Discover Ittre: Art, Blacksmithing Heritage and Waterways

Ittre combines art, craftsmanship, historical traces and walking trails with a remarkable waterscape. Those who do not want to plan a trip around just one attraction will find a variety of themes here for shared discoveries: a museum with works by Marthe Donas, trails alongside mills and ponds, a preserved forge and distinctive testimonies to the local history.

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first consider which daily rhythm suits your trip. Would you like to discover cultural sites, walk several kilometres, go on a treasure hunt or enjoy water sports? Ittre offers concrete points of interest for all these pursuits, without requiring you to limit yourself to just one type of stay.

Art, craftsmanship and distinctive historical heritage

A good starting point for the cultural part of your trip is the Musée Marthe Donas. Its collection includes around 50 paintings, drawings and prints by the artist. This makes it possible to complement a walk or a leisurely day of sightseeing with a clear focus on art.

The Forge-Musée, also known as the “Forge du bonheur”, likewise tells the story of the locality’s craft heritage. It is the only surviving one of eight forges in Ittre. In addition, introductory sessions on basic blacksmithing techniques are offered there on the last Sunday of every month for two participants aged 13 and over. The price is €20. Anyone including this activity in their travel plans should take the stated date and age requirement into account.

The Church of Saint-Remy houses a reliquary of Saint Lutgarde dating from 1624. It is a Liège goldsmith’s work made of repoussé silver. Another distinctive link to local history is the Sainte-Berlinde-Potale, which is associated with farmers’ hopes for successful butter production. The region’s character is also reflected in the culinary tradition connected with the Notre-Dame de la Consolation procession. This tradition has been maintained every first Sunday in July since 2002.

Walking trails between water and nature

The Syndicat d’Initiative d’Ittre has created six new marked walking trails. Four of these trails start at the Pré de L’Aite car park in the centre of Ittre. This specific starting point helps you incorporate a walk into your day’s plans early on and combine your preferred trail length with other interests.

The Balad’eau walking trails are particularly appealing. They pass old watermills, springs, ponds and nature areas rich in biodiversity. The trails are between 4 and 7 km long and are available free of charge online or as leaflets. This allows you to decide in advance whether you prefer a shorter circuit or want to plan a longer route into your day, without requiring a specific walking time.

The former Charleroi–Brussels Canal also crosses Ittre. Three former canal reaches are located within the municipality. Those interested in the connection between the landscape and former water infrastructure can link this aspect conceptually with the Balad’eau trails and the old watermills. Another way to combine trails and local history is offered by the Totemus treasure hunt: it follows the green trails of the Ry Ternel and includes cultural, geographical and historical questions.

Active experiences and suitable trip planning

For a more active itinerary, the Royal Yachting Club Ittre offers bi-skiing, monoskiing, wakeboarding and trick skiing. This activity has a different focus from a museum visit or a walk through the countryside.

This means Ittre can be experienced according to your personal pace: with art and historical objects, with marked trails and links to nature, or with a specific activity on the water. The available lengths of the Balad’eau trails, the central starting point and the fixed details for the blacksmithing introduction provide practical reference points for planning your day. A holiday apartment or holiday home in Ittre is particularly suitable if you do not want to reduce your trip to a single experience, but instead combine several of these themes.

Further places for planning your trip

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Ittre, you can find Genappe, Bekkevoort, Ramillies, Rixensart, Tielt-Winge, Grez-Doiceau, Perwez and Sint-Kwintens-Lennik here.

For the overview of the wider region: Brabant.