Routes (48)

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• Honnelles - In the Footsteps of a Poet

  The poet Emile Verhaeren liked relaxing in the Hauts-Pays, a bucolic land which is very pleasant for walking or cycling. To the southwest of Mons is a rural area that opens its heart to whoever cycles across it: welcome to the Hauts-Pays! The gentle terrain and peacefulness of this sparsely populated region bring serenity. Departure in Audregnies and its beautiful square where the road joins the RAVeL, which is interrupted shortly after Onnezies. Here a more forested track begins, towards Caillou-qui-Bique. In summer, the path causes little problems but in winter the often muddy roads is a challenge to cyclists. Just after the Emile Verhaeren space, beautiful villages dot the route. Roisin, Meaurain and Autreppe are all names that sing of the Hauts-Pays, a little-known region but one with some magnificent romantic landscapes. From Montignies¬sur-Roc, the narrow road joins the castle and the pond which are in harmony with the landscape. You will comb through groves and meadows, an idyllic picture of a country landscape where all is harmony and tranquility: an atmosphere that Verhaeren has so well described.

  • 
    02 h 20 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 20.83 km

• Moneuse route: miller’s son - Quiévrain

  This route takes you in the footsteps of Antoine-Joseph Moneuse, the famous bandit and Captain of the Chauffeurs du Nord. You’ll go back to the figure’s origins, from his childhood in Saint-Vaast up to his arrival in our region. This will also be an opportunity to talk about the mills. Indeed, himself a miller’s son, Moneuse lived at a time when mills dotted our rural landscapes. Along the way, you’ll find some remnants of them but others have unfortunately completely disappeared. So you’ll sometimes have to close your eyes and use your imagination. Have a good walk and watch out... bandits are about. Route created and put together by Hauts Pays natural park Illustrations Claude Renard

  • 
    01 h 30 m

    medium
  • 
    45 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 5.9 km

• Shopping - The food lover’s walk

  Take this shopping tour and treat your taste buds to the gourmet foods on sale!

  • 
    02 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 2.05 km

• Moneuse route: the Houlette massacre - Honnelles

  This route takes you in the footsteps of Antoine-Joseph Moneuse, the famous bandit and Captain of the Chauffeurs du Nord. During this walk, you’ll relive this dark day of 22 November 1795. At that date, one of the most bloody events to have hit our region took place: the Houlette massacre. Moneuse was soon suspected of being the perpetrator of this heinous crime that killed nine people. But the truth is never simple ... Through the fields and paths of Roisin and Meaurain and the French village of La Flamangrie, you’ll have to cross the Franco-Belgian border several times where our region was torn between Austria and France, recalling a troubled period of history. Have a good walk and watch out... Bandits are about. Route created and put together by Hauts-Pays natural park Illustrations Claude Renard

  • 
    02 h 00 m

    medium
  • 
    01 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 9.76 km

• Lombise, village country

  A route that leads to discovery of the villages of Lens across a most peaceful region. The peaceful village of Lombise has a rich architectural heritage, such as the classic style chateau dating from 1763 or the Maison du Cocher, of Louis XVI style, in our day a well known restaurant. Along this large property, the route takes us on to Chez Ann Douteur, the opportunity to take several pralines to enjoy them later along the length of the trail... The field paths give way to broad landscapes. In the distance stands the bell tower of the next village – Cambron-Saint-Vincent is set in a depression, not far from the Dendre Orientale. From the centre, we take a short detour to see an old mill, dating from the 19th century. Since 1950 the great wheel has no longer turned – it used to produce five tons of grain each day... Finally, Lens invites you to discover many producers such as the excellent products of the Ferme Raucq or the Ferme Jauniaux, not to mention the local product of the Christine and Pascal Workshop (Lombise) or the Au Fil des Saisons shop at Lens.

