The best walks and hikes around Les Bons Villers

The church is dedicated to Saints Martin and James and was rebuilt in 1769. It is said to contain some remarkable pieces. On the wall to the left of the entrance are (obviously closed) doors that provided quick access to the church for the count's residents of the castle. Most of the gravestones are incorporated into the walls. We also note old gravestones, a war memorial and a somewhat dilapidated Lourdes grotto. The church is located at a fairly busy intersection. Also take a look at the other side of the intersection where you will see an equally dilapidated but quite special chapel, the Chapelle Sainte-Rolande - see https://www.chemins141.be/patrimoine/Houtain_le_Val/Houtain_Chapelles.php (where the Lourdes grotto is also mentioned).

The Fontaine Mayaux, which you reach via a small path, has existed since the beginning of the seventeenth century and is officially considered the source of the Dijle. That is what various websites such as Wikipedia and other media say. BUT if you look closely at the Komoot map and any other current map, you will see that there is a stream to the east, on the other side of the (accessible) meadow, that bears the name of the Dijle. And that starts a bit further south (and also further east). How exactly does that work? Finding the source of the Demer was, despite the wet shoes, a lot easier. The truth? I don't know exactly. I do know that path 45 is called the 'Sentier de la Fontaine Mayaux (ou Faux-Ry)' and that here, at this point, there is a bench where the water appears at your feet that you hope is the Dijle. And that water then flows under a piece of fencing through the meadow into a pipe and then disappears into the pond further away. And on the other side of the street you have the castle domain where the Dijle, after a confluence with some more water, continues to flow. And that it is wonderful to sit on this bench and enjoy the idea that this is the source of the Dijle - until I may get permission to continue my search on another piece of land. In any case: the Fontaine Mayaux is a wonderfully simple place to dream and think about how springs and streams grow into life and rivers and are the basis of landscapes, valleys, villages and cities - or just to enjoy the peace and the sound of the water. And that thanks to the local youth as you can read in this article: https://www.lavenir.net/regions/brabantwallon/genappe/2021/10/18/les-enfants-veillent-sur-la-fontaine-mayaux-32JRHBIPWZGYBPTBVLM6CCZQIM/ You can also read there that the water that came out here once supplied the 'ferme de la Brasserie' with water, today partly flows into the pond and the rest is thrown into the Dijle. And that would effectively mean that even this, after all the searching, may indeed not be the "real" source of the Dijle (realizing that rivers usually originate from multiple sources).

The first castle on this site is said to have been built in 1129 by knight Walter de Holton, the first lord of the lordship, which was given to him as a fief by the then Duke of Brabant. His father, Henri de Loupoigne, already ruled in neighbouring Houtain-le-Mont. Father Henri and son Walter thus obtained absolute power in the area of present-day Houtain-le-Val and Houtain-le-Mont. The castle actually belonged to the Duke of Brabant himself, Jan II the Peaceful. His successor, Jan III, acquired the castle for his eldest daughter, Johanna, who received Houtain from her father in 1345. The castle was passed down from generation to generation by the daughters of the family for many generations. Not much remains of the original castle. It was rebuilt in 1763 in classical style, but has retained a large part of its medieval facade. The oldest parts date from the fifteenth century, with architectural elements from the 12th century. Much has changed since then. For example, two turrets were added during restoration work in 1850. At a certain point, the castle came into the hands of the d'Hanins de Moerkerke family, originally from the Waas region. While most branches of this family made a name for themselves in Flanders, Count Fernand-Auguste-Joseph d'Hanins de Moerkerke married Marie de Waha in the nineteenth century. And so he became heir to the castle. His son Henri d'Hanins de Moerkerke became the next owner and mayor of Houtain-le-Val. And he had three daughters, the last of whom died in 2018. The castle is privately owned but can be viewed from various sides. For those, like me, who visited the village to find and follow the start of the Dijle, that private character is a pity - and also for heritage lovers of course. But at the point where you see a sign with the name of the river on the side of the domain you can see quite a bit, including how the river enters the domain. For those who want more information about the castle itself, visit this website for a virtual tour of the castle with a video report and interview: https://www.tvcom.be/info/focus-sur-genappe-visite-du-chateau-de-houtain-le-val-fonde-en-1126/50810

A quick detour to watch the golfers and part of the course

Very nice walk. The return via the "ridges" is a little less beautiful than the outward journey.

Very beautiful castle, opposite the sources of the Dijle (fish pond)

Quiet break table next to a golf course

quiet break spot next to a golf course