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If you travel
to the south of Belgium you will find yourself
in a world of peaceful villages, welcoming locals,
colorful carnivals
and enchanting castles.
The landscape of this region was once described
by Ernest Hemingway as, “something out
of a Grimm’s fairytale.” But
it’s no fairytale - it’s Wallonia,
also known as the Ardennes. The friendly inhabitants
are known as Walloons and their official language
is French except for a small area where they speak
German. But not to worry, English is widely spoken
- albeit with a slight accent.
Wallonia is abundant in abbeys,
citadels, parks and gardens, chateaus, and culture.
The historic towns of Wallonia bubble over with
pretty squares, interesting battlefields,
outdoor markets,
museums and restaurants
serving regional specialties such as country ham
and Trappist beer brewed
locally.
The countryside of Wallonia is composed
of woodland, moors, vast fields cut off with hedges
and grasslands, all dotted with springs, streams,
waterfalls, and lakes with the River Meuse as
a bonus. Adventure is easy to find with hundreds
of miles of signed pathways for walking and hiking,
cliffs for climbing, streams for kayaking,
greens for golfing and
wide open skies for hot
air ballooning.
Whether
you visit Namur, capital of Wallonia, or a tiny
village in the middle of nowhere you will be met
by locals with a warm smile offering to assist
you in any way that they can. |
