source: www.visitbelgium.com
Meuse and Sambre - Highways of Wallonia
The Meuse (French name) or Maas (Dutch name) River is one of Europe's major waterways. Its 925 km (Verschueren) course is a zigzag, caused in part by the Ardennes. South of those mountains, in France, the river flows NW to Charleville-Mézières. There it turns north until it crosses into Belgium and reaches Namur, where it turns easterly through a gorge to Liège. There it turns north to Nijmegen where it turns west to eventually merge with the waters of the Rhine and then the North Sea. The branch Sambre rises in Picardy and flows 190 km ENE until it joins the Meuse at Namur. Another tributary, the Lesse, joins the Meuse south of Dinant. The Lesse is not navigable (except for rafts), but provides a pleasant detour or, if you are so inclined, the beginning of some mountain riding.
The Meuse/Sambre system has been used for navigation since antiquity. While it lost much of its importance with the death of the coal industry in Wallonia, traffic is again increasing on the route Maastricht - Liège - Charleroi. Liège in fact claims to be the second largest river port in Europe, handling about 24 million tonnes of freight a year. (Duisburg is first at 47 million tonnes, Paris third.)
Use of the waterway is not free. The Walloon region charges a toll of BEF 1 per tonne per 10 km.
The Walloon Region is developing a long distance bicycle route network dubbed RAVeL (roughly, routes for slow traffic - pedestrians, bicycles and sometimes also horses). The RAVeL network as planned will include all of the Sambre (except in Charleroi) and Meuse/Mass, from the French border crossings to the Dutch border near Maastricht. Much of that distance already provides excellent riding. (September 2002)
Meuse River (145 km)
The Meuse flows for some 140 km in Belgium, and as the Maas an additional 70 km forms the border between Belgium and the Netherlands north of Maastricht. North of Liège commercial traffic uses parallel canals, and most of the original river is closed to boats of all kinds.
Namur - Heer- Agimont (French border) (46 km)
(Detailed maps for this section can be downloaded from RAVeL. They are RAVeL route 2 maps 6 - 13. The DjVu free plug-in for your browser is necessary to view and print the maps. There is a link from RAVeL for DjVu.)
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There are occasional kilometer markers, with new stones installed on sections as part of the RAVeL project. Some sections near Namur and around Dinant are favored by wandering family groups (who have no idea that bicycles may be around) on weekends when the weather is good. The GeoCart map is devoid of information for cyclists.
NAMUR - DINANT (27 km)
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From Namur Jambes Bridge (about KP 46) you can start south on either bank. Most of the first km will be on road, with the east bank much the quieter of the two, until you reach the first of the weir/lock/pedestrian bridge complexes. These are all designed specifically to allow easy crossing by pedestrians and bicycles.
Chris & Pauline Walker inform (September 2002) that this is now practically all bike path marked for RAVeL.
At this point, continue on the west bank. The east bank further south is home to a railway, and the only continuous route is on a narrow highway with a fair amount of traffic.
On the west bank you alternate between paved towpath and access roads for the many residences along the river. Some sections are quite new (probably 1997 or 1998) while others are older.
After a few km the housing density decreases and you have some real stretches of country. Then cliffs appear on the opposite side - you may see some serious rock climbers. About 5 km south of Jambes Bridge is the town of Wepion, which has several pubs and restaurants. The war memorial carefully divides the dead into those killed in battle, those deported who died in the process, and those who were executed in Wepion. On the south end of Wepion is the strawberry museum.
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The next town is Rivière. The lock/weir/bridge is about KP 33.
The towpath for the 7 km south of Rivière (to Pont d'Yvoir) is mostly new in the last few years. At about KP 30 you see a rather large building dominating a ridge. This is a branch campus of the French Catholic University.
The Dinant lock/weir/bridge (KP 20) offers a choice. If you cross to the east bank you ride through central Dinant, which on nice days will be solid traffic and pedestrians. Past central Dinant you do have some bike path, but overall it is better to stay on the left (west) bank.
