Day 1
Just 90 minutes from Calais, start your Wallonia tour in Tournai. See one of Belgium’s oldest towns, once part of England after being captured by Henry VIII, and its UNESCO-listed Notre-Dame Cathedral from atop the adjacent belfry. At Leuze-en-Hainault, the Mahymobiles museum’s extensive car collection captivates petrolheads. Stop in medieval Ath, known as ‘the City of Giants’ for its folklore festival, and finish in Mons, renowned for its cultural institutions as well as its monuments and events marking both World Wars.
Day 2
In Chimay, discover the history of Trappist beer and cheese at Espace Chimay museum then tour the regal Chateau du Chimay. Explore Hitler’s Bunker, the HQ for his France Offensive, at Brûly-de-Pesche. Delightful Bouillon is dominated by its feudal castle while both Chassepierre and Torgny are among Wallonia’s prettiest villages. Overnight stop Dinant has its own imposing citadel while giant saxophones line a River Meuse bridge honoring the instrument’s inventor and Dinant’s famous son, Adolphe Sax.
Day 3
Rochefort is known for its artisanal cheeses and Trappist beer produced in the Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy. A guided tour of the vast underground caverns of the Caves of Han includes a sound and light show. Bastogne’s museums highlight its role in the Second World War’s Battle of the Bulge. Savor the quaint charm of the Ardennes heartland in La Roche, with its 9th-century castle, and Durbuy, ‘the smallest city in the world’ with the world’s largest topiary garden. End the day with a relaxing soak in elegant Spa, the town that gave its name to health and wellness centers.
Day 4
Get your motor running and head out to Spa’s Francorchamps motor-racing circuit, where races include the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and there is a museum. After Stavelot Abbey and delightful Malmedy, visit the restored 14th century Reinhardstein Castle and climb the six-metre-high stone steps added to Signal de Botrange, Belgium’s highest point, in 1923 to take it up to 700 meters. In Liège, people-watch over coffee and a Liège waffle in a pavement cafe in Place du Marche and admire architectural wonders such as the Prince-Bishops’ Palace.
Day 5
Stop for a plate of frites in Huy, set on the River Meuse where the Belgian staple is believed to have originated. Grab some handmade pralines in Wavre before visiting Waterloo, where the Waterloo Memorial 1815 is on the site where Napoleon was defeated in 1815. In Waterloo itself, Wellington’s HQ is now the Wellington Museum. End the tour in Wallonia’s capital, Namur, with its picturesque old town and mighty citadel.