Discover Bassenge: Culture, Hiking Trails and Montagne Saint-Pierre

Bassenge combines impressive cultural sites with hiking trails, cycling routes and the landscape of the Montagne Saint-Pierre. If you are looking for a mix of history, nature and special discoveries for your trip, you can enjoy a variety of days here: from visiting Fort d’Eben-Emael and exploring the region’s craft history to following marked hiking trails with panoramic views.

History and unusual cultural sites

Fort d’Eben-Emael was built between 1932 and 1935 to reinforce Belgium’s defences against Germany. A visit concludes with the 180-degree immersive experience “Granit’s Attack at Dawn”. This gives the historic site a special finale that makes the visit a distinctive travel experience in its own right.

Eben-Emael is also home to the Tour d’Eben-Ezer, which is a protected heritage monument. The heritage protection of the Tour d’Eben-Ezer covers sculptures, paintings, engravings and bas-reliefs throughout the tower complex. The tower was built entirely from flint sourced from the Geer Valley. The “Geospadium” educational area focuses on flint, from its formation to its use throughout human history.

The Musée d’Eben displays collections on local archaeology and a collection of straw marquetry dating from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The museum also includes a fully furnished 18th-century farmhouse and a vaulted cellar from the 17th century. Visits are free of charge and led by the owner. The villages of Bassenge also preserve memories of straw plaiting; the inhabitants of the Geer Valley have been known for this craft since the 15th century.

Hiking between the valley, forest and limestone massif

Bassenge is located in the limestone massif of the Montagne Saint-Pierre. The extraction of tuff created caves there. The area contains several nature reserves rich in biodiversity. Those wishing to explore the landscape on foot will find maps for at least 130 kilometres of marked discovery trails in the Montagne-Saint-Pierre hiking box. The box is available from the Syndicat d’Initiative de Bassenge.

Different routes are available for planning a specific day. The “DES HAUTS ET DES BAS” hike starts at Petit Lourdes in Bassenge, is 9.5 kilometres long and offers panoramic views. The “PROMENADE DE LA PÊCHERIE” passes through wooded areas along the Chemin des Ecoliers between Boirs and Glons and is 11.1 kilometres long. This allows you to choose between a route with panoramic views and a trail with wooded sections, without treating the two experiences as equivalent.

Pilgrimage site, cycling tours and regional orientation

The Petit Lourdes sanctuary includes a Way of the Cross and a Rosary Way made from local stone. It is also home to a replica of the Massabielle Grotto that has stood there for more than a century. The Way of the Cross begins at the foot of the sanctuary, in front of the grotto. The chapels along the route were built from flint and tuff from the Geer Valley.

There are also specific points of interest for cycling tours. The Walloon RAVeL-W7 stage from Lanaye (Visé) to Liège lists Fort d’Eben-Emael and “Archéo et Géo Espaces - Moulin du Broukay” at Chemin du Broukay 1 in Eben-Emael as attractions. Moulin du Broukay is a former mill used to crush flint in the 1950s, as well as a tourism and activity centre. The cycling junction network allows you to put together your own routes based on distance, terrain type or difficulty level.

The right holiday accommodation for your trip planning

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house in Bassenge, it is worth deciding what you want to focus on in your daily itinerary. Culture enthusiasts can make Fort d’Eben-Emael, Tour d’Eben-Ezer and Musée d’Eben the centrepieces of their plans. Those who mainly want to spend time outdoors can use the hiking maps, the two routes described above, the nature reserves or the cycling junction network as their guide. For a spiritually oriented cultural experience, Petit Lourdes offers another independent reason to visit. This way, you can choose your accommodation according to your preferred holiday theme rather than just a single activity.

If you would like to extend your trip planning to other places, you can find Ouffet, Kelmis, Werbomont, Aywaille, Héron, Ferrières, Raeren and Ouren here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Liège.