Discover Arville: Hiking Trails, Chapels and Stories

Arville combines forest paths, religious buildings and fascinating stories to create a varied destination. Those looking for a holiday apartment can plan their stay entirely around their own interests: with a circular hike through the forests, a view of the village and valley, or an exploration of chapels, the church and memorial sites.

Circular Hikes through Forest and Countryside

The Chêni du Mont hike is an approximately 7.8 km circular route through the forests north of the village of Arville. It starts at Saint-Paul Church and leads to the Notre-Dame de Bon Secours Chapel. The route is marked with a blue cross and rated as moderate. This provides a clearly described way to combine the forest with several religious points of interest. You should take the approximate route length into account when planning your day.

A second option is the Au Givre hike. The approximately 7 km circular route is marked with a horizontal blue rectangle and offers panoramic views of the village of Arville and its church. The two routes have different focuses: Chêni du Mont centres on the forest, the route and the chapel, while Au Givre highlights views of the village and the church building. This allows you to choose according to the kind of day you want, without combining the two hikes into one route.

Chapels and Church as Cultural Discoveries

The Notre-Dame de Bon Secours Chapel stands in the forest west of Arville, at the location of Chèny du Mont. It was built in 1833 and rebuilt in 1886, and it is also a pilgrimage site. Its setting and history give the Chêni du Mont hike a special cultural connection. Those interested in religious buildings and regional history can include the chapel as a separate point of interest in their travel plans.

Saint-Paul d’Arville Church also preserves some remarkable individual pieces. Its furnishings include a Baroque Sainte-Catherine altar, which was acquired from the basilica in 1807. The church also houses a painting of the Conversion of Saint Paul, restored by Judith Debruyn in 1998. Together with the starting point of the Chêni du Mont hike, the church forms an important part of the local culture.

Views, Memorial Sites and Stories

At the Groû Champ viewpoint, the view opens out over the village of Arville and the valley of the Ruisseau de la Rochette. This landscape feature complements the panoramas of the Au Givre hike with another named viewpoint. Arville is also home to several memorial sites: the Monument aux morts des habitants de la commune d’Arville commemorates residents who died in the First and Second World Wars. A memorial stele commemorates three civilian victims of bombing raids.

Local tradition includes the legend of Marie Gobaille, who is remembered every year at carnival. Another fantastic legend tells of a woman who transforms into a horse and spreads terror in the western region of Saint-Hubert, including Smuid, Mirwart and Arville. Such stories add a folkloric dimension to the region’s visible buildings and memorial sites.

Ideas for Different Days Out

For a shared activity, Ferme Ô Cheval is a good option: it is an educational farm for everyone. It offers family visits, birthday parties, as well as visits for schools and centres. Those wishing to combine their stay with a self-prepared meal outdoors will also find a covered barbecue area with 40 spaces on the edge of the forest in Arville. It can be used free of charge after reservation.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Arville, you can therefore consider which focus should define your stay: a marked circular route, religious art, a landscape view, regional memorial culture or a visit to the farm.

You can find more ideas for places to visit at Hatrival, Awenne and Mirwart.

For the overarching travel overview: Saint-Hubert.