Day 52 – to Treignes, Belgian Ardennes

Three and a half hours driving today to get to the Belgian Ardennes; through five countries, passing Saarbrucken and Luxembourg. The heat finally cracked leaving Luxembourg and there was torrential rain and thunder for an hour or so.

I had done some research as I fancied a decent Belgian bar for a couple of nights, with some hiking close by. I was headed for the Viroinval region (the valley of the river Viroin), and in particular a village called Treignes, once of great significance, but now only because of its history.

The huge old train station, about a kilometre out of the main town, was built in the early 1900s and used to be the last station before the French border and was the place for customs checks and various other border business. These days it lies empty, waiting for a financier to fund an apartment block development. Next door is a Railway Museum, one of 5 within a couple of hundred metres. It was four, but an archeological museum opened this afternoon..

And of course, that bar, l’Authentik, which, is actually a brewery as well, though not o site. It has about 40 Belgian beers, so a good choice, and one of its own brews, and Chimay Blanc, on tap.

I got talking to a group of Belgian guys staying at their friends house for a few days hiking, and got a recommendation, in gpx format, for a route tomorrow.

Good food as well. A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.