WE TOURED THE ARDENNES IN A CLASSIC CAR
Gaël Bassetto, The Happy Encounter
Member for 4 years 5 months
Père et mari avant tout
Le local, c'est génial !
DISCOVERING THE ARDENNES IN A CLASSIC CAR WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE Quartier Latin
5 Minutes reading
One thing is certain: when we dropped off our luggage in the Quartier Latin, a charming hotel in the cute little town of Marche-en-Famenne, we were far from imagining we were about to enjoy such an intense and beautiful experience.
And here our adventure begins. In the heart of the Province of Luxemburg, in this lovely hotel where you will enjoy a warm and authentic welcome. An added bonus is their unrivalled expertise at organizing classic car tours through the beautiful Ardennes. A romantic weekend getaway, something we hadn’t enjoyed for far too long.
It’s Saturday. The sun is shining. We get up bright and early to enjoy a hearty breakfast composed of delicious local products – another one of the Quartier Latin’s strong suits. Around ten in the morning, we are handed the keys of a cute little MG convertible, as well as a road book detailing today’s journey: approximately 250 kilometres travelling through the Famenne and the Ardennes.
The utterly gorgeous MG convertible we were lucky enough to drive - Gaël Bassetto
Let the magic begin!
Off we go for our adventure. We leave Marche-en-Famenne aboard our cute red classic car to discover the Ardennes. Pretty soon, we are surrounded by lush fields and mysterious forests.
It only takes a couple of kilometres for the Ardennes to work their magic.
The smiles on our faces say a lot about how happy we are... We thoroughly enjoy watching these stunning landscapes unfolding before us. Time no longer matters. Along the way, we stop, again and again to admire the untamed beauty of the Ardennes.
A journey outside of time through the magical landscapes of the Ardennes, with as sole companions a road book and the sweet sound of our classic car’s smooth-running engine.
We enjoy a romantic drive along forest roads - Gaël Bassetto
Countryside as far as the eye can see! - Gaël Bassetto
Lush hills as far as the eye can see
The further along we get on our journey, the more we realize that the Quartier Latin’s team have done a great job creating the tour: as we drive along, we discover landscapes that are nothing short of breathtaking!
Driving along narrow and charming countryside roads, we cross no less than 30 cute villages oozing with charm. Hard to say which ones were the prettiest, but we were particularly delighted by Han-sur-Lesse, Tellin and Rochefort. We even start fantasizing about living in one of those huge stone houses we discover during our road trip.
But we also saw quite a few castles, like the ones in Mirwart or Humain.
But what really left a deep and lasting impression on us, were the verdant hills as far as the eye can see, the green pastures where cows and horses were happily grazing and the wild forests where we stopped and enjoyed a breath of fresh, cool air. And this is where the true beauty of the Ardennes lies. It’s the same beauty you can admire on picture postcards, but it takes on a whole new dimension when you find yourself face to face with this wild, almost unspoiled nature.
We drive back feeling happy and reinvigorated by this unforgettable experience! - Gaël Bassetto
Far too soon, it is time say our goodbyes
Times flies by way too fast, and before we know it we near the end of our journey. During the last kilometres of our tour, we feast our eyes upon the gorgeous landscapes that unfold before us. And then before you can Jack Robinson, we are back in the historic centre of Marche-en-Famenne, and we are not quite ready to say goodbye to our pretty red convertible.
As we drive back, we feel reinvigorated by our unforgettable day touring the Ardennes in a classic car.
We only have one desire: to come back as soon as possible!
Enjoy this experience ?
Quartier Latin Hôtel & Restaurant
Rue des Brasseurs 2
6900 Marche-en-Famenne
www.quartier-latin.be
Escapade in a classic car
Gaël's top tip for foodies :
Where to stop for a bite to eat
During your road trip in a classic car, the perfect place for a tasty break is without a doubt the Al Pèle (Walloon dialect for the small frying pan in which the dishes are served), located in the heart of the Fourneau Saint-Michel Folk Museum. Here, in this restaurant with its characteristic Ardennes decor, you will enjoy delicious omelettes and stir-fried dishes (Ardennes style) made with seasonal, local products and dished up piping hot in their eponymous frying pans.
Al Pèle
Rue du Fourneau Saint-Michel 3
6870 Saint-Hubert
Turning the key in the ignition, driving off with our hair blowing in the wind, getting lost in the hills, the fields and the forests – landscapes you can only find in the Ardennes.