In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 500 kilometres from Dinant on the Meuse via Han-sur-Lesse, Bouillon, La Roche and Durbuy into the High Fens and across the border to Clervaux, Vianden and through the Mullerthal to Echternach: a journey through river valleys where every bend holds a castle and every plateau a bog.
The spirit of the route
The Ardennes are an old, worn-down range into which rivers have cut deep. The Meuse, Lesse, Semois, Ourthe and Amblève wind in tight loops through slate and limestone, and on almost every bend stands a castle, an abbey or a village of grey rubble stone. In the morning mist hangs over the water, kayaks lie upturned on the bank, and through the sliding door comes the smell of woodsmoke and wet leaves. Up on the High Fens the land suddenly opens out: purple moor grass, boardwalks over the bog, a sky that changes the weather three times in an hour. Across the border in Luxembourg the valleys close in again, Vianden towers above the Our, and in the Mullerthal paths squeeze through moss-green sandstone crevices. The stages stay short, the roads winding, the evenings quiet – a route for people who like to hike, paddle and drink Belgian beer with care.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Dinant to Han-sur-Lesse (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Head south out of Dinant past the Rocher Bayard to Anseremme at the mouth of the Lesse, cross the Meuse and take the N96 along the left bank beneath the limestone cliffs to the Château de Freÿr, then cross back over the Meuse and climb on narrow back roads to Furfooz and Celles, before continuing via Ciergnon and Ave-et-Auffe into the Lesse valley to Han-sur-Lesse. In Dinant itself the riverside road is squeezed tightly between rock and river and busy in summer; the back roads afterwards are narrow with short steep sections. Around one hour of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Dinant with the collegiate church of Notre-Dame and its onion-shaped tower beneath the citadel (cable car or a good 400 steps), plus the Rocher Bayard, a free-standing rock needle at the southern edge of town, and reminders of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, who was born here.
- Château de Freÿr on the bank of the Meuse with its French garden and orangery; opposite rise the Freÿr rocks, one of Belgium’s most storied climbing areas.
- Château de Vêves near Celles, a late-medieval castle with pointed towers on a rocky spur, and the Parc de Furfooz with caves, a reconstructed Roman bath and views into the Lesse valley.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Han-sur-Lesse the Aire de camping-cars is on Rue de la Lesse, a few minutes’ walk from the entrance to the Grotte de Han: around 40 pitches, electricity (6 A), fresh water, grey and black water disposal, open all year according to the listing portals; charging was most recently in time blocks, so check the rate on site. Next to it, Camping Le Pirot lies right on the Lesse. In Dinant itself, the Camping communal de Devant-Bouvignes on the left bank of the Meuse north of the old town offers an overnight stop within walking distance of the centre; check season and facilities in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Many municipalities along the Meuse and Lesse prohibit motorhomes from staying overnight in public car parks by police ordinance; the signs are posted at the large riverside car parks. In the woods, the Walloon Forest Code applies: driving on forest tracks and camping outside designated bivouac sites are prohibited. The Freÿr rocks and the Parc de Furfooz are nature reserves.
- Insider tip for campers
- The classic in the Lesse valley is the kayak trip on the Lesse from Houyet to Anseremme; several rental outfits take you to the start by bus, and the motorhome stays at the finish. In high summer and at weekends start early; at low water the trips are cancelled. In Dinant, do not drive the motorhome into the narrow lanes of the old town; parking space for large vehicles is more likely to be found along the river outside the centre.
2Stage 2: Han-sur-Lesse to Bouillon via Redu and Rochehaut (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Cross the plateau southwards to Wellin and Redu, continue via Paliseul to the Semois at Rochehaut, then follow the valley road via Poupehan and Corbion to Bouillon. First open Ardennes plateau with long straights, then in Semois country narrow, winding descents with gradients over ten per cent and tight village through-roads. About 1.5 hours without breaks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Grotte de Han: guided tour through the stalactite cave carved out by the Lesse, with the approach to the cave entrance by historic tram; alongside it the wildlife park with European species, including European bison and brown bears.
- Redu, the “book village” of the Ardennes, with antiquarian bookshops in old farmhouses; a few kilometres east lies the Euro Space Center near Transinne.
