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

Augustinian Abbey on the Meuse River, whose origins date back to 1075. The complex features an impressive corner tower, gateway, abbey church, dovecote, watermill, brewery, and other outbuildings. Later, it also housed a tax collection house and the abbot's palace. Today, it's a large school complex that can be very busy on a Wednesday afternoon.

One of Liège's most beautiful castles, originating in the 11th century, completely surrounded by a moat. Striking are the checkerboard facades in limestone and brown sandstone and the pepper-pot-like turrets. Various owners succeeded one another over the centuries. For two centuries (16th-17th century), it was owned by the powerful de Merode family, who gave the castle its current appearance. They sold it to the Van den Steen family in 1720. The last descendant of the family, Count Guy vanden Steen, bequeathed it to the province in 1999. He was a sculptor, among other things, and many of his bronze statues still adorn the gardens. He did, however, incorporate a distinctive symbolism, depicting nude female figures mating with beetles. The 22-hectare estate also features an Italian ornamental garden with water features and bronze statues, a 19th-century vegetable garden with orangeries, a 19th-century icehouse, and many listed trees. The castle also has its own church within the moat on a peninsula. Over the centuries, the owners have amassed numerous curiosities that can be seen in the castle, which is now a provincial property and open to visitors.

This fortified dovecote, built in 1625 by the Mollin-Monjoye couple, served as a small fort intended to protect the local population during the passage of troops. Source: Information board on site.

great view, nice climb

dates from 1754

The eighteenth-century church is a typical example of Hesbaye architecture. It contains a stained-glass window depicting the family coat of arms (1938) by Louis Struys.

visible from the road

A long time ago, almost 1000 years ago, there was a Romanesque chapel with a fairly wide tower, very characteristic of the type of elongated tower that we still see in Aineffe. In 1672, during the Franco-Dutch War, the chapel and the seventeen houses of the hamlet were destroyed by fire. The warlike fury had destroyed the building. In 1754, 82 years after the destruction, the chapel was rebuilt. Previously, bricks were used in the region, but here the stones of the old church were used for the foundations. Since 1980, the chapel has been the property of the municipality of Faimes, after it had bought it for the symbolic franc from Count Guy van den Steen de Jehay. In 1987, the municipality began the restoration of the chapel, with the help of the French Community, the Province of Liège and the King Baudouin Foundation, in collaboration with the National Lottery. In the nave, the six 'grisaille' paintings on wood were restored in the restoration studio of the National École des Arts Visuels de La Cambre, in collaboration with the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage. These six paintings represent Saint Lambert, Saint James, Saint Roch, Saint Hubert, Saint Denis and Saint Madelebert (patron saint of the parish of Celles). Unfortunately, the chapel is not freely accessible. Source: faimes.be