Rochefort
Rochefort (pop. 12,000) is the touristic capital of the Ardennes and Famenne region. It is not particularily attractive in itself, but it has enough hotels and restaurants to make for a good base to explore the region.
Its main attractions are its limestone caves (Grottes de Lorette, open from April to September from about 10am to 4:30pm, admission 6.95 €), its grey-stone Romanesque church, and its castle. This latter stands on top of a hill dominating the town. It is divided in two parts : the ruins of the medieval castle of the counts (open from April to September from 10am to 6pm, admission 1.80 €), and a more recent castle, which cannot be visited.
Cyclists will come to Rochefort for its Ravel trail, an 18-km asphalted road built along the disused Rochefort-Houyet railway line. Its mostly flat, which is rather unusual for this part of the country, and is perfectly suitable for family rides with children.
Halfway between Rochefort and Jemelle, in the hamlet of Malagne, is one of the largest Gallo-Roman villae found in northern Gaul. Built around 50 BCE, it was occupied until 259 CE, then rehabilitated as a forge until 400 CE. There are four buildings covering a stunning area of 35,000 m2. The main building is 104 m long.
Han-sur-Lesse
The nearby town of Han-sur-Lesse (pop. 12,000) boasts some of the most beautiful limestone caves in Northern Europe. The Grottes de Han (10.50 €) were discovered in 1815 and became an attraction in 1895. The visit of the caves is by mini-train then boat, on a 3-km journey. Temperatures inside are around 10-15'C during the tourist season, so bring warm clothes with you. The highest part of the caves is 129m high !
The caves are part of a domain also comprising one of Belgium's biggest animal reserve (250 ha), where children and adults alike can observe from the little train local species of deer and wild boars, imported bisons and wild ox, as well as the rarer lynx, brown bears, ibex and chamois. Tickets cost 8 €.
Still in the domain, the Expotheme (same ticket as the caves) tell visitors about environmental issues such as global warming. The town also has a museum of the underground world (3 €), with displays of bronze- and iron-age artifacts found in the caves.
As it name indicates, Han sits on the River Lesse, Belgium's prime destination for kayaking. The most common routes start in Han and go all the way down to Dinant, where the Lesse meets the Meuse. A few kilometers before Dinant, you will be able to contemplate the majestic castle of Walzin, constructed on the edge of a cliff just above the river.
How to get there
Neither Rochefort nor Han-sur-Lesse are directly accessible by train. However, bus No 29 connects both of them to Jemelle station, on the Brussels-Luxembourg railway line, approximatively 20min from Ciney, 40min from Namur or 1h20min from Brussels-Luxembourg station.
By car, the easiest way is to follow the E411 motorway (Brussels-Namur-Luxembourg) till exit 23 for Wellin, then the N89 towards Han-sur-Lesse (5min) and Rochefort (10min). If you are travelling in the region, you could easily visit the castle of Lavaux-St-Anne (also exit 23) or the village of Redu (exit 24).
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