- Viewpoint at Rochehaut over the Semois loop with the hamlet of Frahan on the valley floor, and just before Bouillon the Tombeau du Géant near Botassart, where the Semois draws an almost closed arc around a wooded hill.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bouillon has a small motorhome stopover on the edge of town near the Semois with water and disposal, around ten pitches; check electricity and rate on site. Along the Semois between Poupehan and Bouillon there are several riverside campsites, many open only from Easter to October and in July and August busy with seasonal residents and youth groups.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The banks of the Semois are very busy in summer, and the municipalities respond with overnight bans on riverside car parks. Unauthorised parking by the river is checked. The Rochehaut viewpoint and the Tombeau du Géant have only small day car parks, not intended for overnight stays.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not drive the motorhome down the hairpin road from Rochehaut to Frahan: the road is narrow and steep, and the hamlet has hardly any room to park or turn large vehicles – walk down instead; a footbridge leads up onto the Crêtes de Frahan. In Bouillon many restaurants and tobacco shops line the main street along the Semois; tobacco from the Semois valley has a long growing history here.
3Stage 3: Bouillon to La Roche-en-Ardenne via Herbeumont and Saint-Hubert (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- Follow the Semois upstream via Dohan to Herbeumont, then head north via Bertrix up onto the plateau and take the N89 through the great forests to Saint-Hubert. Detour to the Fourneau Saint-Michel, then cross the plateau and descend through the upper Ourthe valley to La Roche. The longest stage of the route, mostly on well-built national roads; the last kilometres to La Roche are steep and winding. Around two hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Château de Bouillon, the castle of Godfrey of Bouillon above the Semois, with passages cut into the rock and birds of prey displays in season; a walk to the castle ruins of Herbeumont with views into the Semois valley.
- Basilica of Saint-Hubert, the pilgrimage church of the patron saint of hunters, with a Gothic interior behind a Baroque façade.
- Fourneau Saint-Michel north of Saint-Hubert: an open-air museum with relocated farmhouses, a smithy and a historic blast furnace in a wooded valley.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: La Roche has several campsites on the Ourthe: Camping de l’Ourthe and Camping Benelux lie on the river north of the centre and are within easy walking distance of the old town; the two sites of the Floreal group are a little to the south on the edge of town. Check seasons and motorhome pitches in advance, and book for bank holiday weekends.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The forests around Saint-Hubert are among the largest continuous woodlands in Belgium and are hunting grounds: in autumn, paths are temporarily closed during driven hunts, so always heed the signs (“chasse en cours”). Forest tracks are off limits to motor vehicles, and overnight stays in the forest are prohibited.
- Insider tip for campers
- Just beyond La Roche towards Houffalize, the Belvédère des Six Ourthes near Nisramont is worth a stop, with a lookout tower over the confluence of the Western and Eastern Ourthe. In La Roche itself the centre around the castle ruins is cramped – leave the motorhome at the campsite and go on foot; you can buy Ardennes ham and game specialities at the butchers on the main street.
4Stage 4: La Roche-en-Ardenne to Durbuy via Hotton and Wéris (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- Follow the Ourthe valley downstream via Maboge and Hampteau to Hotton, then take back roads up into the hill country of Wéris and down to Barvaux and Durbuy. A short stage on quiet country roads through meadows and limestone knolls. Around 45 minutes; allow time for the cave and the dolmens.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The castle ruins of La Roche on the rocky spur above the Ourthe and the Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes, which tells the story of the fighting in the winter of 1944/45, when La Roche was almost completely destroyed.
- Grottes de Hotton with a deep underground canyon, guided tours in season.
- The megaliths of Wéris: Neolithic dolmens and menhirs on a walking trail through the fields; in Durbuy the topiary park with clipped figures and the narrow lanes of the little town beneath the castle of the Counts of Ursel.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Barvaux-sur-Ourthe, three kilometres from Durbuy, there is a motorhome stopover with water and disposal for around ten vehicles; near Durbuy is the Le Vedeur stopover. For a classic campsite night, stay at Camping Les Rochers du Glawan near Barvaux on the Ourthe. Check facilities and rates on site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Durbuy is very crowded at weekends and in the holidays; the municipality directs motorhomes to designated sites, and overnight stays are not intended in the old-town car parks. Around Wéris the megaliths and the limestone grasslands are protected, and field tracks are farm tracks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road through Durbuy and the bridge over the Ourthe are narrow and full of pedestrians – leave the motorhome in Barvaux and walk over along the riverside path. The dolmen museum in Wéris (Maison des Mégalithes) explains which stones stand where and is a good starting point for a short circular walk.