 
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It is one km to the Dinant Charles de Gaulle bridge. (updated 7 September 2002 from Chris & Pauline Walker)
DINANT - AGIMONT (19 KM) NEVER ON SUNDAY
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After going under the bridge you are on a highway. Traffic should be light except on weekends and holidays. About 2 km south of the bridge, notice across the river the cleft in the cliff that juts down to the river - northbound traffic on the east bank passes through the cleft. Looking north you see the citadel on another cliff (the Bayard) that juts out towards the river. Dinant was built in a place very easy to defend.
Another 400 m brings you to a high bridge (N97), and the end of Dinant. Half a km south of the high bridge is the weir/lock/pedestrian bridge at Anseremme - KP 16.1 (and highway KP 10). Behind the island is the mouth of the Lesse River. It is favored by rafters. Just past that is a rail bridge. All Belgian Rail trains take that bridge, heading southeast along the Lesse River to Houyet. The railway that continues south along the Meuse is now private - the Three Valleys Steam Railway. That railway formerly ran trains on summer weekends from Dinant to Givet (France), and still operates on a separate line to the southwest from Mariembourg to Treignes. (Three Valleys updated May 2004 by Dirk Vande Putte)
According to the official RAVeL plans, a bicycle path will be built along the Three Valleys Railway from Anseremme for about 12 km to the beginning of towpath south of Hastière. However, there is no sign of work on that yet (May 2004).
The Lesse River provides an optional detour up a narrow, forested valley. On summer days when the weather is good you will see masses of kayaks heading down the river. The rental shops are at Anseremme. After paying you are carried up the river by bus to your starting point. The road along the right (north) bank from the bridge at Anseremme can be followed for about 4 km, on good to fair pavement with only moderate climbing, to Chateau Walzin. The road then climbs the side of the valley. GeoCart indicates a footpath continuing along the river, but I did not explore that. (July 1999)
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Continuing through the fine countryside, nearly 4 km more brings you to another chateau. This one is private. Then there is a pedestrian ferry and the town of Waulsort. This is a tourist town of the railway era, mostly Victorian houses and hotels. Many are now empty - for sale. However, expect mobs of tourists on fine weekends. The name of the town is very unFrench. It is from the abbey founded here in the 11thcentury, and now virtually destroyed.
Just south of Waulsort, and just past a lock at about KP 8.5, you see on the east bank an enormous rookery.
A little over 3 km of fine country riding brings you to Hastière and a station on the Three Valleys Steam Railway. 200 m south of the station, paved towpath is again available. However that lasts for less than a km - to a project to built a new weir on the river. You are forced back to the highway for about 900 m before there is again paved towpath.
About one km south of the weir is the community of Houria. The RAVeL route leaves the river to join the L 156 rail trail to Mariembourg.
The river in this section is very wide - practically like a lake. The valley is widening, and about three km past the weir opens up completely. You have passed through the Ardennes. Then you reach a bridge and the town of Heer - Agimont. (The town has a good frite stand and several pubs.) 200 m past the bridge is the border - and the end of the towpath. To continue into France you must ride the highway. (April 1999) (Dinant - Heer reviewed by Dirk Vande Putte May 2004) (Namur - Heer Agimont reviewed by Karel Roose 11 November 2004.)
Namur - Huy (32 km)
(Detailed maps for this section can be downloaded from RAVeL. They are RAVeL route 1 Est maps 1 - 8. The DjVu free plug-in for your browser is necessary to view and print the maps. There is a link from RAVeL for DjVu.)
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The Pont de Jambes is our starting point. It was probably the first bridge (at least after the Roman era) on the upper Meuse, built in the 11th century. It was badly damaged in the Second World War, but since rebuilt in the original style - except for the central arch that was widened for larger barges. At the east end of the bridge (around the corner to the north) is a plague: "238 Engineer Company Battalion, VII Corps, 1 US Army, at the Jambes bridge which had been destroyed, constructed two Bailey Bridges, one 46 m long and the other 15 m, to enable the restoration of liberty to our friends the Belgians. September 1944."
From the bridge (about KP 46) ride the right (east, then south) bank of the river on a mostly excellent paved service road. In 500 m you pass the mouth of the Sambre on the left bank. To the left of the junction on the hill is the citadel. 150 m later you reach the town's new (and only the second in the central part of Namur) road bridge across the Meuse. Cross this bridge (Pont des Ardennes) if you wish to ride west on the Sambre. Shortly thereafter is a rail bridge, with pedestrian section. Along this section are several barges that have been converted into homes.
