The best traffic-free bike rides around Orp-Jauche

nice place to go on holiday

great view, nice climb

The church closed its doors at the end of the twentieth century. In 2022, L'Avenir wrote that due to a lack of maintenance, the condition of the building had deteriorated and that it even posed a safety hazard. After all, during maintenance on the roof, one of the walls was no longer stable. The mayor would urgently look into eliminating the dangerous situation. Today, the building is apparently still in poor condition and the chosen safety solution apparently seemed to close off the area around the building with fences, just like the adjacent rectory. At the time, it was said that they wanted to keep the church because of its heritage value, but until further notice, only the area around it is useful for a beautiful horse that comes to say hello from all sides. Article on https://www.lavenir.net/regions/brabantwallon/orp-jauche/2022/06/30/orp-jauche-on-ne-rasera-pas-leglise-notre-dame-dorp-le-petit-TZABF6D5TFEXZNOGPWS7DKDKYQ/

The Château Rose was built by order of Albert-Pierre Stier (1745-1816). In 1776, he bought the seigniory of Orp, as it had been known since the end of the 17th century, when the land of Orp-le-Grand was merged with that of Orp-le-Petit. The pillory of Orp-le-Petit at the front is one of about fifty in Belgium that are listed by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage. When our country was invaded by France in 1794, the French revolutionaries rushed to abolish the symbols of the Ancien Régime and the pillory was demolished. A few years later, around 1826, Baron Jean-François de Vinck de deux Orp (1774-1827), nephew of the builder of the castle, had the restored elements of the pillory rebuilt on his estate, more specifically in the central part of the meadow below the castle. Source: https://www.orp-jauche.be/wp-content/uploads/Brochure_PetitPatrimoinePopulaire_ORP.pdf

Heritage information about the station (description): This is a good example of a rural station that was built by the State Railways in 1908. Characteristic brick architecture in a particularly elaborate decorative design with bricks using bush-hammered natural stone blocks. A so-called 'logis des piocheurs' has also been preserved here. The Landen-Tamines line was abolished in 1959. Building built on an elongated floor plan consisting of: a main volume (home, waiting rooms 1st and 2nd class) of four bays and two storeys under a saddle roof (now with artificial slates, previously with natural slates), a low wing of seven bays (waiting room 3rd class, office, storage area) also under a saddle roof and on the other side an outbuilding (laundry, coal storage area and lampisterie) under a hipped roof. Architecture characterized by natural stone bush-hammered plinth, facades in red smooth brick with horizontal bands (yellow and gray brick) and wooden cornices with profiled cornice blocks. Natural stone blocks with the name of the station are incorporated in the facades. The interior was changed. Separate annex: the so-called 'logement des piocheurs' in half-timbered construction (wood and brick). In the garden of the station master there are two approximately one hundred year old yew trees. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Station Racour, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/200086

Never just call the former station of Racour-Landen "former station". First of all, there is the protected station itself. Secondly, thirdly, fourthly and so on, there is much more. For example, you have an orchard where you can rest and picnic and pick now and then. There is an information board about the station and one about nature and one about Racour and one about all sorts of other things for the inquisitive among us. And then there are remnants from that station past. There is even the entire area around the station, protected as a village view. That is because of its industrial-archaeological value. But it is also simply beautiful there. Quote: "Because of its industrial-archaeological value, the area around Racour station is also protected as a village view. In addition to the protected station building and the 'logis des piocheurs', the station master's garden with two yew trees of approximately 100 years old and the former railway bed are also part of it." Source: https://www.landen.be/beschermde%20dorpsgezichten And you are close to the Waasmontse Tom. See https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/7164887 Or if you want to see a somewhat older train, just walk on that path past the old station that you can admire from there. Or the miniature of the station. Or beautiful views. Or, well, there is quite a lot and something for everyone I think. Just enjoy this spot and what you see and find on a relatively small surface, for some undoubtedly a spot with multiple highlights.

Racour station was a railway station on line 147 (Landen-Tamines), active from 1893 to 1959. The station building is now a protected monument and partly furnished as a holiday home. A cycle and walking path runs over the former railway line, while at the station some sections of track and old wagons have been preserved.

You can see the beautiful white large farm from far across the fields... The gate is sometimes open and you can take a peek into the inner courtyard...