5Stage 5: Durbuy to Malmedy via Remouchamps, Coo and Stavelot (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Follow the Ourthe valley downstream via Bomal and Hamoir, continue via Aywaille to Remouchamps and then head up the Amblève valley through the rocky gorge of the Fonds de Quarreux, via Stoumont to Coo and Stavelot, and finally over the heights to Malmedy. Winding valley roads, in the Amblève valley with rock overhangs and narrow sections; drive slowly on the stretch near Quarreux. Around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Grottes de Remouchamps: guided tour through the stalactite cave with a long underground boat trip on the Rubicon.
- Cascade de Coo, a waterfall at a cut through the rock made for the Amblève by the monks of Stavelot Abbey in the 18th century, and above it the Coo pumped-storage power station with its upper reservoirs.
- Stavelot Abbey with three museums, including one on the history of the nearby Spa-Francorchamps circuit; in Malmedy the cathedral, the Malmundarium museum and, at the Baugnez crossroads, the memorial to the American prisoners of war shot in December 1944.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Aire de Malmedy on the edge of town with a good 20 pitches, water and disposal, within walking distance of the centre; check electricity and fees on site. At the Robertville reservoir, around ten kilometres north-east, Camping La Plage and Camping des Charmilles are a quieter alternative with electricity and sanitary facilities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Amblève valley the riverside car parks near Coo and at the kayak launch points are full during the day and often closed to motorhomes at night. On Formula 1 and endurance race weekends at Spa-Francorchamps every space in the surrounding area is taken, and the municipalities strictly enforce against unauthorised parking.
- Insider tip for campers
- Check the Spa-Francorchamps race calendar before you travel: during the Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours the roads between Stavelot, Francorchamps and Malmedy are congested and partly closed. In February Malmedy celebrates the Cwarmê, one of Belgium’s most idiosyncratic carnivals. The local pâtisserie speciality is the Baisers de Malmedy, meringue halves with whipped cream.
6Stage 6: Malmedy to Clervaux via the High Fens and St. Vith (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- From Malmedy take the N68 up to the Signal de Botrange on the High Fens plateau, return via Ovifat and Robertville and head south via Bütgenbach to St. Vith, in German-speaking East Belgium. Then continue via Burg-Reuland to Ouren at the tri-border point and across the border into Luxembourg, with the last kilometres down into the deep valley of the Clerve to Clervaux. Wide roads across the plateaus, ending with a steep descent to Clervaux. Just under two hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Signal de Botrange (694 m), the highest point in Belgium, with the Botrange nature park centre and boardwalks over the bogs of the Fagne de la Poleûr; regularly shrouded in fog and wind in autumn and spring.
- Reinhardstein Castle near Ovifat, rebuilt on old walls in the 1960s, above the gorge of the Warche, with a waterfall along the footpath.
- The Europe monument at the tri-border point near Ouren, where Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg meet on the Our; in Clervaux the castle with Edward Steichen’s photographic exhibition “The Family of Man”, which is part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping officiel de Clervaux on the Clerve, a few minutes’ walk from the centre, with electricity, sanitary facilities and disposal, open seasonally. Slightly outside town is Camping Reiler Weier near Reuler. Check facilities and season in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The High Fens are a nature reserve with graded zones: many bog areas are accessible only on marked paths, some only with a guide. When the red flag is flying at the access points, large parts are closed because of fire risk – this happens in dry springs and summers. Overnight stays in the High Fens car parks (Botrange, Baraque Michel, Mont Rigi) are not intended. In Luxembourg wild camping is effectively impossible; see the practical section.
- Insider tip for campers
- St. Vith is the last larger shopping town before the border; but wait until Luxembourg to fill up, where diesel and petrol are usually noticeably cheaper than in Belgium and Germany thanks to lower taxes – the first filling stations are right after the border. The Vennbahn, a former railway line, is now a continuous cycle path from Aachen to Troisvierges in Luxembourg and runs through St. Vith.
7Stage 7: Clervaux to Vianden via Bourscheid (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Climb out of the Clerve valley onto the Éislek plateau, head south via Hosingen and descend into the Sauer valley to Bourscheid-Moulin, then go east via Diekirch and up the Our valley to Vianden. Well-built national roads, with steep descents in tight bends down to the Sauer valley and to Vianden. Around one hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Abbey of Saint-Maurice et Saint-Maur above Clervaux, a Benedictine abbey where the monks cultivate Gregorian chant.