  • 
    03 h 30 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 11.03 km

• Sirault, the chapels route

  The Sirault region is certainly one of the most pleasant to explore on foot, with its peaceful rural side. Leaving Sirault, the consolidation path meanders across the fields. Facing us, on the ridges, stands the bell tower of the church of Neufmaison. The village collects around it the typical elements of the villages in the region – long farms and magnificent wood barn doors are all elements that charm us throughout this route, bathed in the ambience of yesteryear... Moving away from the village, the road makes beautiful arabesques in the middle of the meadows. Discoveries continue – at each turn we discover a new panorama, a new broad landscape, through the paths crossing through groves or enclosing a chapel, such as that at Ifs, dedicated to Saint Hubert. Back to Sirault where a friendly local bistro, the Noir Bonnet, is waiting for us...

  • 
    03 h 00 m

    easy

  Longueur du parcours: 8.9 km

• Quiévrain, at the country's edge

  A route that takes in the traces of a rich history, unique to these cross-border regions. Leave Quiévrain by taking the RAVeL, a former railway line, which in the 19th and early 20th centuries was the economic artery of Borinage where coal transited. At the wind farm, the route forks and descends down to the Hauts-Pays. The flags in the landscape mark the memorial of the terrible Battle of Audregnies, in August 1914. Here is Audregnies and its magnificent treed square, the largest in Belgium. And the Dufrasnes bakery fits perfectly in this little village. Having slipped a loaf of delicious artisan bread into the backpack for a picnic, we return to the frontier, following the age-old path, one of seven Chaussées de Brunehaut which crisscrossed a whole section of Europe in the Middle Ages. Roads that united people before letters... And Quiévrain, at the gates of France, is at their crossroads.

  • 
    04 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 10.15 km

• Shopping -The experience walk

  Venez faire votre shopping autrement! Pourquoi autrement? Parce que vous trouverez un large choix de boutiques de qualité aux produits originaux. Parce que vous pourrez profiter de notre magnifique patrimoine pour embellir votre balade. Parce que le coeur historique regorge de bonnes adresses gourmandes. Parce que vous découvrirez le charme de nos 8 quartiers commercants à l'ambiance unique. Tout simplement parce qu'au centre-ville de Mons, une expérience shopping que vous ne trouverez nulle part ailleurs vous attend.

  • 
    01 h 30 m

    easy

  Longueur du parcours: 1.77 km

• Moneuse Route: the attack on the Belle-Vue collector - Dour

  This route takes you in the footsteps of Antoine-Joseph Moneuse, the famous bandit and Captain of the Chauffeurs du Nord. The municipality of Dour features centrally in any reference to Moneuse’s tumultuous life. Here we will focus on the attack on Joseph-François Delhaye, the coal collector at Belle-Vue coal mine in Élouges. During this walk, you’ll have the opportunity to browse Cocars wood and explore its chapel, known to have been the bandit’s point of reference. You’ll also have to leave the territory of Hauts-Pays natural park to visit Dour and the village of Élouges through paths, narrow roads and a RAVeL. Have a good walk and watch out... Bandits are about. Route created and put together by Hauts-Pays natural park Illustrations Claude Renard

  • 
    02 h 00 m

    medium
  • 
    01 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 6.58 km

• Cycle route: Mons – SILEX'S – Mons

  This route designed by ProVélo and Mons’ Maison des Cyclistes cycling centre connects Mons’ Grand-Place to SILEX’S, the interpretation centre of the archaeological site of the Neolithic Mines of Spiennes, which are UNESCO classified. An exceptional site where going down a mine is the highlight of a trip (advance bookings is required, on 0032 65 39 59 39). The outward trip between Mons and SILEX’S is as direct as possible; the return offers you a slight detour through the low-traffic roads of villages in the immediate vicinity of Mons. A route designed by not-for-profit organisation PRO VÉLO Maison des Cyclistes du Hainaut (bike point) in Mons. Source: http://www.provelo.org/fr/tour/idees-balades/minieres-neolithiques-spiennes

  • 
    02 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 17.89 km

• The Doudou route

  Follow in the footsteps of Saint George and the dragon through the symbolic architectural and artistic heritage sites of Mons.

