CENTRAL WALLONIA 211Visitors near a bear enclosure in the Réserve d’Animaux SauvagesStriking corner towers of the sturdy
Château de Lavaux-St-AnneChâteau de
Lavaux-Ste-Anne s
Rue du Château 8, Lavaux-Ste-Anne;
44 km (27 miles) E of Couvin.
Road Map D4. Tel (084) 388362.
daily. & - = http://www.
chateau-lavaux.com
Located on the plains of the
Famenne region, part fortress,
part château, Lavaux-Ste-Anne
is a splendid fusion of power
and elegance. Dating originally
to 1193, it has round 15th-
century corner towers, topped
by onion domes, rising from a
moat. In contrast, the courtyard
inside is flanked by arcaded
Renaissance façades in soft-
toned brick. The interior has
a series of furnished rooms
with museums on local wild-
life and traditions of Famenne
rural life. Visitors can also
join tours of the surrounding
wetlands landscape.
Environs
Beauraing, 11 km (7 miles)
to the west, has numerous
sanctuaries that serve pilgrims
Domaine des
Grottes de Han dRue J Lamotte 2, Han-sur-Lesse;
7 km (4 miles) E of Lavaux-Ste-Anne.
Road Map D4. Tel (084) 377213.
@ # Apr–Aug: daily; Sep–Mar:
more restricted timetable, see
website for details. ¢ Jan. & 8The most celebrated limestone
cave system of the Ardennes,
the Grotte de Han is situated
in the pretty valley of River
Lesse. The river also flows
through the cave and has
created its impressive water
features. Access to the cave
entrance is by means of a
historic tram from the centre
of the village of Han-sur-Lesse.
There are impressive galleries
of stalactites and stalagmites,
but boat rides through the
caverns are perhaps the most
memorable highlight. Part ofRochefort f
5 km (3 miles) NE of Han-sur-Lesse.
Road Map D4. * 12,000. £
@ n Maison du Tourisme du Val
de Lesse, Rue de Behogne 5; (084)A pleasant town, Rochefort
serves as a good base from
which to fan out into the
wooded hills and valleys of
the Ardennes. Rochefort’s big
attraction is the Grotte de
Lorette, a limestone cave that
is unusual for its towering
verticality. There are good
views over the town from the
Château Comtal, set upon a
rocky outcrop. The château
consists of a Neo-Gothic
castle dating from 1906, built
next to the ruins of a castle
dating from 1155 and demol-
ished in the 1740s. The
celebrated Trappist beer called
Rochefort is made at the mon-
astery at St Rémy 2 km (1 mile)
to the north, but the brewery
is not open to the public.T Grottes de Lorette
Drève de Lorette. Tel (084) 212080.
# Jul–Aug: 11am–5pm daily; Apr–
Jun and Sep–Oct: 10:30am–4:30pm
Thu–Tue.
P Château Comtal
Rue Jacquet. Tel (084) 214409.
# late Mar–Oct: 10am–6pm
daily. &and agricultural heritage of the
Viroin valley, as well as its
flora and fauna. The Musée
Malgré du Tout et Parc de la
Préhistoire explores the lives of
prehistoric hunters and farmers
through archaeological finds
and reconstructions. Lastly, the
Espace Arthur Masson, in an
old boys’ school, celebrates the
life and work of local novelist
Arthur Masson (1896–1970).
E Musée du Chemin de
Fer à Vapeur
Plateau de la Gare 1. Tel (060)
Jul–Aug: daily; Mar–Jun
and Sep–Nov: Tue–Sun. & - =
_ Steam Festival (2nd weekend of
Sep). http://cfv3v.in-site-out.com
E Ecomusée du Viroin
Rue Eugène Defraire 63. Tel (060)
mid-Feb–mid-Dec:
Thu–Tue. & - =
http://www.ecomuseeduviroin.be
E Musée du Malgré Tout
Rue de la Gare 28. Tel (060)
Thu–Tue. & =
http://www.museedumalgretout.ne
E Espace Arthur Masson
Rue Eugène Defraire 29. Tel (060)
Mar–Oct: Tue–Sun;
Nov–Feb: Sat and Sun. & 9 -
= http://www.espacemasson.be
visiting the site where the
Virgin Mary appeared to five
children in 1932 and 1933.the same complex is Réserve
d’Animaux Sauvages, a safari-
style park featuring animals
once native to the Ardennes.
These include bears, lynx,
bison, wild boar and wolves.
Tours of the reserve are con-
ducted in open-sided coaches.