The city continues, mostly to the north, until the lock at Grands Malades (which probably refers to a hospital), just past KP 48. From there to Huy you are mostly in the country.
The E411 autoroute crosses the river valley at KP 49.7 on a high bridge. At KP 55 is an old lock that must have been accompanied by a weir. The building by the lock says it was number 11, with a date of 1890. The lock is now used as a harbor for pleasure boats. At KP 63 is a modern weir structure and lock. You have to leave the towpath for a short distance by the weir, but there is a bike lane along the highway. As you approach KP 65 and the Andenne bridge there is a 200 m stretch of cobblestones.
After you pass KP 69 the village of Gives is on your right. There is a stone tower, now incorporated into a larger building. I could find nothing on the age or history of the tower, although it looks old. If you follow the road by the tower inland and then turn right on the highway, there is a pub.
At KP 72 is another lock house, number 14. There are no remains of a lock. According to the numbers, this was the 4th lock in 17 km. It must have been slow going for the barges at the turn of the century. Across the river at KP 74 is a large sugar beet mill. At KP 74.5 you pass under the new Huy highway bridge.
One and a half km later, the delight comes to an end. The towpath ends and you join a local street for 400 m, and then have to follow a narrow highway with no provision for bicycles. Where you meet the highway there is a frite stand. To the north looms the 19th century fort (built during the Dutch period) above Huy.
You can now either ride with the traffic (fairly heavy) on the highway, or follow a cobblestone footpath and then old port on the river side of the road for the next 900 m. You pass under a disused railway bridge and then reach the old town center. The church is 14th century. Just past the church are a major intersection and the Boudewijn bridge. From that bridge to the next (600 m) you can ride a broad sidewalk along the river. (Incidentally, "Huy" is pronounced as you usually hear the French word for "yes.") (November 1998)
Access: for the Namur area, E411 to exit 15 Loyers. At bottom of ramp turn left on the N90 and park at the beginning of the commercial area.
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Huy - Liège (39 km cycling)
(Detailed maps for this section can be downloaded from RAVeL. They are RAVeL route 1 Est maps 9 - 14. The DjVu free plug-in for your browser is necessary to view and print the maps. There is a link from RAVeL for DjVu.)
Note 18 January 2005: This section is now posted for the RAVeL route, which recommends following the N90 on the right/east bank between Huy and Seraing. The guide does not indicate that there is any sort of bike provision.
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The right (south) bank of the river is followed closely by the N90 highway. The road is mostly 4 lane and heavily trafficked. Generally, no provision has been made for pedestrians or cyclists.
The left (north) bank is better, if only in many places for having less traffic. Cross one of the Huy bridges to the north bank.
From the downstream bridge (about KP 78) you can follow a sidewalk and then crumbling towpath for 2.5 km - to about KP 80.5. At that point the road splits, with the major traffic climbing a bridge over the railway. It is easier to go straight, either on the road or the off-and-on unpaved parking strip alongside. On the south side of the river you see the Tihange nuclear power plant.
In a bit over 2 km you come to the next bridge, the newish N684. You now have to leave the riverside (unless you like mudding). Continue under the bridge and then turn left at the second road - the one just past the access ramp for the N684 north to the E42. After a jog you reach a narrow underpass under the railway and then the main highway. Turn right on the highway. Outside of rush hours there is little traffic, and you can often ride on a parking lane. You are now in the Ampsin district of Amay.
To avoid some traffic, you can take town roads to the south of the highway until you reach the road to the Meuse bridge. Back on the highway, you pass a rural section and then things start turning white. That is cement dust on everything. You have entered an industrial area that extends for about 20 km, to the edge of central Liège. At first the industry (some dead) is devoted to processing what can be quarried locally. Then the steel industry takes over.
