This trip is best for...
- Couples
- Families with small children
- Dog owners
- Walkers
- Cyclists
If you are looking for a place to disconnect for a weekend and you don't want to drive a thousand miles, but want to change scenery, you can look to Belgium and in particular the Southern region of Wallonia. Lesser-known perhaps than the northern parts of the country, it ticks lots of boxes - whether you’re interested in golf, history, walking, safe cycling (with the "RAVeL Network"), motorsports, food and drink…I could go on! Don't hesitate to contact the tourist office in London for some ideas.
Getting there
You’ll find Dinant around 3 ½ hours from the Eurotunnel Calais terminal – a straight shot southeast along the A16 and A25, passing Lille, Tournai and Mons.
If you want to make a stop, you’ll find Mons halfway between Dinant & Calais. We stopped for a few hours on the way home for lunch on the square (Copenhagen Tavern) and tried a local dish, Côtelette al berdouille (pork chop) and a nice dessert...with chocolate of course! After that, we visited the Mons Memorial Museum, before heading back to Eurotunnel and home.
Where to stay
We stayed in the Castel de Pont a Lesse - about 4 miles outside of Dinant. The hotel is located in the forest and was ideal as a base to discover the area, with a nice terrace at the back for evening drinks and dinner surrounded by nature. You can definitely find some affordable but quality hotels in picturesque places to enjoy with your partner, family or friends.
What to do
There is so much to do in and around Dinant. We visited Freyr Castle on the other side of the river Meuse, visited the Leffe Museum in town and had lunch before driving to Annevoie to visit the splendid Water Gardens. For a unique experience, we stopped off at the Draisines de Moligne (around 5 miles from Dinant) and rode a pedal-powered railway cart along an old railway line!
Another highlight was a day out to the Domain of Han Sur Lesse. We visited the caves, which really exceeded our expectations, then headed for lunch in the picturesque town of La Roche en Ardennes - well worth the stop, with an old feudal castle overlooking the town. We also popped into the WW2 museum there, before driving back to Dinant.
Being in Belgium, we also made a point of stopping at local brasseries to try the local beers with chips (we love chips and nobody does them like the Belgians!) and a dessert - simple stuff, good, and affordable.