The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Huy

Although the bridge undoubtedly dates from Roman times, it is unclear how old the bridge exactly is. Anyway, old enough to have already suffered considerably from the ravages of time. In 1998 it was restored by the non-profit organization Huy Verte. In 2015, enthusiasts of these hiking trails sounded the alarm again, because the bridge was deteriorating further and threatened to collapse into the stream if nothing was done to reinforce it. After much insistence, the municipal authorities were finally convinced: they first had a stability study carried out by the company Greisch (which also designed the large Pater-Pire bridge over the Meuse in Ben-Ahin). In August 2024, the works finally began, so that hikers can now cross it safely and with peace of mind. source: lavenir.be

The first descriptions of this Trou Manto date back to 1833. The name refers to the prophetess Manto, daughter of Tiresias of Thebes, who was brought to Delphi after her birthplace was conquered by the Epigoni. From there she traveled to Asia Minor, where she married the Cretan Rhacius, with whom she had Mopsus, and founded a temple of Apollo in Claros. According to legend, she spent her last days in Italy. What the link between this cave and the legend from Greek antiquity is, is unclear. It is a fossil cave. In 1964, a narrow passage was made to the adjacent 'Grotte Sint-Etienne'. This junction is called the "birth" by speleologists. It is, along with the 10m deep shaft, the most difficult segment of the cave. The cave is not accessible to the public and has never been developed for tourism. Only with a membership card of the Belgian Speleological Union and a key can you access the limestone passages. To protect the site, it was decided to close the entrances with massive doors equipped with padlocks. However, as bats had been regularly present during their hibernation since 1970, the entrances to the two caves were only screened in 1990 to facilitate their entry and exit. Observations of these small mammals by NATAGORA led to the identification of several regionally endangered species, such as the lesser horseshoe bat and the Bechstein's bat. Vincent Poitier, a pioneer of the 4th Baden Powell unit of the Collegiate Church of Huy, organized several visits to the cave system together with scout leader Jean-Louis Cuvelier. Some entered through the Trou-Manto cave, while others, the more adventurous, went directly through the Trou St-Etienne cave. source: wikihuy.be

It is indeed picturesque, especially in summer, with a beautiful interplay of green tones from trees, grasses, and corn on the one hand, and golden yellow from grain (and dry grass) on the other.

The bridge was broken. Had to turn back

Nice walk

It is striking that the victims mentioned on the monument, three from the First and two from the Second World War, did not fall here, but - with one exception, who died in Harderwijk in the Netherlands - fell one by one in West Flanders (De Panne, Adinkerke, Kuurne, Tielt). www.tracesofwar.nl

The Templar Commandery in Villers-le-Temple originated around 1260, when Knight Gérard de Villers acquired land here and built a walled complex with towers and a chapel. It served as a fortified agricultural and administrative center for the order in the Hesbaye region. After the dissolution of the Templar Order, the property passed into the hands of the Knights Hospitaller; today, all that remains are walls, a tower, and Gérard's tombstone in the church.

Wooden bridge to cross over the river