About 3.5 km after you enter the white zone the highway crosses over the railway. From here on you can often ride on the sidewalk. After about 4 km you see a castle on the bluff above, and a service road appears on the inland side of the highway. Cross to the service road, which soon leads you away from the highway through Chokier. You are then brought back to the highway, but soon reach a junction with a road into Flémalle-Haute, then Flémalle, and finally Jemeppe. The main traffic stays on the highway along the river, with local traffic on a parallel road through the business districts. Take the business road. About 5 km after the Flémalle-Haute junction you are again forced back to the highway at the junction for the Seraing Bridge. (December 1998)
It is a little over 6 km from Seraing bridge to the southern edge of central Liège. This is perhaps, for cyclists, the most miserable river section in Belgium. Both banks are expressways, with traffic paying scant attention to the 70 kph speed limit signs. The east bank is dominated by the Usinor (formerly Cockeril-Sambre) blast furnaces at Seraing and Ougree. There are no bike paths, and the sidewalks are often impossible or nonexistent. Avoid the river unless you are interested in viewing the heavy industry, which is primarily related to steel making.
Cross the Seraing Bridge junction, perhaps by using the pedestrian overpass which has ramps at both ends. Then ride the sidewalk on the inland side of the highway to the first street and turn inland to a parallel road. Turn right. This is Rue Ernest Solvay in Liège. There is a fair amount of traffic and parking along the side, but speeds are fairly low and the lanes wide.
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There is a nice lower level path along the left bank of the river that passes under this bridge. Upstream (to the south) the path ends in 550 m and you have no choice but to come back. You can use the path to go north to the next bridge (Albert I), but there it ends and you have to cut across grass to the road. (Huy - Liège reviewed by Karel Roose 1 Nov 2004. He reports that it has not improved.)
Liège cannot be blamed for wasting money on cyclists. In maybe 3 hours of exploring the city, I found only one place with a bicycle sign - about 100 m of bicycle lane painted on the roadway to the south of Pont de Fragnée. The lane ended in a construction site.
Central Liège on the Meuse can be defined as the 6 km from Pont de Fragnée in the south to Atlas Bridge in the north. Between those bridges there are in fact two river channels. The island between them is Outre Meuse. The eastern channel is a wasteland for cycles, the sides an expressway carrying traffic to/from the E25 to Maastricht. The west channel is somewhat better, with some sections of decent sidewalk and footpath through parks on both sides. There are even short sections of paved towpath. But none of these provide a coherent route.
From Pont de Fragnée north, the best route is to cross to the east bank. At the traffic light, turn north along the service road on the inland side of the expressway. Practically immediately you cross a bridge over the Ourthe River canal. (The old mouth of the Ourthe River is about 250 m south.) In a couple of hundred meters you see a bridge to the left. To get to the bridge, use the pedestrian subway. Once through the subway loop around and cross the bridge over the east channel. Turn right along the road. When you come to the next road, turn left (against one-way traffic) and follow the road to the embankment road on the east side of the main channel. Follow that road on north to Atlas Bridge (about KP 112.5).
If you are coming south from Atlas Bridge, you can follow the service roads on the inland side of the expressway on the west bank.
Atlas Bridge is named after a boat that revolted against the occupying Germans on the night of 3 Jan 1917. The crew loaded 103 locals and at midnight made a run north to the Netherlands. Despite a chain and other defenses, they made it. Over 90 of the passengers proceeded to join the Belgian forces fighting on the Western Front.
The side of the river you want north of Atlas Bridge depends on whether you want to follow the Meuse or connect to the Albert Canal. For the latter, you want the west (left) bank. For the first 800 m you have a rough sidewalk (or if you prefer, cobblestone road). Then there is a ramp down to a good paved towpath for 400 m to the beginning of the Albert Canal - about Meuse KP 113.7. (November 1998)
Liège to Maastricht (28 km) - Use the Albert Canal instead
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The left (west) bank cannot be used due to a major steel mill until you reach Hermalle-sous-Argenteau.
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You are much better following the parallel Albert Canal. From the Atlas Bridge follow the west bank to at least Oupeye (about 7 km). From Oupeye to Lanaya (about 10 km) the west bank has some lovely shaded sections, and also some industry. The east bank is a smoother ride, but without any trees.
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For Maastricht go north on the east bank. In less than 2 km you reach the junction of the Albert and Lanaye/Juliana canals and then a major lock. Cross to the west bank and follow the Lanaye/Juliana canal (which in about 2 km is joined by the Meuse) into the center of that city. (July 1999)
Last updated 27 September 2007
Copyright Dan Gamber, 1998 - 2006
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