UNESCO Global Geopark Famenne-Ardenne : Géobalade of Nassogne

Ambly is a picturesque small village of 400 inhabitants within the municipality of Nassogne, right at the heart of the Famenne-Ardenne Geopark. As you walk the narrow lanes of the village, you will have an opportunity to admire a number of noteworthy buildings. In the village itself, you will pass many a stone-built farmhouse dating from the early 19th century, most of which have been lovingly restored. Another striking architectural feature is the number of magnificent half-timbered houses. Ambly has seen many battles throughout its history. The Duke of Luxembourg and the Prince-Bishop of Liège warred for many long years over control of the village lands. The village nevertheless remained a “fief” of the County of Rochefort, in the province of Namur, until 1976, when the two municipalities merged.

La Prée is a partner of the Geopark Famenne-Ardenne. Our partners are labelled "Geopark Famenne-Ardenne", a territory itself recognised by UNESCO. What is it you do? "La Prée is a gîte with capacity for 15 guests in an 18th century former farmhouse – the dates are shown in Roman numerals on the façade. The house has been fully restored and now offers masses of space, indoors and out." What prompted you to seek "Famenne-Ardenne UNESCO Global Geopark Partner" status? "I wanted to put my gîte on the map and show that it sits in a region worth the visit simply for the beauty of nature, a world away from the stress and pollution of the cities." What is your approach to sustainable development and environment friendly practices? "I am very committed to the strict waste sorting applied in our commune: we really have to sort our waste and take it to the container park ourselves. Even plastic bottles have to be segregated by colour. Most gîtes aren't used to such strict sorting criteria. Welcoming our guests, listening to them and meeting their expectations are all very important." Catherine Géronnez, owner Contact details: Rue de la Prée, 2 6953 Ambly 084 22 10 03 geronnezcatherine@skynet.be gitelapree.be

Behind the church, at no. 2, stands the former presbytery. It was converted into housing and enclosed by a low wall during the latter half of the 19th century: King Albert II visited the house on a number of occasions. As you make your way back the way you came, just opposite the church, at no. 30, stands a small redbrick house. In its day, it would have been a place of lively conversations and laughter as the village grocery store and café, Chez Flore, where folk would gather after Mass to play cards. Alongside the church, at no. 25, stands a long, low farmhouse dating from 1842, where the journeymen builders lodged during the building of the church. But Ambly is also home to another traditional skill: at 41 Rue Principale, the Brasserie Saint-Monon brewery makes a range of craft beers.

The Fromagerie d'Ambly is a partner of the Geopark Famenne-Ardenne. Our partners are labelled "Geopark Famenne-Ardenne", a territory itself recognised by UNESCO. What is it you do? "We bought this farm some years ago, and our plan is to renovate it from top to bottom. For now, we have the cheese dairy and ultimately we would like to expand the business to include bed & breakfast accommodation and an orchard. We make craft cheeses by traditional methods using unpasteurised cow's milk: six types of hard cheese, a fromage frais, and a few prepared items such as croquettes or a small bloomy rind cheese." What prompted you to seek "Famenne-Ardenne UNESCO Global Geopark Partner" status? "I believe we meet all the criteria characteristic of this region. We make and sell local, artisanal produce rooted in our terroir. And we are keen to develop our farm with and for the people of this region." What is your approach to sustainable development and environment friendly practices? "We produce artisanal cheeses made from locally-sourced raw materials and destined for sale locally. 80% of the milk we use comes straight from an organic farm in the same village. We sell what we produce directly through the farm shop, on markets and in a handful of outlets in the region." Pierre-Xavier de Ville – Manager-Cheesemaker Contact details: rue principale, 27 6953 Ambly 0474 47 58 67 lessaveursdupaysdemarche@outlook.com