- Bourscheid Castle on a spur high above the Sauer, the largest castle complex in Luxembourg, with views far across the Oesling.
- Vianden Castle above the Our, the Victor Hugo House by the bridge and the chairlift up the hillside with views of castle and town; above lie the reservoirs of the Vianden pumped-storage power station with a visitor centre.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camperpark Vianden on Rue Neugarten on the edge of town: electricity, fresh water, grey water and chemical toilet disposal as well as toilets and showers included in the price; according to the tourism portal for vehicles under 8 m in length, payment at the machine. Check the rate on site. On the bank of the Sauer at Bourscheid-Moulin, Camping du Moulin is an alternative.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Vianden has hardly any parking space in the old town, and the municipality refers motorhomes to the Camperpark; overnight stays in public car parks are not intended. The car parks at the pumped-storage power station and at Bourscheid Castle are day car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road through Vianden with the steep Grand-Rue is unsuitable for motorhomes – go to the castle on foot or by chairlift. If you drive a longer vehicle, switch to a campsite on the Our or the Sauer because of the length limit at the Camperpark. In Diekirch the National Museum of Military History tells the story of the Battle of the Bulge.
8Stage 8: Vianden to Echternach via Beaufort and the Mullerthal (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Via Diekirch follow the Sauer valley downstream to Reisdorf, climb up to Beaufort, then take the valley road through the Mullerthal, with sandstone cliffs on both sides, to Grundhof on the Sauer, go via Berdorf onto the plateau and down to Echternach. Winding back roads with some narrow sections between the rocks. Around one hour of pure driving time; the rest of the day belongs to the hiking trails.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The two castles of Beaufort: the medieval castle ruins and, beside them, the Renaissance château; the blackcurrant liqueur Cassero is made in the village.
- Schiessentümpel, the small waterfall with a stone bridge in the valley of the Black Ernz, and the rock gorges of the Mullerthal Trail around Berdorf with the Hohllay, a former millstone quarry in the cliff face.
- Echternach with the Basilica of St. Willibrord, the market square with the Gothic Dingstuhl and the Wolf’s Gorge (Wolfsschlucht), which can be reached directly from the town on a hiking trail.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Officiel Wollefsschlucht (also Camping Officiel Echternach) on Route de Diekirch in Echternach, within walking distance of the old town and the Wolf’s Gorge, with motorhome pitches. In Berdorf, the Quick Stop Martbusch offers motorhome pitches with electricity and disposal on the edge of the Martbusch campsite; in Beaufort and around Larochette several campsites have their own motorhome areas.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The rock areas of the Mullerthal are protected woodland and nature areas; the hiking car parks in the valley and by the rocks are often full during the day and not intended for overnight stays. Wild camping is not provided for in Luxembourg; the region concentrates motorhomes on campsites and their quick-stop pitches.
- Insider tip for campers
- On Whit Tuesday the hopping procession winds through the old town of Echternach, UNESCO cultural heritage since 2010 – roads are closed then and the sites are full. Fill up in Echternach before heading home: on the German side of the Sauer bridge in Echternacherbrück you usually pay more. The rock paths are slippery after rain, and it gets tight in the crevices – keep your rucksack small.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Belgium has no national law on sleeping in a motorhome: if you are parked legally, you may sleep in the vehicle unless a municipal police ordinance prohibits it. In the Ardennes many municipalities have done exactly that – on riverbanks, at viewpoints and in tourist towns such as Dinant, Durbuy or along the Semois, signs indicate overnight bans for motorhomes. Camping behaviour with chairs, awning or barbecue is not permitted outside campsites.
- The Walloon Forest Code allows motor vehicles in the forest only on roads and tracks open to them and prohibits camping and fires outside specially designated areas; the few bivouac sites (aires de bivouac) are intended only for tents and hikers. The High Fens are a nature reserve with zones of varying accessibility; when the red flag is flying, they are largely closed. During the hunting season in autumn, heed notices about driven hunts.
- In Luxembourg camping outside approved sites is prohibited, and overnight stays in a motorhome in public car parks are regulated by the municipalities – mostly with bans. Genuine municipal stopovers are rare; the country relies on campsites with their own motorhome areas and quick-stop pitches in front of them, which can often still be reached in the evening.
