230 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBURG REGION BY REGION

Courtyard of the renowned Cistercian Abbaye d’Orval

4th-century Roman baths. The

town’s Musée Archéologique

contains artifacts from Gallo-

Roman times (notably a

collection of sculptures) and

jewellery and pottery from the

Merovingian period. The

adjacent Musée Gaspar celeb-

rates the Gaspar family of

Arlon, including the animal

sculptor Jean-Marie Gaspar

(1861–1931). Its masterpiece is

a 16th-century Fisenne retable.

Arlon’s Knipchen hill, site of

the Église St-Donat, has views

that extend over Belgium,

Luxembourg and France.

E Musée Archéologique

R des Martyrs 13. Tel (063) 212849.

# 9:30am–noon and 1:30–5:30pm

Tue–Sat, 1:30–5:30pm Sun. & 7

= http://www.ial.be.

E Musée Gaspar

R des Martyrs 16. Tel (063) 600654.

# 9am–noon Tue–Sat, 1:30–

5:30pm Sun. & http://www.ial.be.

Bouillon g

34 km (21 miles) SW of St-Hubert.
Road Map D4. * 5,500. @
n Quai des Saulx 12; (061) 465211.
http://www.bouillon-initiative.be

The elegant town of Bouillon
straddles the River Semois
beside the rock on which its
famous fortress stands. The
town offers activities such
as walking, horse riding and
kayaking as well as mountain
bike circuits. On the castle
hill, the Musée Ducal has vari-
ous mementos relating to the
history of the castle and town.
Housed in a 17th-century con-
vent on the banks of the river,
the Archéoscope Godefroid de
Bouillon presents an innovative
multimedia show on this lead-
ing knight of the First Crusade.

Environs
At Bertrix, 25 km (15 miles)
to the northeast, there is a
remarkable underground
slate mine and museum
called Au Coeur de l’Ardoise.

E Musée Ducal

Rue du Petit 1–3. Tel (061) 464189.

# Easter–Nov. & http://www.

museeducal.be

E Archéoscope Godefroid

de Bouillon

Quai des Saulx 14. Tel (061)

468303. 
        

        Feb–Dec. & - =

        
        

        http://www.archeoscopebouillon.be
        E Au Coeur de l’Ardoise
        Domaine de la Morépire, 1 Rue du
        Babinay, Bertrix. Tel (061) 414521.

        
        

        Apr–Nov: Tue–Sun. & 9

        
        

        http://www.aucoeurdelardoise.be

        
        

Abbaye d’Orval j

Villers-devant-Orval; 25 km (15 miles)

SE of Bouillon. Road Map E5.

Tel (061) 311060. # Mar–May and

Oct: 9:30am–6pm daily; Jun–Sep:

9am–6:30pm; Nov–Feb: 10:30am–

5:30pm. & 7 = http://www.orval.be

Set in a forested area of the

Gaume region, the Cistercian

abbey of Notre-Dame d’Orval

was one of Europe’s most

powerful until its destruction

in the religious wars and again

during the French Revolution

in 1793. The abbey became

famous for its beer, whose

label shows a fish with a ring

in its mouth. This recalls the

legend of abbey’s foundation

by Countess Mathilda of

Tuscany, in thanksgiving

after a trout miraculously

recovered her wedding

ring from a stream. Today,

the public can visit the

Romanesque-Gothic ruins

of the old 12th- and

13th-century monas-

tery church as well

as a museum and

a herb garden.

Bastogne l

40 km (25 miles) N of Arlon. Road

Map E4. * 14,000. @ n Place

McAuliffe 60; (061) 212711. http://www.

paysdebastogne.be

Best known as a focal point

of the Battle of the Bulge,

Bastogne was also a thriving

stronghold in medieval

times, as witnessed by the

Porte de Trèves, the rem-

nant of the 14th-century

city walls. Close by, the

Église St-Pierre has a

12th-century tower

and a 15th-century

Flamboyant-Gothic

nave with a painted

vaulting dating from

1536. The Battle of the Bulge
      is remembered primarily on
      Mardasson Hill, 2 km (1 mile)
      to the northeast of Bastogne,
      where a star-shaped American
      Memorial lists the various
      American units that fought
      in the battle, and offers
      extensive panoramic views
      from the parapet. The site
      also includes the Bastogne
      Historical Center, a compre-
      hensive museum of the battle.

E Bastogne Historical Center

Colline de Mardasson. Tel (061)

211413. 
        

        Mar–Dec. & 9 7

        
        

        http://www.bastognehistoricalcenter.be

        
        

Arlon k

57 km (35 miles) E of Bouillon.

Road Map E4. * 26,000. c @

n Rue des Faubourgs 2; (063)

216360. http://www.ot-arlon.be

The capital of the Belgian

Province of Luxembourg,

Arlon developed as a trading

centre called Orolaunum in

Roman times, and claims to

be one of the oldest towns in

Belgium. Many Roman remains

have survived, including the

Tour Romaine, a tower in the

Grand Place, and vestiges of

Battle monument

at Bastogne

Château-Fort

de Bouillon h

See pp232–3.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp271–3 and pp297–9