Porcheresse: Trails, History and a Famenne Panorama

Discover Porcheresse through its walking trails and local history. Three walks offer a clear choice of distances: 5.5, 7.2 and 14 kilometres. Their landscapes range from fields, meadows and forests to routes through villages and hamlets. There is also a panorama across the Famenne and historic sites in the village. When planning a holiday rental, you can consider which outings and interests you would like to shape your stay.

Trails by distance and landscape

The Promenade du Bois de Porcheresse is 7.2 km long and starts at the church in Porcheresse. It passes through fields, meadows and forests. Highlights include the Cinq Tilleuls site. The route thus combines a clearly stated distance with a landscape profile and a named highlight.

At 14 km, the Promenade du Champ du Bois is the longest of the three walks with a stated distance. It passes through villages and hamlets, as well as fields, meadows and forests. At Champ du Bois, it offers a panorama across the Famenne. Compared with the Promenade du Bois, this route adds settlements and views across the Famenne as further features.

The Promenade de la Ferme du Hasard is 5.5 km long and also passes through fields, meadows and forests. Together with the 7.2 km walk, it offers a comparison between two routes that share the same three landscape types but differ in length. The 14 km route adds villages, hamlets and the panorama across the Famenne to this comparison. This makes it possible to choose not only by distance, but also by the landscapes described.

The starting points are also clearly named to help with orientation: the Promenade du Bois de Porcheresse starts at the church in Porcheresse. The Balade des Tiges & Chavées en Condroz starts at the La Gennevilloise village hall in Porcheresse. If you are planning one of these routes, you can use the relevant starting point to find your way.

The church and local history

The Church of Saint-Vincent Ferrier in Porcheresse was rebuilt by the municipality at a new site in 1910–1911. The church in Porcheresse is also the starting point for the Promenade du Bois. Behind the church is the « Condroz » picnic area. At this named location, architectural history, the start of a trail and a practical place to stop for a break come together.

Another historic site is the Château de Porcheresse, built in the first half of the 18th century. The construction of the château and the rebuilding of the church belong to different periods: the château was built in the 18th century, while the church was rebuilt at a new site in 1910–1911. This timeline gives historical explorations of Porcheresse two specific points of reference.

An article published on 4 May 2021 tells the story of a former hospital in Porcheresse and links its history, among other things, to anecdotes from the Second World War. This adds another historical perspective to the architectural history, without presenting the former hospital as a current facility.

When looking for a holiday rental in Porcheresse, you can first consider whether you would like your plans to focus more on trail distances and landscapes or on historic sites. The routes and local histories described here offer different starting points for deciding what you would like to focus on during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Viroinval, Vencimont, Sart-En-Fagne, Furnaux, Barvaux-Condroz, Cul-Des-Sarts, Surice, Walcourt

For the main travel overview: Namur.