From Arlon to Bouillon by the GR16© trail of the Semois

Program

Day 1

Arlon
Arrive by car in Arlon at the end of the day. You can arrive by car (free parking) or by train (Arlon SNCB station). Check-in and delivery of the complete file. Possibility of visiting the village in the afternoon. Evening meal included.

Day 2

Arlon – Etalle (23,4 km; + 126m)
The hike starts at the sources of the Semois, at the corner of rue Sonnety and rue des Tanneries in the heart of the city of Arlon. You leave Arlon following the GR16 signs and quickly arrive in the middle of nature. During this first stage you will pass through the villages of Viville, Lottert and Fouches to arrive at the end of the stage in Etalle, which you will reach by following an ancient Roman road on a straight line of about 8 kilometers in the heart of the large Gaumais plains. Because of the lack of difference in altitude, this first stage does not present any particular difficulty and is a very good warm-up.

Day 3

Etalle – Jamoigne (24,2km; + 145m)
For this stage, you start on foot from the accommodation and leave the village of Etalle following the GR16 route of the Semois. This stage offers you a great diversity of landscapes. You cross successively meadows, woods, undergrowth and countryside. During this day, you will have the opportunity to discover the military cemetery of Radan, a place of memory of the First World War in the vicinity of Bellefontaine. You can have lunch with a view of the meandering Semois River from the Mesnil viewpoint shortly after Breuvanne. You will also cross many villages such as Fratin, Rossignol or Les Bulles. At the end of the stage, you will walk to the village of Jamoigne.

Day 4

Jamoigne – Lacuisine (21.3 km; + 224m)
During this walking stage, you start in Jamoigne and quickly enter the forest massif of Epioux. After a little less than 10km, you will pass by the Vierre dam and then go along Chiny before a rather steep climb to the “Roche Pinco” spot which will offer you a remarkable panorama on the Semois and the forest. You then descend to the village of Lacuisine, where the stage ends. This stage has a more uneven terrain but rewards you with breathtaking views of the meandering Semois River.

Day 5

Lacuisine – Sainte-Cécile (20.5km; + 212m)
This stage, the shortest of the trip, starts from the banks of the Semois. You pass through the village of Florenville before returning to the water’s edge and following the meandering Semois throughout the stage. In the middle of the stage, you will have the opportunity to visit the magnificent village of Chassepierre, labeled “Most Beautiful Villages of Wallonia”. You can stop to eat and enjoy the charm of this village known for its picturesque setting and its old rural houses. You then reach Sainte-Cécile at the end of the stage.

Day 6

Sainte-Cécile – Cugnon (24,8km; +354m)
You start the day’s stage from Sainte-Cécile and quickly reach the banks of the Semois. You then head north and enter the Epioux forest again. You follow the meandering Semois during the first half of the stage. Near Herbeumont, you leave the river and gradually go up in the forest towards the heights where you can enjoy many viewpoints. You then go back down to the villages of Mortehan and Cugnon where the end of the stage is located. During this stage, you will discover magnificent sites such as the Ry de Rologne or the Pont de Conques.

Day 7

Cugnon – Bouillon (25,7km; +601m)
This stage, the longest of the course, is not flat: climbs and descents follow one another… The effort is however rewarded because it offers breathtaking views of the meandering Semois. You start on foot from Cugnon and follow the GR16 (Variante des Hayons) until you reach the village of Dohan. You then continue and arrive at the end of the day in the heart of the medieval town of Bouillon. Bravo you have done 140 km in 6 stages. Possibility to visit the town and the castle. You can choose to take the return trip when you arrive in the late afternoon or relax for an extra night in Bouillon!