The best traffic-free bike rides around Villers-Le-Bouillet

The former station of Braives on railway line 127 from Landen to Statte has been upgraded by the municipality of Braives into a dynamic meeting place with a community centre, library and pleasant outdoor area with a playground. The weekly market is now held on the former goods yard. The station building is the only one on line 127 that still stands and is in its original condition.

The "Moulin du Vélupont" was a former possession of the Kornelimünster Abbey near Aachen from the 9th century until the Ancien Régime. During its long existence, the mill was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current buildings are from the 19th century, recently restored and put into use as residences. The water wheel now works to generate green electricity.

It's pleasant to walk around there with the new infrastructure put in place for the fish and the new walkways.

A new fish ladder – the largest in Wallonia! – a veritable artificial river, allows aquatic wildlife to bypass the dam. The footbridge connecting the municipalities of Amay and Huy has been replaced and extended to span the main road. More information: https://construirelawallonie.be/nouvelles/le-site-eclusier-dampsin-neuville-est-equipe-de-la-plus-longue-passe-a-poissons-de-wallonie/

A really nice place to have a drink after your walk (open Wednesday and Sunday)

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.

Excavations are conducted year-round at Moha Castle, making it unique in Belgium. When I visited, two archaeologists were uncovering a wall that runs beneath the visible castle and likely dates back to the 12th century.