- Useful: park4night, Campercontact, the promobil stopover guide and the accommodation pages of Visit Wallonia, East Belgium and the Éislek and Mullerthal regions in Luxembourg, which list stopovers and campsites with motorhome pitches separately.
Waste disposal & supplies
- In Wallonia many aires de camping-cars have water and disposal, some with electricity and payment by machine or app; the density is lower than in France, and in Luxembourg service points are almost always at campsites. Check facilities and payment method in advance in a stopover guide.
- Empty grey water only into ground drains and cassettes only at chemical toilet points. Many Ardennes rivers are used for swimming and kayaking; illegal dumping is particularly unwelcome there and is prosecuted.
- Tap water in Belgium and Luxembourg is drinking water. In remote Ardennes villages there are few public water points – fill your tank before the stages across the plateaus.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not swapped in Belgium and Luxembourg. LPG is available at many filling stations, in Belgium with a bayonet connector; bring a complete adapter set for refillable cylinders. Luxembourg is usually cheap for autogas too.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits in Belgium (Wallonia): 50 km/h in built-up areas, 30 km/h in many places, 90 km/h outside built-up areas (70 km/h in Flanders), 120 km/h on motorways for motorhomes up to 3.5 t and vehicle-trailer combinations up to 3.5 t gross weight. Above 3.5 t (including combinations over 3.5 t) a maximum of 90 km/h applies on motorways, with lower limits on other roads outside built-up areas – check the current rules before you travel. Luxembourg: 50 in built-up areas, 90 outside, 130 km/h on motorways, 110 km/h in rain; vehicles over 3.5 t and combinations drive at 75 outside built-up areas and 90 km/h on motorways.
- Low emission zones: Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent have low emission zones that require registration, including for foreign vehicles; in Brussels Euro 5 diesels (and petrol vehicles up to Euro 2) are banned, after the Constitutional Court annulled the postponement of this stage in December 2025; enforcement has been in place since January 2026, with fines since spring 2026 after a warning phase. Motorhomes with fixed living quarters can be exempted in Brussels on application, but must still register. In Antwerp and Ghent Euro 5 diesels are still permitted in 2026. Plan your journey via Liège and the E40/E42 or via Aachen rather than through the big cities. Wallonia scrapped its planned region-wide low emission zone in 2024; urban zones, for example in Liège or Namur, have been discussed, but as far as we know no low emission zone applies in Wallonia or the Ardennes. Luxembourg has no low emission zones.
- Tolls: In Belgium and Luxembourg there are currently neither tolls nor vignettes for motorhomes up to 3.5 t. Belgium is introducing a digital vignette linked to the number plate – check before your trip whether it already applies and whether your motorhome is affected. The Belgian distance-based toll (Viapass) applies to goods vehicles over 3.5 t; as far as we know heavy motorhomes are not affected, provided they are registered as motorhomes – if registered as a lorry, clarify this beforehand.
- Equipment: In Belgium the driver must have a hi-vis vest within reach and carry a warning triangle. In Luxembourg winter tyres are required situationally in snow, ice and slippery conditions; on the High Fens and the Ardennes plateaus there is often snow in winter, and fog and black ice occur as early as late autumn. Priority to the right is applied strictly in Belgium, even at seemingly minor junctions.
- Alcohol: 0.5 per mille in Belgium, 0.5 per mille in Luxembourg, 0.2 for novice drivers in Luxembourg. Belgian abbey beers often have 8 to 10 per cent – postpone driving on until the next day. Using a mobile phone at the wheel is allowed in both countries only with a hands-free kit.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Waterproof clothing and wellies or high hiking boots: water often stands on the boardwalks and paths in the High Fens, and the weather changes quickly.
- A dry bag and a change of clothes for the kayak trip on the Lesse or the Ourthe – capsizing on the shallow sections is more common than you might think.
- A complete gas adapter set (bayonet and common connectors) for the refillable LPG cylinder, as German exchange cylinders are not swapped in Belgium and Luxembourg.
- A warm jacket and a head torch for the caves of Han, Hotton and Remouchamps, where it is around 12 degrees even in summer.
- A printed or offline-saved LEZ registration, in case you have to arrive or leave via Brussels, Antwerp or Ghent.
- Light trekking poles for the steep paths in the Mullerthal and along the Semois.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
