Discover Beauraing: Pilgrimage, Parks and Walking Trails

Beauraing combines religious history, wooded parkland and a variety of trails to create a destination with different ways to structure your days. You can explore the town culturally, go hiking through the limestone landscape or plan shorter walks and weather-independent activities. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, it helps to define your priorities: Should the trip focus primarily on pilgrimage and architectural heritage, on outdoor activities or on shared experiences with children?

Pilgrimage and Architectural Heritage in Beauraing

The town's religious history is closely linked to the Sanctuaires de Beauraing. From 29 November 1932 to 3 January 1933, five children from Beauraing witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary 33 times. The site of the apparitions became the Sanctuaires de Beauraing and is now a pilgrimage site. The statue of Notre-Dame de Beauraing stands exactly where Mary appeared to the five children.

The Basilica minor of Beauraing, dedicated to Notre-Dame au Coeur d'Or, is part of the town's architectural history. It was designed by the Namur architect Roger Bastin (1913–1986) and can accommodate more than 2,000 people. The Château de Beauraing also gives the town a historic character. The main entrance is a monumental stone portal, whose stonework is dated to 1570. Towers, walls and outbuildings of the château have survived to this day. The building probably dates back to the Middle Ages. At the Musée marial, you can see more than 800 representations of the Virgin Mary from around the world.

Parc du Castel and Trails for Different Daily Plans

Parc du Castel covers 59 hectares. It connects the lower Parc Saint-Pierre, with its ponds, to the upper Parc Sainte-Marie, with the château. The wooded area is criss-crossed by paths and trails where you can discover the local flora and fauna. At the edge of the park, visitors can see fallow deer in a small animal park. The Chapelle Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens in Parc du Castel dates back to the 12th century.

For a longer hike, the Géobalade de Beauraing is a good option: The 14.1-kilometre, moderately difficult route runs through Parc du Castel and continues through Beauraing's limestone landscape. If you prefer a shorter loop, the walking maps include almost 40 signposted hikes in the Beauraing area. The circular routes range from 3 to 20 kilometres. The 5.5-kilometre hike “Beauraing – promenade autour des parcs Sainte-Marie et Saint-Pierre” takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. The “petit tour saint pierre (PMR)” is accessible to people with reduced mobility. This makes it possible to choose your holiday accommodation based on whether you want to focus on extended routes or a manageable walk.

Experiences with Children and in Changing Weather

Les ouistitis – Plaine de jeux intérieure is a 600-square-metre covered leisure area. It includes areas for babies, children aged 2 to 4 and children aged 5 to 12, as well as a construction zone and a trampoline zone. This allows you to make a day of your trip varied even when not all family members have the same interests.

“Escape in the City – Kids” is an outdoor treasure hunt for children aged 6 to 10 in the château park in the centre of Beauraing. In “Escape in the City – Beauraing”, teams explore the town, solve puzzles and decipher the secrets of an unusual bag. The game begins and ends at the Office du tourisme de Beauraing at 38 Rue de Rochefort.

Getting There and More Ideas for Places to Visit

Beauraing railway station makes it possible to reach the town by public transport. Take this starting point into account when planning your holiday and choose a holiday apartment or holiday home to suit the activities you actually want to undertake. For more ideas of places to visit, Dion, Winenne, Sevry, Vonêche, Javingue, Martouzin and Felenne are available as dedicated destination pages.

For the overarching travel overview: Namen.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Bois-De-Villers.