With the international travel being restricted due to Covid, we attempted to put our wanderlust at ease by scouting great kid-friendly holiday places in Belgium. One such place is Dinant and the area towards the French border. It is part of the Ardennes, the closest thing that Belgium has to a mountain range. We have been in the Ardennes previously in a Center Parks resort (you can read all about it here) and it is a lovely area for nature walks, no matter the season.
Being a rather small country, many of the activities we did in our short Ardennes break can also be done as day trips from Brussels. Of course, if you choose to stay in the Ardennes, all activities become very accessible and can be combined for an action packed day. It is also a good base to venture into North France and continue exploring the Ardennes region.
1. A day trip to Dinant: the fortress and river Meuse
Dinant has this great atmosphere to it, especially in Summer. The Meuse crosses the city against a backdrop of steep cliffs and a fortress. Who doesn’t like a fortress city? Or a river city? Did I mention it has a brewery too? We have been to Dinant at least four times and we always found something interesting to explore. Let’s dig in!
Go to the Citadel early: you simply cannot miss this site for its views over the city and surrounding landscape. Also, it is a well preserved fortress so there is always a story behind every corner to keep the young ones on their toes: here lived the guards, here was a battle, here was the prison. There is something to keep them interested. And if you add to this the prospect of swishing uphill in a small cable car, then you are assured to have their attention for a couple of hours, or at least for the time to get uphill. If your children speak French, there is also an activity book that you can download here that can be used to give more detailed historical context to their visit though games and puzzles. You can set aside a couple of hours for this visit. Do not forget to bring some water and snacks. There is only a small café at the top with a great view but limited food options.
Take a boat trip on the Meuse: After you saw the city from atop the fortress, it is time to see it from the water. There are group cruises that take about an hour and come with audio guides that can be combined with the castle visit for a combo ticket. As our soon has taken an interest in boats after our visit to the Rotterdam museum (you should check it out here), we were more after the experience of sailing. I had my daughter in the carrier so canoeing was not really an option for all of us. We decided to rent a small electric boat, that we could easily steer ourselves, and where we all wrapped in our life jackets could fit comfortably. The renting booth was just across the street from the Cathedral. The 50 minutes sail up and down the Meuse was a hit with our son that pretended to be a pirate captain for most of the trip and even started singing at one point from a popular French nursery rhyme ‘Bateau sur l’eau’.
After a day of exertions through cable car riding, boat steering and snack dispensing (do your kids also request snacks every 10 minutes and water every 15?) , we went for a tasting of a refreshing Belgian legend, the Leffe. The Leffe is a beer having its humble beginnings in an abbey in the region. Today is less of a secret as the brand is sold worldwide by Inbev but it still manages to keep some aura of authenticity and long-standing tradition. You can find out more about the story of Leffe’s origins, the reason why the monks started brewing it and its success at the Leffe House. It has several interactive experiences and touch screens turning it into, if not entertaining, at least a bearable attraction for younger guests with a curiosity on how things are made.
If you are into music and Saxophones, you will find a small museum in the city on the life of Adolphe Sax imaginatevely called ‘La Maison de Mr Sax’. We stepped inside by mistake as it was raining outside. It is not a must but a fun detour if you are in the area rather than a must side trip.
2. The Veves castle: a knight for a few hours
Very photogenic from afar and carefully restored inside, this is considered to be one of the most beautiful medieval castles in Belgium, an exceptional heritage of Wallonia and elected as the Walloons’ favorite built heritage of 2019 (I had no clue electing top heritage places is a thing! ). The castle is still inhabited by ancestors of the counts who built it, now in their 50ies. As I have not seen any food fingerprints or crayons drawings on the walls, I suspect their kids are probably grown up.
The biggest draw in a visit to the castle is the possibility for families to go in a treasure hunt for the Holy Grail, a treasure mysteriously hidden by a knight returning from the crusades. The children receive a knight/lady costume that they get wear while roaming the castle in search for clues. You can do the hunt without a special appointment, just need to request the ‘package’ upon arrival at the reception desk. You will then receive the map of the clues scattered around the castle. It is one of the few castles that we have visited in Belgium that offer this as part of the usual visits and not as a special event, usually reserved for Christmas or Summer holidays. A must for any aspiring knight. Mine was quite excited at the prospect of wielding a sword and attacking imaginary dragons. He got quite carried away to the point where I had to ask him to focus on solving the puzzles and leave the imaginary sword finding to our son. Oh yes, our son enjoyed the visit as well.
There is also a Family Special option, an activity that takes place at specific times in the year. These are family-tailored visits adapted to children, including animations: children’s costumes (both knights and ladies), initiation to medieval dances, mini crossbow tournament or an Excalibur test and even a mini treasure hunt! These special visits are limited to Summer, during the Easter and All Saints vacations. In general, it is a good idea to check carefully opening times as the castle is mostly open at the weekend outside of school holidays.
The castle is 10 minutes by car form Dianant and can be easily combined with one or more activities above.
3. Bouillon, the largest medieval fortress in Belgium and its falcons
Bouillon was a lovely surprise even if the weather was anything but ideal when we visited. Nested at the border between Belgium and France is a great base for nature walks and hikes in the Ardennes region, on both sides of the border. It has a fortress, a river and a host of small shops selling local products. Surely there was some beer too as this is Belgium…. We spent 3 days in and around Bouillon and there was lots to explore, for families and singles alike.