  • 
    01 h 30 m

    easy

  Longueur du parcours: 1.33 km

• Mons, UNESCO Route

  Leave Mons to discover remarkable sites marked as UNESCO world heritage sites. Cycling is a wonderful machine for going back in time! It allows you to reach and gently discover places steeped in a moving history, at your own pace. This mild morning in Mons, there’s a great atmosphere. You’re far from the Borinage stereotypes: the city has changed and it shows in its urban development and its plethora of museums. From the Grand Place, your bike will take you to the belfry and Mundaneum in a few pedal strokes. Continue to discover this heritage along the RAVeL towards the Grand Hornu. On approach to the site, you will enter another world, as if you’d opened some scenery doors built for the glory of capitalism. The Grand Hornu is isolated from the world on purpose. Everything has been thought up and designed for productivity. You can feel the historical significance of these places, as if cycling allowed you to immerse yourself, to take the time to observe and feel these places...

  • 
    03 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 26.84 km

• In the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh in the Borinage

  From the “Maison du Marais” in Cuesmes to the former “Marcasse” coalmine in Colfontaine, explore Mons-Borinage and the sites visited by Van Gogh during his time in the region.

  • 
    03 h 00 m

    hard

  Longueur du parcours: 48.57 km

• Mons, Green Routes

  Join the MAC'S by taking the former railway lines, which have become green routes at the heart of the former collieries. Follow the steep fall from the Grand Place to join the suburbs surrounding the ancient city. Your wheels will lead you to the heart of the Borinage. The old railway lines which once transported coal have become wonderful escape routes in an urban landscape marked by its industrial past. From Cuesmes ride along line 98 as far as Flénu where a signal box leading to Quiévrain was once located. Ride alongside the Pâturages station where a young man put down his bag in 1878. Van Gogh stayed in the Borinage almost two years to find artistic expression. Continue along this line, which at the time was full of noise and smoke from the continued cartage of trains carrying coal from the mining sites. You are finally in the Grand-Hornu, testifying to the start of the Industrial Revolution. It is an exceptional structure designated as a UnEsCo World Heritage site which includes the MAC Musée des Arts Contemporains and the CID Centre d’Innovation et de Design, one of the poles of artistic creation in Belgium.

  • 
    03 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 27.63 km

• Le top 15 de l’architecture contemporaine

  Come and discover the top 15 of contemporary architecture in Mons and in the Borinage, and change your view of the 20th century heritage. From a selection of projects included in the “Guide to modern and contemporary architecture in Mons & Cœur du Hainaut 1885-2015”, tour a city with a heritage that bets on contemporary architecture as an engine of local and regional development, through the construction and renovation of many public facilities, especially as part of Mons 2015: Mons 2015 Foundation, Mons Memorial Museum, Artothèque, Maison du Design, BAM, Silex, Arsonic, Mundaneum, ... All the projects unveiled here (and many others) are taken from the “Guide to modern and contemporary architecture in Mons & Cœur du Hainaut 1885-2015”, under the direction of Lamya Ben Djaffar and Isabelle De Smet and illustrated with photographs by Olivier Cornil. The book, from a partnership with the UMONS Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, was published in 2015 by the Cellule Architectural Publishers of the Wallonia-Brussels – Mardaga Federation. It is available from the Tourism Office and in all the good bookshops in Belgium and France.

