The French Ardennes: a family week at Lac des Vieilles Forges
A family week in the French Ardennes around the Lac des Vieilles Forges: laps around the lake, the Roc la Tour rock tower, the view over the Meuse loop at Revin and the river island at Charleville-Mézières — seven hikes, about 78 kilometres and 1,300 metres of ascent.
A one-week family trip to the French Ardennes, staying in an apartment a few kilometres from the Lac des Vieilles Forges. The lake was the recurring starting point for the walks. The various interests — sunbathing, knitting, good food and hiking — all fit comfortably under one roof: while the family relaxed at the lake's lido, I set off, sometimes with them, sometimes alone. Seven hikes came together this way, from a quiet lap around the lake to the longer climb up to the viewpoint above the Bassin de Whitaker — about 78 kilometres and a good 1,300 metres of ascent in total. In between, side-trips into the Meuse valley: the panorama over the river loop at Revin, the Roc la Tour rock tower near Tournavaux and the little river island of Montcy-Saint-Pierre near Charleville-Mézières.
The hikes
First lap around Lac des Vieilles Forges
A narrow path through bright birch woods — the first morning at Lac des Vieilles Forges.
A clear woodland brook fringed with ferns, its bed rust-brown with iron.The first glimpse of the lake opens up through the trees.A still bay on the lakeshore, birches framing the mirror-calm water.A shallow shoreline under overhanging birch leaves, reeds and roots in the clear water.
An easy lap around the lake to start — little climbing, plenty of shade, and the water always somewhere in view. A relaxed first day, with the whole family along.
From the lake to the Pont sur le Ruisseau de Faux
A wide view across the Lac des Vieilles Forges, the first sailboats moored along the shore.
A broader stream crosses the route, the water clear over its gravel bed.A narrow path through tall grass and bracken at the woodland edge.Where the power line splits the forest, the track passes beneath the cables.An old hollowed-out tree stump by the path, frayed with rot.
The longer loop from the lake, across the Ruisseau de Faux and through extensive forest. At a good 17 kilometres and nearly 300 metres of ascent, the second-longest walk of the week.
Panorama over Revin: the loop from Anchamps
Above the Meuse valley, the view opens onto Revin, deep down in the river bend.
Mossy spruce trunks in the dark plantation, the ground still damp from rain.The panorama over the Meuse loop at Revin — the town all but encircled by the river.Revin and the weir in the Meuse, seen from the wooded heights.Spent blooms in the damp meadow grass — summer already going to seed.
A lovely short loop up to the viewpoint over Revin, which lies far below in a bend of the Meuse. The forest floor was very wet in places that day, though, and slippery with it.
Around the lake again — this time solo
Birches frame the sunlit lake, a light breeze ruffling the water.
Water lilies drift in a quiet bay, white blooms among the pads.The lido on the far shore — where the family spent their days sunbathing.A sunny morning by the lake, clouds drifting over the wooded hills.A wooden footbridge crosses the fern-lined inlet stream.
The same lake loop again, this time alone — the family were busy sunbathing and knitting. The lake lay calm in the morning, water lilies in the bays, and the lido beckoned from the far shore.
Roc la Tour and the view of Naux
Up on the Roc la Tour: mossy boulders among gnarled oaks.
The rock tower itself rises grey from the oak wood — quartzite riven by the weather.The jagged pinnacles of the Roc la Tour above the wooded valley — a rewarding place to rest.A gnarled oak on the rocky slope frames the view into the valley.Vivid green moss sheathes a trunk, a young tendril climbing it.
In the afternoon, the short, steep climb from Tournavaux up to the Roc la Tour, a jagged quartzite tower above the valley. The rock really is worth a visit — up among the gnarled oaks the view opens wide over the heights and across to Naux.
The island of Montcy-Saint-Pierre near Charleville-Mézières
An overgrown stairway leads down — the path isn't tended everywhere.
From the bridge, the view of Montcy-Saint-Pierre, its church under scaffolding.The still, green water of the Meuse beneath overhanging willows.At the marina, an arched wooden bridge crosses the Meuse.An old suspension footbridge, a coat of arms on its pylon, spans the river.
A flat stroll on the edge of Charleville-Mézières, around the Meuse island at Montcy-Saint-Pierre — past the marina and over an old suspension footbridge. Parts of it aren't very well kept, but on the whole it's well worth doing.
To the viewpoint above the Bassin de Whitaker
At the viewpoint above the Bassin de Whitaker — water glinting through the canopy deep in the valley.
A clearing in the beech wood, a fallen trunk across the path.A stream crosses the path, a waymark pointing the way on.A green holloway winds up through the dense wood.The path sinks into mud — sturdy, waterproof footwear pays off here.To finish, a sunny path between ferns already turning autumn-brown.
The longest walk to close the week: a glorious loop with babbling brooks and the tapping of a woodpecker, easy going as far as the viewpoint above the Bassin de Whitaker (at kilometre 9.4). The descent that follows is very steep, though other ways down are easy to find — just walk on a little further. Sturdy, waterproof footwear is strongly recommended here.
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