Visit to the region of Arlon

Arlon:

Arlon is a small city in the south of Belgium. To get there, you can either drive, or even better go by train. I think it is better because the carparks aren't free. It is the last train stop before Luxembourg.

Arlon is a very ancient city because of the Romans who passed through and settled there. We know this because there are many places in Arlon where we can find the remains of Roman Villas and roads from the Gallo-Roman era. All of this is explained at the Museum of Archaeology. Much later, French kings came to settle there, and later in the middle ages, it was reattached to Luxembourg.

What is nice, more than just the museums, is the parties that take place there. There is always a great atmosphere and a still lot of people for a small regional town (which is one of the most important in the region. )

There is the festival of Maitrank in May. The Maitrank is an alcohol drink based with orange. It is like an aromatised aperitif. It's delicious! They sell it on a large scale, the brand of Feller, but it is definitely not as good as the artisan version you can find during the festival.

A little earlier, there is the carnival which is also fairly well known, for its parade, disguise contest, 'les bals' (marquee with a DJ and bars) and open air clubs.

Florenville et Orval:

It might also be interesting to go to Arlon on foot to be able to visit the surrounding area. 30km south, you will find the small town of Florenville. Near the famous Abbey of Orval (where beer is brewed with the same name). In Orval, you can visit the Abbey and even go in a small brasserie opposite to drink and eat. The Abbey is magnificent! This can be understood, because the monks have made a vow of poverty and don't earn any money, therefore the money earned from selling the beer is put back into the renovation fo the Abbey.

Chiny:

On the road, between Florenville and Neufchâteau, you will find the village of Chiny. It is great to pass through and have a walk around, especially for the panoramic views which the village offers. Chiny is high up and at the base of the Semois valley. At the bottom, there is a place to kayak (close to the Saint-Nicolas Bridge) and also where you can swim (though the people from Semois aren't very clean:P). A little further there is an old mill which has been renovated into a brasserie/restaurant. You can eat very well there, and I definitely recommend it. It is called the Moulin Cambier.

Chassepierre:

Not far away, you have the village of Chassepierre which is very nice. Especially known for its theatre festival which takes place in August in the streets. It's a great festival, which takes place every time in good weather, go and find out why! There is normally a lot of people (more than 20, 000 people! ). Its a very nice place, because like Florenville it offers panoramic views of the country side and the Semois, the river which passes through the region. We can also see an old church. I advise you to eat in the restaurant in the main square, there is something for all different tastes and for every kind of budget. On the one hand there are brasseries and on the other hand restaurants.

Bouillon:

Still in the same region, you can go a little further, at 30km there is Bouillon. Bouillon is a town on the border between Gaume and the Ardennes. It is a small town with 5, 000 habitants. It has one secondary school but no university. The people who live in the region take the train to Paliseul, ten km away. The Semois goes through Bouillon and there are four bridges which shape your walks around the town. It is made up of old stone houses, an archeoforum museum about the crusades of Godefroy de Bouillon, the lord of the town in the middle ages, who went as far as Jerusalem in his crusades.

This town is situated at the gates of France, a few kilometres from Sedan and a little further from Charleville. So, it is a village with quite an interesting history. All of which is explained at the archeoforum and I recommend giving it a visit. There are also many cafes and bars, you can kayak, you can go hiking in the woods.

This town is situated in a real valley, which has a well marked and interesting landscape. Boillon also has a castle to visit, where there are falcons. It is a really nice excursion. In August, there is a fireworks display at the castle with sound and light. There are always a lot of people. You can also visit the Dukes Museum. A while ago there were concerts in a bar called 'le Barratin'. If it still exists, I would recommend a visit. I would also recommend passing by the 'tombeau du géant', at around 15km away, with amazing views over the forests.

To summaries, there are many beautiful villages in the area surrounding Arlon. Moreover, you are not far from Bastogne and other large cities in the province of Luxembourg, the best is to make a plan with several stops.