The first thing you will see when arriving in Bouillon will be the medieval fortress, guarding the city from the top of the hill. You can reach the entrance by climbing a steep flight of stairs from the river front or, you can head to the church Saints-Pierre-et-Paul and then take the street leading uphill for a more gentle slope. Once you enter the castle, you arrive in the inner courtyard where the prey birds are kept. We visited just before Halloween and the inner courtyard was decorated with ghosts and skeletons. Unsurprisingly, we found the cemetery deco creepier than our 4 yo did.
They organise regular bird shows during the day with emphasis on their hunting habits and life at the castle. The explanations of the were given both French and Dutch and it was a educative presentation with some funny twists thrown in. Do not miss it! We braved a light rain to attend the show and still enjoyed it despite being pretty soaked at the end of it. As kids started sneezing, I got the biggest scare that day: I was panicking the kids will get a cold and cannot attend school or nursery for the following day. Note to self: Always take a raincoat when traveling in Belgium!
After the falcon show we went on to explore the many rooms, stairs, passages and towers. A carrier is indispensable it your kids are not too keen on walking yet.
Behind the castle there is small playground and narrow road that climbs uphill. This is a starting point for many walks in the forest, of varying difficulty and length. You can get detailed information and a map at the tourist office. We had a map from our very fiendly AirBnB owner and did a signposted walk (no 9 Sente aux Geais) of about 2h offering panoramic views of the city. And before I forget, we really reccomend this AirBnB for families with kids . The place was spotless, has a baby cot, high chair and changing table and location is perfect.
The visit of the water gardens takes about one hour and is best scheduled on a sunny day. There are beautiful walks around little lakes, small waterfalls and other man-build water features surrounded by lush gardens. The distinguishing feature of this gardens is that all the water features are created by using architectural ingenuity, natural position of the terrain and water pressure, with no machinery to power the the water movement. The site be easily navigated with a stroller and has a playground just at the end of the proposed itinerary in case there is some more energy left at the end of the walk. Kids can run around, meet the resident swans and ducks and play in the small rivers and fountains. Bring a small snack and enjoy it in the Sun, on one of the many benches that are spread around. When we visited in October 2020 the restaurant was not opened and there were some renovations at the mill, the castle-like building close to the entrance.
You will receive a map at the entrance with all the explanations. The gardens have a parking just accross the street, something that in Belgium is not always evident leading to lots of frustration when trying to find a parking nearby. Good to keep in mind that as well the gardens are only open from March 27th until November 7th 2021 (seven days a week).
5. Durbuy and the Topiary
Durbuy is the smallest city in World so that is reason alone to pay a (short) visit. Small cobblestone streets, fortifications and tiny houses are all at the ready to act as the backdrop of some memorable family photos, if can convince your spawns to stay put for 3 seconds..
The main attraction with kids is a visit to the Parc des Topiaires, that can quickly turn into a guessing/imagination game. We visited with our son around the age of 2-3 and it was a good hour spend walking around trying to guess the name of the different characters in the largest topiary garden open to the public. If, like myself, you are wondering what a topiary is, just imagine a statue build from carefully trimmed bushes and trees, some more than 120 years old. The garden has 10.000m² and more than 250 figures. Expect to find elephants, mermaids and crocodiles. Finally, it is possible to bring a picnic and enjoy it on the terrace overseeing the garden.
6. Furfooz : caves, forests and picnic at the river
The parc offeres a family nature walk of about 4 km though a reserve of more than 50 hectars, located in the Lesse Valley. It presents the archeological, geological and natural features of the area. It has a variety of scenery (forest, meadows, the Lesse riverbanks) and some man built areas like a bee house where you will find explanation about the bee’s lifecycle. We spent a good two hours roaming around and we stopped at the riverbank, about mid way though the forest, to have a picnic.
This natural parc is best visited on a dry day as the circuit goes though several flights of steps and forest paths that may prove challanging when wet. Bring good shoes and a flashlight if you want o explore the many caves scatterd around. Some are quite deep. A carrier is essential if travelling with little ones.
One activity we still want to try in the area but have not yet managed are the rail bikes or drasiennes de Molignee (7) in French, linking Falaën to Maredsous in the heart of a wooded countryside in the Molignée Valley. Looks really like a fun activity for a sunny day and the kids would love to sit while we sweat and pedal through the forest. There are 3 routes available:
- Warnant-Falaën and return (8 km)
- Falaën-Maredsous and return (6 km)
- Warnant-Falaën-Maredsous and return (14 km)
We would start with the 6 km ride to Maredsous to test the kids patience level as ours are still quite young to sit still and marvel at nature for extended periods. Maredsous is famous for its beer abbey so sounds like the perfect stop before looping back.
I have not included in my list the Grottes de Hahn, one of the most famous caves in Northern Europe and an important attraction in the Ardennes. We visited them a few years back, pre- kids. I would like to return and discover it again through their eyes before coming back with tips and reviews. Hopefully they will re- open soon.
Have you visited any cool places in the Ardennes? Let us know in a comment as we are soon planning a visit in the area of Roche en Ardenne and Houffalize. Now off to google what heritage site was elected as the Walloons’ favorite in 2020.
Thanks for reading, stay safe and happy travels!
Travel Tales and Teddy Bears 