MONTAUBAN (The Castle of the Four Sons of Aymon )

À Montauban

A - The imaginary forest Voir sur la carte

The forest protects the site of Montauban, the product of wonderful nature and a story. It was the refuge of four famous brothers who dared stand up to the authority of the Emperor Charlemagne. The four sons of Aymon, Allard, Renaud, Guichard and Richard, mounted the horse Bayard, a gift from their cousin Maugis, a vengeful magician in quest of justice. In fact, his own father had been assassinated on the orders of Charlemagne. An epic story traversing the whole of the Ardennes ensued.

 

Access:

Montauban is not easy to explore. As in Charlemagne’s time, it is reached by climbing the hill on foot. The still-mighty walls bear witness to the impact of the onslaught. At the foot of the mound, the forges recall days gone by.

 

À

B - the Archaeological Park and the Lapidary Museum Voir sur la carte

Fifteen centuries of refuge: this was the destiny of Montauban. The spur was occupied by humans five centuries before Christ, a place of refuge in an already troubled time: the same held true from the 3rd century to the 8th century AD, when Germanic tribes invaded Roman Gaul.

 

The archaeological park and the lapidary museum Voir sur la carte

Did you know?

At the top, another story awaits you, that of a legend and a site.

When you reach the summit, the ditches, quarry stone walls and levees blend into the surroundings. This magical place is also pervaded by the legend of the Four Sons of Aymon who dared stand up to Charlemagne.

The lapidary museum

Located on the fortified site classified as ‘Outstanding heritage of Wallonia’, the lapidary museum is a modernist creation designed by the international architect Constantin Brodzki. It bears witness to three successive periods of occupation from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. The museum houses a series of Roman bas-reliefs discovered on site. One of these, the famous harvester of Trévires, is currently to be found in the Gaume museum in Virton.

During the summer, the Belgian Luxembourg Contemporary Art Centre presents original exhibitions here.

À Montauban

C - Ruins of the Forges of Montauban

The sweet smell of humus and the magnificent beech avenues bear no resemblance to Montauban as it was at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution… And yet. The iron and steel industry in the region prospered from the 16th to the 18th century. The imposing ruin of the charcoal market bears witness to the huge quantity of charcoal the forge required…

Did you know?

The intensive mining of coal, a new fuel, discovered in the Sambre and the Meuse basin in around 1850, rendered charcoal obsolete. What remained of the Ardennes forest was saved in extremis…

À Montauban

D - Walking

The Laclaireau walk

The RAVeL network of foot- and cycle paths is the guiding thread through the vast forest. The noise of our steps has replaced the racket of the steam train carrying the riches of the region to distant countries. The stream and lakes lend a blue veneer to the russet and gold environment of the great beech grove. What a marvellous setting for the Geste of the Four Sons of Aymon!

 

Practical details

Distance: 11 km

Waymarking: blue triangle

Difficulty: average

Time: 4 hrs

Start: from the old forge, take the road towards Ethe as far as the RAVeL.

Did you know?

At the end of the walk, you will be astonished to discover a series of small waterfalls hurtling down the slope. These ‘crons’, as they are called in Gaume, refer to petrifying limestone springs and the tufa rocks they form. This is a superb site: the sharply sloping clearing is criss-crossed by a host of brooks bubbling with crystal-clear water. The flora and fauna include rare and threatened species: wild columbine and the cordulegaster bidentata dragonfly. There is no limit to the biodiversity of the Gaume…

À Virton

E - The Gaume Museum Voir sur la carte

The loveliest place to find out more about the southern Gaume region. It retraces the history of this region where Roman culture crosses the ages to join our own. Children will be delighted by the way this museum teaches.

À Virton

F - The Vallée du Rabais Voir sur la carte

The valley of happiness! In summer, the canopy of the great forest and the lakes are the perfect place to stroll around. Footpaths and mountain biking trails criss-cross the area. A lovely map is available from the Tourist Office.

À Virton

G - Walking Voir sur la carte

The Four Sons of Aymon walk

It starts at the Our Lady of Bonlieu chapel. With three options (18, 10 or 6 km), the trails and paths follow in the footsteps of the legend. The Fairies’ Cave is an amazing natural curiosity!

 

Practical details

Distance: 18, 10 or 6 km

Waymarking: green cross

Difficulty: average

Time: depends on the distance chosen

Start: from Our Lady of Bonlieu chapel, upstream of the Rabais valley.

À Virton

H - Walking Voir sur la carte

The RAVeL

This is the most ‘forest’ RAVeL of the Ardennes, crossing part of Virton forest, characterised by its abundance of broad-leaved trees. This RAVeL is the path that leads to the scene of the Four Sons of Aymon legend. It runs along the Montauban site before continuing on to Croix-Rouge near the Fairies’ Cave and Renaud Castle.

 

Practical details

Distance: 8 km

Difficulty: easy

Time: 1 hr

Start: as you leave Ethe, on the N 82

À Virton

I - Savour

Gaume pâté

The people of Gaume are the ultimate gourmets… This meat pâté on raised pastry is stuffed with pieces of pork marinated in wine or vinegar with herbs and spices, as the butcher prefers. A dish to be brought back by everyone returning from a trip to Gaume.

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J - Savour Voir sur la carte

The Sainte-Hélène microbrewery

Mr Pourtois started up in 1999 with ‘La Gaumette’ and ‘La Sainte-Hélène’. Other recipes followed, including ‘La Grognarde’, the ‘D’Jean de Mady’ and the ‘D’Jean Triple’. You must try them.