Good plan: "La Saint-Monon" A beer from one of the youngest Walloon brewers. When he started in 1996, Pierre Jacob was probably the youngest brewer in Wallonia. But since then, he has acquired a lot of experience. As the last child of a family of farmers, he took the step from hobby brewing to full-fledged brewing. The limited means of the first days have given way to a modern brewery of artisanal size which conquers its notoriety slowly, but surely! Three beers with strong personalities bear the name of Saint-Monon: an amber beer (6.5 % alc.), a brown beer (7.5 % alc.) and a honey beer (8 % alc.). They have already won several awards in international brewing competitions. The annual production of this family business is 600 hl. The brewery is open for purchase from 9am to 12pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm every day (except Sunday). What is it you do? “We brew a selection of craft beers with a range of different flavours. We produce five different beers of our own, but also a number of custom beers for outside organisations. We also offer guided tours of the brewery, by appointment only, on Saturday, the day the brewery is open.” What prompted you to seek "Famenne-Ardenne UNESCO Global Geopark Partner" status? “The opportunity to develop our product and join the network of Geopark partners would be of great benefit to us. It would put us in touch with other sector professionals who share our values of craftsmanship and terroir. Most important of all, the Geopark Famenne-Ardenne label chimes perfectly with our pursuit of sustainable and eco-friendly development.” What is your approach to sustainable development and environment friendly practices? “We have adopted eco-friendly practices ever since the brewery was founded 20 years ago. Since then, we have installed solar panels, which now produce all the electricity required to run the brewery. We generate very little waste and the spent grain from the brewing process is used to feed the cattle on the farm next door. Our bottles are recyclable and the labels are made from removable paper. We also play a part in village life, especially during the events around the annual “balade des cépages”, the traditional walking of the vineyards.” Contact details: Brasserie Saint-Monon Mr Pierre Jacob Rue Principale 41 - 6953 AMBLY (Nassogne) - BELGIUM Tel/Fax : 0032 (0)84 21 46 32 Email : info@saintmonon.be

You are now standing 260 metres above the village of Forrières, at a spot known as “Coray”. Ahead of you stretches a 6-hectare arboretum well worth the visit, planted with false acacia, ash, beech, hornbeam, oak, wild cherry and maples. The arboretum also provides a haven for local wildlife, and it is not uncommon to encounter hares, squirrels and even, if you are lucky, roe deer. It is also the starting point for a 2.1 km waymarked trail dotted with fun, interactive games: a blindfold recognition kit, land art and observation games. Good to know : What exactly is an arboretum ? In essence, it is a park given over to the experimental growing in open ground of trees and shrubs of many different species, generally exotic, in order to study their behaviour. It offers a display of trees and shrubs that are labelled with their common and scientific names, and their continent of origin. The purpose of an arboretum is scientific, educational and aesthetic. Species are classified either according to their family, or by ecological site, or by geographic origin.

You are now at a spot known as “Inzomet” (the summit), a narrow promontory between two small streams, on which stands the megalithic site of the “Devil’s Load” or “Devil’s Rocks”. In the 19th century, the site consisted of 18 blocks of dressed sandstone. Sadly, many of the rocks were appropriated for the paving of a nearby road, and now only six remain. In the absence of any modern-day archaeological research, the site, which dates from the 3rd or 2nd millennium BC, retains most of its ancient mysteries intact and raises many unanswered questions as to how it would once have looked and what its purpose might have been. Its symbolic significance must have persisted down the generations, however, until the church felt the need to impose a Christian imprint on the site by installing a Calvary cross. This was reinforced by tales and legends associating the stones with the devil, designed either to terrify the local populace or incite them to destroy the site. Legend has it that the Devil was carrying a load of stones one day, but dropped them at this spot; under the largest of the stones, it is said, lies a treasure for the taking by whoever is able to lift the stone…

La ChèBrerie is a partner of the Geopark Famenne-Ardenne. Our partners are labelled "Geopark Famenne-Ardenne", a territory itself recognised by UNESCO. What is it you do? “We have a flock of milking goats and ewes plus a dairy cow. All our milk production goes into making cheese and dairy desserts, depending on the season. We have a small farm shop at the dairy, and stalls on various markets in the region, such as the farmers’ market in Forrières.” What prompted you to seek "Famenne-Ardenne UNESCO Global Geopark Partner" status? “We adore the region we live in. We have been doing our best to protect the environment for many years now. The Geopark could offer us the chance to protect and raise the profile of this beautiful region.” What is your approach to sustainable development and environment friendly practices? “We are not certified organic, but we never use chemical fertilisers or pesticides on our pastures, preferring to rely on flock rotation. We manage our flocks with every respect for each individual animal. Any antiparasite treatments are administered individually and only if absolutely necessary. The wellbeing of our livestock is our priority.” Françoise Ledoux – Livestock farmer Contact details: rue de Lesterny, 54 6953 Forrières 0476 20 49 34 ledoux.francoise@yahoo.fr lachebrerie.be