Top 20 Natural Monuments around Virton

The Trench of Gates: Gateway to Gaume, Gateway to Legends 1. What is it? Physical Description The Trench of Gates is a deep and spectacular rocky gorge, naturally carved by the Vire River (a tributary of the Semois) into the sandstone plateau of the Gaume forest. Located in the village of Dampicourt (commune of Rouvroy), on the French border, it forms a narrow and winding notch, framed by high sandstone walls and strangely shaped rocks. Its name comes from its topography: the site gives the impression of crossing several successive natural "gates." 2. A Strategic Position: Military History The true fame of the Trench of Gates comes from its historical role as a natural fortress and strategic border post. A Gallic Stronghold? : Its easily defensible configuration suggests that it was used as a refuge since the Gallic era. The Roman Fort: Its strategic role became evident during the Roman era. The Romans established a castellum (a fortified camp) there to control the passage between Belgic Gaul and Imperial Trier, and to protect the nearby Roman road. Remains of these fortifications were still visible several centuries ago. A Millennial Challenge: Due to its position on the border, the site has been contested and fortified throughout history, from the Middle Ages to modern wars. It offered an ideal control point over one of the few passable passages through the region's wooded terrain.

Easy-to-walk path over Le tombeau du chevalier. Some rocks here and there, and occasional stones on the path.

Northeast of Muno, Roche à l'Appel, located in the Roches valley, offers an exceptional site for botanists and geologists. It contains rare combinations of lichens, mosses, and ferns, as well as an impressive rock bank composed of a conglomerate that formed the base of the great seamount covering the Cambrian bedrock. This conglomerate, known as Fépin (or Linchamps), consists of sandstone and quartzite blocks of varying sizes (up to about 50 cm in diameter) and angular to rounded shapes, scattered within a finer, clayey, sandy matrix. (Geological Survey of Belgium)

Nice path over the loop, but the path is not necessarily easy!

It is between Etalle and Virton, very precisely in Croix-Rouge, that you will find the place called "Trou des Fées". Well known to the inhabitants of the region, this unique site is at the center of many legends relating to the history of D’jean dMady but also and especially to that of the fairies of Gaume.

The Tranchée des Portes covers an area of 100 hectares. It is the largest Iron Age stronghold in Belgium. This development required an abundant workforce. The construction and maintenance of the rampart suggest a well-organized social entity. Unlike Montauban, which was occupied occasionally, the Tranchée des Portes is not a refuge but an oppidum, that is to say, a fortified site where people settled for the long term with their livestock and crops. It is a fortification that owes its name to the deep ditch (5 m) that precedes its rampart. Consisting of an earthwork over 3 m high, formerly surmounted by a palisade, this barrier, pierced by 3 gates, extends over 1 km. This type of defensive site is called a barred spur. It was often used in the protohistoric period (Iron Age). We chose a place with 2 or 3 steep and almost impassable sides and we blocked access by building a wall on the vulnerable side with what we found on the site (stones, trees, earth)

Unmissable for the Red Cross: Dive into an enchanted kingdom where legends and mysteries weave the fabric of the landscape… This mountain of sand, like a sleeping giant, reveals its heart of stone sculpted by the whims of time. At the dawn of the Jurassic, erosion gently carved out winding galleries, while the main gallery, 15 meters long, arouses a curious fascination. Was it an offering from the ancients, shaped by human hands, or simply the patient work of nature? The flints found nearby whisper echoes of prehistory, silent witnesses of a bygone era. The Trou des Fées, guardian of forgotten secrets, awaits you.

The largest Iron Age stronghold in Belgium, covering an area of 100 hectares, is to be discovered in EtalleUnlike Montauban, which was occupied occasionally, the Tranchée des Portes was not a refuge but an oppidum, i.e. a fortified site where people settled for the long term with their livestock and crops. It is a fortification that owes its name to the deep ditch (5m) that precedes its rampart. Consisting of an earthwork of more than 3m formerly topped with a palisade, this dam, pierced by three gates, extends over more than 1km. This type of defense site is called a barred spur. It was often used in the protohistoric period (Iron Age).