Wavreille Walking trail - The Griffalou Panorama (Rochefort)

This walk starts from the village church. Etymologically, Wavreille means small marshland, and there seems to be a logical explanation for the name. The village is settled in a basin, surrounded by a border reminiscent of the steps of an amphitheatre and, to the west, an indentation toward the Lesse and the Caves of Han. There are cracks everywhere caused by the geology of the area. It is quite possible that Wavreille was once an immense lake. The Neo-Gothic style church was rebuilt in 1783 and enlarged by pushing back the choir and adding a sacristy. The last transformations date from 1883. It was however repainted in 1987. Right next to it is the old presbytery built in 1657 (as indicated by a Latin chronogram), with the statue of Our Lady of Beauraing in front of it. The profession of quarry-worker was common in Wavreille. In the local quarries, massive blocks of greyish-blue stone were extracted using a winch that pulled a cable. As of 1850, the stones from Wavreille were used to fill up roads and build many of the houses in the area. The church of Saint Pierre was built with grey stones with bluish veins extracted from the local quarries.

On your left, note the old public fountain. In the past, it was surrounded by several stone basins which the village housewives used for their washing as well as for trading gossip.

100 metres down, at the crossroads of Rue du Patronage and Rue des Raines, take a right on Rue des Raines and continue along for about 100 metres. The Baty pond is in the bend, discreetly hidden behind a wall of luxurious vegetation. Walk up the little knoll to reach the pond, which is not visible from the road. For many years, this pond was the reference for scientists specialised in the study of the habits of batrachians. Scientists have indeed discovered rare and common batrachian species here. The pond has been a classified site since 1948.

During many years, the pond was a meeting point for scientists who specialized in the study of batrachians. In the early 20th century, Professor Boulenger, an eminent ichthyologist and herpetologist (the study of fish and reptiles), and Professor de Witte (honorary curator at the Brussels Royal Institute for Natural Sciences), discovered a number of ordinary but also some extremely rare specimens.

The Saint Roch chapel was built in 1879 by the grateful villagers to thank the Saint for protecting them during the plague epidemic. Since 1918, an anniversary mass is held here each year, on 16 Augustus, Saint Roch’s Day. A procession is held on 15 or 16 August.

The cross was built using oak beams from a house. If you walk up the little knoll on which the calvary stands, and you will enjoy a breathtaking view of the area. Behind the calvary a majestic old linden tree grows.

Shortly after leaving the calvary behind you, you will glimpse the antennas of the satellite telecommunications station of Lessive on the horizon. For more information on this exceptional sight, we recommend our gps trail discovering Lessive.

To your left, you will enjoy exceptional views of breath-taking sceneries.

You are now on top of the Rock of Griffaloux, from where you can enjoy an exceptional view of several emblematic spots of the Rochefort area. Down below, you can see the Wildlife Reserve that is part of the Domain of the Caves of Han. In order to preserve this wonderful and wild natural site, the company that owns the grounds, had the idea of creating a Wildlife Reserve at first only accessible by safari-cars. This animal park was inaugurated in July of 1970 and on its 250 hectares hosts animal species still living or who once populated the area, such as wild boar, wolves, wild cats, foxes, ibex, roe deer, lynxes, tarpans, mountain sheep, stag, aurochs, bison, Highland cattle, brown bears, Przewalski horses, chamois, etc. Since 2012, it is also possible to visit the reserve via the pedestrian path, with observation points and educational panels. At your feet is the exceptional “dry valley”, or “chavée”, or more simply the former bed of the Lesse. The site is absolutely extraordinary from a geological and geomorphological point of view. The former bed of the Lesse, in the dried up river valley (or ‘Chavée’ in Walloon), is now entirely filled up with soil and the valley is now occupied by grasslands and crop fields. The Lesse penetrates the cave of Han at the swallow hole of Belvaux (which is visible during the visit to the Wildlife Reserve). When the river swells, it regains its former bed and floods the whole plain. On the horizon, from left to right, you can also observe: • The antennas for satellite communication in Lessive; • A red and white radio repeater antenna for telecommunication; • One of Chevetogne’s windmills that marks the edge of the Condroz; • The royal castle of Ciergnon.