The best gravel rides in Burdinale-Mehaigne Natural Park

Remarkable bourgeois house with a special history: it did indeed serve for a time as a convent for French Benedictine nuns who – at the time of the Combes law (1902-1905), which advocated a strict separation of church and state – fled their country and settled here. The history of the house, however, goes back two centuries further: In 1708, Pierre Verlaine de Lomprez built a house on the abbey grounds. Marie-Jeanne inherited the house in the abbey courtyard. She lived there with her husband, Nicolas Gaspard Devaux, administrator of the estate of the prince-bishop of Liège and steward of his forests. In 1903, expelled French Benedictine nuns found a refuge in Moha, where they ran a kindergarten. In 1905, religious services were held in an annex to the house, while awaiting the rebuilding of the village church, which was reopened in 1917. The L-shaped house is built of limestone rubble from local quarries. In the 19th century, renovations were carried out: annexes were built and new openings were added. Source: bibliotheca.wanze.be

Moha has two rocky outcrops: one on the north side, with (the ruins of) the castle; one on the south side, with the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. It's quite impressive how the church towers over the village. The neo-Gothic basilica church was built in 1912 on the site of a previously renovated house of worship.

This RAVeL follows the old railway line 127, which once ran from Hannut to Huccorgne. The RAVeL winds through the heart of Hesbaye, past grain fields and orchards, and through villages like Villers-le-Peuplier and Avennes, before ending in the Burdinale and Mehaigne Valley Nature Park.

Excavations are conducted year-round at Moha Castle, making it unique in Belgium. When I visited, two archaeologists were uncovering a wall that runs beneath the visible castle and likely dates back to the 12th century.

The castle is free to visit. At the foot of the rock, there's a visitor center where you can pick up a badge to open the gate. For €4, you can also get a brochure with information about the most important points. The castle is only open to visitors starting in April, but the friendly man at the visitor center let me in on February 27th... as far as you can even call it "inside" at this ruin ;-)

The fortified tower, situated on the edge of the Fosseroule stream and defending the valley, is considered a peripheral bastion of Moha Castle, located a mile and a half away. Agricultural and residential buildings form an enclosed complex, built between the 17th and 19th centuries. In the eastern corner stands an imposing tower, built of limestone rubble, with a square plan (16th century) on a wider, sloping base. This tower originates from an earlier structure, the cellars of which have also been preserved. The openings were modified, and in the 17th century, the tower was extended on the south side with a bay of limestone rubble and brick, reaching the limits of the original structure. To the west of the tower stands a two-story house, perpendicular to the tower, built of limestone rubble, probably dating from the 17th century. Source: bibliotheca.wanze.be

Please note that the second part of the walk is inaccessible due to the quarry expansion. There are no signs indicating the direction of travel. A sign from the town indicates the change in the local road where you rejoin the trail. Information should be provided at each end to avoid unnecessary backtracking.

In Fumal, two historic buildings stand out: Fumal Castle and Saint-Remy Church. Fumal Castle is a medieval fortified manor house, with later extensions, which was once the power base of local lords and still dominates the village skyline. Saint-Remy Church is a Gothic-Renaissance church, with elements from various periods, and has been the religious center of the village for centuries. Together, they are important witnesses to Fumal's history and heritage.