La boucle de Durbuy

From the car park in the old town, follow the blue rectangles. The loop passes the former convent of the Récollectines and the Anticlinal, where the rock layers above the Ourthe are folded into a great arch, then climbs the Béguines steps, some 160 of them, to the Belvédère and its view over the town. It comes back through the Bois de Chapli and along the meadows, then by the park and the path beside the Ourthe to the Parc Roi Baudouin, where the castle stands on a smaller fold of rock.

It is 4.9 km round with 91 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: lanes and woodland tracks, with one long flight of steps.

Parking in Durbuy is paid every day from 10:00 to 20:00, at meters, and costs more between 15 November and 15 January, during the Christmas market. The streets are busy on fine weekends. From October to the end of January, hunts can close woodland paths on set days: check ChasseOnWeb for your date and obey red notices.

The walk starts from the tourist office on the Place aux Foires, next to the car parks of the old town. The nearest railway station is Bomal, about 5 km away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.