The best cycling routes around Rendeux

The Chapel, a Remnant of Montaigu Castle The castle of the Counts of Montaigu was built in 1050 as their family residence. In the 17th century, the county also included the lordships of Ochain (Condroz), Harzé (Aywaille), Yernée (Huy), and Flône Abbey (Amay). Five dynasties ruled this county, including the Montaigu dynasty from 1050 to 1147. In 1413, under the De La Marck dynasty, the castle was destroyed by fire following a family dispute. Remains of the castle walls are still visible today. Approximately 200 meters below the site lies the "spring that never runs dry." After several significant miracles, in 1608, a cross was erected in homage to Saint Thibaut on the summit of the mountain and the mound formed by the collapse of the castle's central tower. The chapel itself was built in 1639 on the site of the castle's outermost tower. It is this hillside location that affords Saint-Thibaut its breathtaking panoramic view of the villages of Marcourt, Marcouray, Jupille, Warisy, Cielle, and others. Later, the hermitage was also built. It consists of two small rooms adjoining the chapel, designed to house a hermit, in other words, the guardian of the site. Several hermits succeeded one another until 1968. The management of the site was then taken over in 1969/1970 by the non-profit organization Saint-Thibaut, which still organizes two pilgrimages a year: the first Saturday of May and July. On March 3, 2020, the non-profit organization received the title of Royal and thus became the Royal Non-Profit Organization of the Chapel and Hermitage of Saint-Thibaut. It should be noted that the site and buildings have been listed as historical monuments since 1973. https://stthibaut.be/

A wonderful rest stop along the Ourthe River with seating and (portable) toilets. Our kids loved climbing trees and playing by the river.

Durbuy is first mentioned in 1078 (as Dolbui) and in 1084 (under the current name). The first traces of habitation are found during excavations in the Anticlinaal cave by Count Pierre d'Ursel. The d'Ursel family still inhabits Durbuy Castle. Before the current castle, there were already others. Based on the archives of Luxembourg, a castle was destroyed and in the eleventh century, another was built by Henry II the Lame, who had received the domain from his mother Rageline, sister of Pope Stephen II, and her husband Albert II of Namur. Around 1156, that castle was severely damaged by flames and during the succession wars of the Duchy of Limburg, it was destroyed several more times. From 1412, Durbuy came into the hands of the House of Burgundy and at the end of the fifteenth century, the then-existing castle was destroyed by Maximilian of Austria, like all the castles of the la Marck family: besides Durbuy, these also include the castles of Logne and La Roche. In 1628, Baron Antoine Schetz of Grobendonck leased the Durbuy estate for 40,000 gold marks, a very considerable sum. Besides being a baron, he was also Count of Grobbendonk, Lord of Tilburg and Goirle, Pulle and Pulderbos, and Wezemaal. He was in the service of the Spanish and had led the defense of 's-Hertogenbosch during the Eighty Years' War. At the age of 71, he was also governor of the city of Leuven during the Siege of Leuven. And he was the first in a long line of the d'Ursel family who, to this day, inhabit the castle. In 1731, the castle was rebuilt by the then Duke of Ursel. Countess Auguste d'Ursel, who acquired the d'Ursel family's possessions in Durbuy, then modernized the castle from 1880 to 1882 with the help of architect Thirian from Namur. During the Second World War, the castle was occupied several times and in 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, it was used as a field hospital by the American liberators, with the billiard table serving as an operating table. Sources: historical overviews in Word documents on the website of Count Jean-Michel d'Ursel, current resident, at https://www.chateaudedurbuy.be/historique.html

Beautiful path

Worth it.

This superb wooden bridge impresses with its two towers positioned on each bank. It offers a magnificent view of the Ourthe, the river that accompanies you on many cycling routes.

Magnificent view of the meanders of the Ourthe, from the Hermitage Saint-Thibaut/

Very nice mill and seriously old