  • 
    02 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 7.22 km

• Quevy, a Misunderstood Land

  Despite Quévy being so close to Mons, time seems to have stood still in this eternally charming place. The first few kilometres of this route snatch you into highly attractive countryside, with its long red brick farmhouses. Here they’re in harmony with the area’s soothing, calm side. You’ll be cycling with a smile on your lips as far as Aulnois. Hedges and groves still dot Quévy. The farms and streams you continuously cycle past will make you yearn after the next hamlet; you’ll be carried away by small roads that offer new scenery at each turn. It will change radically when you enter the Sars-la-Bruyère woods. Luckily, you’re riding and yellow spots dot the ground. Daffodils herald nature awakening. From Genly to Bougnies, the sun is already warming the atmosphere. At which point you’ll want to drop your bike and give yourself a nap in the middle of the field. It will be a well-deserved rest after this 30km ride through a little-known but interesting region.

  • 
    03 h 00 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 31.05 km

• Cycle route: Mons, a tribute to 1914-1918

  On the occasion of the First World War centenary, Mons has joined forces with many towns in Belgium and France which witnessed the Great War to increase awareness and sensitivity towards it. Through commemorative ceremonies, exhibitions and various forms of representation, the Mons region will pay tribute to all those civilians and military men who suffered during these four years. Mons is at the heart of the First World War commemorations in 2014. Discover the legend of the Mons Angels and navigate the territories marked by this Great War. So we never forget...

  • 
    03 h 00 m

    easy

  Longueur du parcours: 31.23 km

• Quaregnon, a rich heritage

  A route through urban territory but which for which there is no lack of charm when it comes to climbing the La Flache slag heap. On Monday, Quaregnon is adorned with thousands of colours and fragrances – it’s market day! The stalls are filled with Italian, Moroccan and Turkish products that scent the air. Here beats a bit or the heart of the South. From the Town Square, where the old outline of the church is reproduced, let us go along these streets that have an interesting architectural heritage. An example is the community hall, built in 1939 adjacent to the tower of the Gothic church, dating from the 15th century. We climb or rather clamber up the La Flache slag heap, ending up at an altitude of over 100 m. At the peak, the view takes in a 360° panorama and you can see over 30 km! It also lets you see the size of the Grand-Hornu site. On our return, we go along the imposing Louis Pierard Stadium, erected in 1946. Return to the centre of Quaregnon where we delight in taking in a small Craquegnon (cheese).

  • 
    01 h 30 m

    easy

  Longueur du parcours: 7.29 km

• Montignies-sur-Roc, sweet life

  The undulating hills surround Montignies-sur-Roc, a rural country where one finds the sweetness of life in the Hauts-Pays. From the village square, we follow the paved road which takes us to the paths of the Hauts-Pays. Far from the cities and heavy industry, we breathe. At Autreppe, the hills and the forest merge and obscure the horizon. We enter the valley carved by the Honnelle. A steep descent and we are there at the foot of the Caillou qui Bique, the legendary rock where poet Emile Verhaeren liked to recharge. We go up the course of the river to rejoin the RAVeL upstream. It will take us to the entrance of Audregnies. A short detour via a secret trail brings us to the Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs and the little shop of the Pype-Lievens Farm, producing delicious white cheeses, camamberts and yoghurts. Here you will be greeted by the charming smile of these producers, in harmony with the welcoming side of the Hauts-Pays Nature Park.

  • 
    04 h 00 m

    hard

  Longueur du parcours: 11.97 km

• Colfontaine, beautiful woods

  The nice walk lets you discover the Colfontaine Woods – the great rows of beech trees are magnificent! At first the path runs along the big woods, we enter via the GR which travels between the birches, a species that has established itself in the mining ground. To the left, we can still see an old slag heap, now covered by exuberant nature. At the foot, a new dyke prevents major flooding, after heavy rain, of the valley. A hill and here we are at the wide path. Under the canopy, the light is diffuse – what majesty is exposed! The tranquillity of the place should not let us forget the exploitation of this forest in the 19th century. In 1842, Henri Degorge, the founder of the Grand- Hornu mining site, decided with the help of the landscape architect Séquenard to develop wide aisles to ensure that the woods were used. Wandering through it, who would imagine that this forest was a human creation?

  • 
    02 h 30 m

    medium

  Longueur du parcours: 6.56 km

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