturesque and cosy touch to the place. I can see myself at the fireplace with a hot cup of tea, chatting with local residents who tell me about the history of their village. Further on, lovers of heritage can enjoy the neo-Romanesque Sainte-Roche chapel. After a short walk through the valley, the path takes us to a number of beautiful plateaus where we discover a fantastic panorama.

A break from it all for a special experience

With red cheeks from the wind we enjoy the peace and quiet around us. It's October: the grass gets a golden colour and the leaves on the trees have warm tones that remind me of the landscape in the late summer of Canada. I have the feeling that I've been away from it all, and alone in the world. There are only a few tractors on the country roads that we walk sunk in our minds.

And then, of course, there are the mills that gave the name to this walk. There are four of them along our route, among many other historical sights. First of all in Chêne, where you can discover a 16th century mill on departure or arrival. And then the Moulin du Longprè, 1.5 km from the starting point. We continue to the beautiful village of Volaiville where two other mills are located: one at the entrance of the village and one at the exit of the village. The first mill is called "Petit Moulin" and stands on a nice river, just outside the village.

We imagine ourselves in another era, where Man lived according to the rhythm of nature, the rhythm of this precious water that supplies meadows, forests and villages with water. Walking out of the village we arrive at the 4th mill of our walk, and thus the second mill of Volaiville, the "Grand Moulin", which is more recent than the first one. Around the village is the nature reserve of Géronne, a haven of peace for the various plant and animal species that live there. This beautiful reserve with peaty soil was created in 1984. The 15 hectare area is regularly maintained by volunteers. It is clear that the inhabitants of the Ardennes love their region and that they are happy with it!

After the vast plains come shady forests

Just before noon we arrive at the hamlet of Jalifè at an altitude of 503 metres. Ideal to enjoy another beautiful panorama. After a short walk through the low bushes we arrive at a piece of moss and tree roots, which lie out in front of us like a kind of stairway. In this season the moisture brings out the smell of mushrooms that are hidden under the leaves of this fertile soil. Damien knows nature very well here and I'm sure he knows exactly where to look in order to pick these delicacies. But after a dry summer I think we have to wait for an omelette with a cockscomb! Of course I could wander through this enchanting nature for hours to admire the treetops and reap all the goodies that can be found. But after 14.5 kilometers and 3.30 hours of walking we start to get hungry! The path leads us back to our cars. We drive on to the next destination on our program, and that's certainly not wrong!

After spending a few days in the region, I begin to understand that the Ardennes is all about getting to know people and authenticity. That's why my Belgian fellow hikers take me out to dinner in a typical bistro restaurant. We taste all kinds of homemade local products and of course we drink a beer and toast to this beautiful walk! We leave with a full stomach but it was all for a good cause: my hikers absolutely wanted me to get acquainted with the specialties of the region ... And after today I can tell you that there is nothing better than a combination of walking through nature and good food to fully enjoy the Ardennes!