The best traffic-free bike rides around Fexhe-Le-Haut-Clocher

Monument to the fallen

The current castle ensemble is largely 16th century, but was built around a 14th-century square keep. The location of that keep was, of course, strategically chosen: slightly elevated above the surroundings, this point offers a good view. The original military architecture gave way in the 16th century to a balanced combination of defense and residential comfort. In addition to the main building, the domain includes a farm, a barn, and several outbuildings, which together form a coherent whole. All these constructions are built from locally quarried limestone rubble, while carefully dressed limestone was used for lintels, sills, door frames, and window frames. This choice of materials testifies to the craftsmanship and the prosperity of the owners during that period. The oldest known lord associated with Famelette is Thiry Lardinois de Famelette, lord of Moha, indicating the close ties between the domain and the local feudal power structures. In 1441, the castle passed into the hands of Collar de Hosden, who held the office of bailiff of Moha. His function as a representative of the lordly authority underscores the administrative importance of Famelette within the region. A decisive phase in the castle's history began in 1558, when it was acquired by the Berlaymont de Floyon family, an influential noble dynasty in the Southern Netherlands. Under their rule, the domain underwent two thorough renovations, during which the existing medieval structures were expanded and embellished. The Berlaymont de Floyon family remained owners of the castle until the early 19th century, an era marked by profound political and social changes, including the consequences of the French Revolution. Famelette subsequently came into the hands of the noble Aspremont Lynden family, who sold the domain in 1878 to the Collinet family (owners of Carmeuse, the quarries). Source: www.burchten-kastelen.be

This RAVeL follows the old railway line 127, which once ran from Hannut to Huccorgne. The RAVeL winds through the heart of Hesbaye, past grain fields and orchards, and through villages like Villers-le-Peuplier and Avennes, before ending in the Burdinale and Mehaigne Valley Nature Park.

Please note that the second part of the walk is inaccessible due to the quarry expansion. There are no signs indicating the direction of travel. A sign from the town indicates the change in the local road where you rejoin the trail. Information should be provided at each end to avoid unnecessary backtracking.

In Fumal, two historic buildings stand out: Fumal Castle and Saint-Remy Church. Fumal Castle is a medieval fortified manor house, with later extensions, which was once the power base of local lords and still dominates the village skyline. Saint-Remy Church is a Gothic-Renaissance church, with elements from various periods, and has been the religious center of the village for centuries. Together, they are important witnesses to Fumal's history and heritage.

St. Paul's Cathedral, full name Cathédrale de la Conversion de Saint-Paul et de l'Assomption de Marie (Cathedral of the Conversion of Paul and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven), is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège. The Gothic basilica was built from the 13th to 15th centuries as a collegiate church and elevated to a cathedral church in 1804, succeeding the destroyed St. Lambert's Cathedral.

Also known as the Lieutenant-Médecin Joncker Quarter, the Military Hospital of Liège, or more simply, the Saint-Laurent Hospital. Founded in the 11th century, the abbey lost its religious purpose at the beginning of the 19th century when its church was destroyed in 1809. It served as a military hospital until the Battle of Waterloo, then as a barracks under the Dutch regime; in 1836, the Belgian army decided to restore it to a hospital. During the two world wars, the hospital was occupied by the Germans. At the end of September 1944, the Americans established the 15th General Hospital there. On November 24, 1944, an aerial bomb destroyed part of the hospital, killing 24 people. The Belgian army returned to the site in June 1945, which was renamed the Lieutenant-Médecin Joncker Quarter, after the heroic Liégeois of the First World War. In 1990, the Liège Military Hospital was closed and replaced by a polyclinic, which itself closed at the end of 1993.

The castle dates back to the 18th century and was extensively renovated in the 19th century. It was long inhabited by the Brabant de Limont family. In 1993, it became a hotel and a venue for parties and meetings.