All hikes in the Ardennes

This stroll, on the borders of the country, follows the traces of a gigantic XIXth century: project which had originally been conceived to connect the Meuse to the Moselle valley via a canal crossing the Ardennes forest.

From Tavigny, walk on relatively untouched land marked by endless landscapes. By crossing the RAVeL, shortly after the village of “Buret”, you will make a small foray into Luxembourg territory to reach the remains of the canal. From 1821 to 1831 work began on a somewhat crazy dream: that of connecting the Meuse to the Moselle. The project was pharaonic in its conception. Via the Ourthe and the Sure rivers, more than 200 locks were to be built to make up the 684 meters of difference in height. 300 kilometers of banks are to be channeled, underground passages dug into the rock to pass under the Ardennes forest. In 1830, the Revolution and the independence of Belgium put an end to this great project. This little-known walk follows the remains of the former “Bernistap” canal, which outlines its past and present activity and history.