The historic Durbuy and Wéris in the Belgian Ardennes

ME.SPOT - Durbuy is a old town with charming villages such as Wéris - the 'Stonehenge of the Ardennes' - and Rome. Yes indeed, Belgium also has a Rome, it is a small hamlet a few kilometers from Durbuy.​ In the town of Durbuy you experience the typical tourist things. Beyond that in the many small villages you will experience peace and nature.​

by Hanan

Durbuy is hidden in the Belgian Ardennes along the river Ourthe. The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges, located primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching as well into Germany and France. In Belgium you can find the Ardennes in the southeast of the country. Here are the  Ardennes the remains of an old and flattened mountain range, where fast-flowing rivers, beautiful valleys and deep ravines are formed.

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ABOVE: hiking in the surrounding from Durbuy.

People have left their mark on the actual Ardennes, but nature here is still so powerful and omnipresent that it seems to dominate the region. Anyone who has ever stood still, in the middle of one of the enormous Ardennes forests, can confirm that this is more than an illusion. In Europe, the Ardennes are one of those areas where people can still do their work undisturbed and with respect for nature. The tourist who can respect this will often return.​ The Ardennes are a true paradise for active hikers, cyclists, canoeists and camping enthusiasts.

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ABOVE: between Durbuy and Wéris.

Durbuy is more than just the typical small tourist town with nice terraces and delicious Ardennes gastronomy. ​In 1331 Durbuy already received city rights. The town managed to disappear almost invisibly into the woods for centuries, because it never had much more than three hundred inhabitants.

"Smallest town of the world."

When the first tourism arrived in the Ardennes, Durbuy was quick to declare itself the 'Smallest Town in the World'.​ This clever slogan has attracted millions of tourists to Durbuy. They found a lovely town that fully met their expectations. Durbuy may have lost its title of 'Smallest Town in the World', but you don't notice this in the town itself. The town still looks small and lovely.​ The narrow and winding streets in Durbuy still show medieval times.

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ABOVE: Ardennes.

Durbuy got its first fortified castle around 899. It was destroyed a century later and the castle was rebuilt in the eleventh century. The d'Ursel family became the owner of the castle in 1756. In 1880 this castle was completely renovated again and two high towers were provided. This beautiful building is located along the Ourthe, after the old bridge at the entrance of the town.

"Stonehenge of the Ardennes."

If all the beauty of Durbuy is not enough for you, to the east of this town you will find the small village of Wéris. This village is actually the 'Stonehenge of the Ardennes'.

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ABOVE: Ardennes.

The area around Wéris is one of the most mysterious regions in the Ardennes. ​In the forests around the village, large numbers of rocks, menhirs and dolmens can be seen, the original purpose of which is not entirely clear. The same riddles that surround the English Stonehenge, also surround these megaliths in Wéris.

"Message to the gods in the universe."

Perhaps the ancestors of inhabitants of the Ardennes used the stone blocks of Wéris as a kind of calendar.​ According to another theory, must be seen in the arrangement of the stones - which would refer to constellations - a message to the gods in the universe.

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ABOVE: Pierre Haina.

That message is still being told today, because whoever comes close to Pierre Haina will hear stories about gods, druids and devils. These stories from the past tell that Pierre Haina covers a corridor leading to the centre of the earth.

"Used as an offering table."

But this is not the only remarkable stone in Wéris. The 'Lit du Diable' or Devil's Bed was almost certainly used as an offering table.​ You will also find a number of dolmen around Wéris. These megalitic tombs made by humans are probably 5,000 years old.

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ABOVE: Dolmen of Wéris.

​So if you like an active trip in combination with a piece of mysticism and history, then the region around Durbuy in the Ardennes is definitely recommended.

BELGIUM | ME.SPOT | ME.TRAVEL

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POST BY
Thierry Hanan Scheers
With a backpack  and hiking boots Hanan travels around the world. Destination? Somewhere, nowhere and everywhere.
backpacker and storyteller

PHOTO
​Thierry Hanan Scheers

EDIT PHOTO
​Apriyan Santoso

6 December 2020