Frankrijk - Franse Ardennen
Walking in the Champagne Ardennes
Franse Ardennen
The hilly area of the Crêtes Pré-Ardennaises forms the heart of the Franse Ardennen. It is a touristically undiscovered and unknown part of northern France, just a few hours' drive from the Netherlands. It is an attractive and varied area with rolling fields, small lanes, hedgerows, beech forests and hushed villages.
In this part of France, you'll often find "Églises Fortifié" in many villages. These are fortified churches where, in times of danger, the population could once retreat.
You walk in a gently rolling to hilly area; the walks are nowhere strenuous due to large differences in height. One moment you have beautiful vistas, at another spot you walk through an intimate little valley or through a lovely deciduous forest.
Ferme Auberge
You stay in a rurally situated Ferme Auberge, with 5 spacious rooms with shower and toilet. Downstairs there is a small bar and 2 large, atmospheric dining rooms, where, especially at weekends, French people from the area also come to eat (because of the good cuisine).
You can see the old waterwheel of the former watermill from the dining room, and it is lit up in the evening. The old beam construction is also still largely intact. Upstairs there is a separate sitting room for guests with a TV. An enormously large tiled stove provides pleasant warmth when temperatures drop.
The Ferme Auberge is wonderfully peaceful. Behind the house you can sit pleasantly under the large walnut tree or by the little river that flows here. The evenings and nights are quiet and, because there are no houses in the wide vicinity, it can be pitch dark. Only French is spoken. The owner, Bruno, makes his own cider, apple juice and cider vinegar.