19.5 km | 24 km-effort
If you follow the road that continues straight ahead after the Rue des Grottes (on your left), you will reach one of the terraces of a former alluvial plain, as evidenced by the numerous sandstone shingles. Enjoy the opportunity of a short pause on the hilltop bench…and remind yourself of the fact that you are now in the Famenne area, where the altitude rarely exceeds 300 m( approx 984 feet) and where the climate is a lot more temperate than in the Ardennes…
The mineral resources of north Famenne are almost exclusively composed of schist, an extremely brittle rock. The southern part of the Famenne, between the schist-laden Famenne soil and the Ardennes, is called the Calestienne, which is where you are now. The Calestienne area is a narrow strip of only a couple of miles long which stretches out across the entire breadth of Wallonia.
The word Calestienne was invented by botanists who were so impressed by the local flora - that is incomparable to anything found in the adjacent areas- that they thought it would be a good idea to give this small but singular territory its own specific name. The etymology of the world Calestienne refers to the limestone that you have had the pleasure of admiring on the façades in the village and that constitutes most of the hills that encircle the Lesse Valley.
Once again, it’s the physical and chemical properties of this same limestone that led to the creation of the famous caves of Han-sur-Lesse.
Walking
Randonnées de la Maison du Tourisme Famenne - Ardenne Ourthe & Lesse PRO
