TYPE: NODE-BASED WALK
Distance: 13 km
Time: avg 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Medium
STARTING POINT: LA MAISON DU PAYS DES COLLINES
Ellezelles is a picturesque village in the rural heart of western Hainaut, surrounded by gently rolling hills. This 13 km hike near Ellezelles is the perfect way to discover the countryside, its rich flora and sweet little hamlets, as described on the website of https://visitwallonia.com/en-gb/?cookie_lang=en-gb/.
I had travelled more often to this charming village but always for work or a dinner. This time I came better prepared as had decided to stay overnight in my camper and get out into nature the day after.
Sunday morning, shortly before 10am, I started my walk from the car park of https://www.auchaudrondeslegendes.be/. My first point of interest was the 'Maison du Parc Naturel du Pays des Collines. Unfortunately, the building was closed for renovations. In the nearby temporary tourism office, I received some good information. I also bought a node-based walking map of the area - and this turned out to be the right decision...
In the centre of Ellezelles, you immediately notice the witchcraft theme: everywhere you see images of witches and wind roses on the roofs are often witches. This village has a rich history of witchcraft; for example, Quintine, a local witch, is said to have been hanged and burned in 1610. In her memory, a witches' sabbath takes place every year in the last weekend of June.
For those interested to discover all the images and sculptures around the witch theme in Ellezelles, a 6 km walking trail has been established: "The Path of the Strange". For kids, there is the adventure game “The Blue River and the Dragon", which is an exciting search through the streets of the village.
Before starting the walk, I went for a quick coffee at 'Pub La Mairie'. I've put on my scarf and hat and off I went.
As I had already noted down the to be followed junctions at home, I thought it couldn't be difficult. However especially in the beginning, I had to pay good attention to find the signs. For example: I thought I was walking too long along Rue de Renaix and upon checking the map, I was right. I walked back and soon I found the missed sign and arrived back on the right path. A bit further at the T-junction with no sign, I noticed on the map that my path was here following the GR 123. Good to know as I otherwise easily could have taken a wrong path for the next 5 km. Thereafter, the distances between two junctions were shorter and easier to follow.
I walked this route on a chilly autumn day and was surprised by the beautiful views and varied surroundings. You pass meadows, fields and walk through forests. Due to the heavy rains in recent weeks, a lot of the paths were muddy and sometimes very slippery. Good to keep in mind is that some of the walking paths are also shared with mountain bikers and horse riders.
The node-based network is quite easy to follow. I however do believe that the node-based map is a valuable addition. The map mentions the distance between two points and it makes it easier to decide whether to extend or shorten your route at any time.
On one pole I noticed the signs were mounted wrongly. I reported this to Visit Wallonia the day after and soon received their feedback thanking and informing me they were going to correct them.
Before returning home, I enjoyed some delicious pancakes at the brasserie!
