When I visited Antwerp, we had seen all 13 of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belgium! However, UNESCO also has other wings like UNESCO memories of the world, intangible cultural heritage, geoparks etc. UNESCO Geo Park concept, as the name suggests, is about the Earth Heritage!!! Currently there is only one UNESCO Geopark in Belgium - Famenne Ardenne. The Geopark territory covers a very huge area and we headed to Han sur Lesse, one of the charming & authentic Belgian villages in Wallonia.
1st trip - Late Summer 2019
2nd trip - Early Spring 2021
That's the tourist bus / shuttle
DOMAINE DES GROTTES DE HAN (DOMAIN OF THE CAVES OF HAN)
The geological formations in this region date from the Paleozoic (541 to 251 million years ago) era when this region was underwater and a marine region. These deposits were folded during the formation of the Hercynian mountain range (around 295 million years ago) and then flattened in the Meso-Cenozoic. This entire Geopark comprises of several municipalities of Wallonia in the provinces of Namur & Luxembourg. When we ventured to Namur, we got to visit Han-Sur-Lesse, and I was so fascinated by the place that I visited here again with my gal when she was a bit older, so she too can understand the place. In fact, the logo of UNESCO Geopark Famenne Ardennes depicts the river Lesse diving into Belvaux Chasm. Domaine des Grottes de Han has a lot of things to see and do, that would easily take an entire day.
GROTTES DE HAN (CAVES OF HAN)
One of the chambers that fascinated me was the Room of Draperies! Look at the pic above. The way the water droplets comes in and flows before dropping down when the surface is a slope, these drapes are formed! One of the drapes totally was unique - It looked like a tulip upside down!!!
Another impressive chamber is called the Trophy, for it has the most prestigious stalagmite - it's 7ft tall! I thought its a boulder. Nope - the whole thing is stalagmite!!! Another impressive one is the one that sparkles! It's the fastest-growing boulder with the constant pouring of a stream of water on it and with the mineral deposits, it sparkles! One of the most amazing thing in this cave is the lighting! Its flows! It is LED lights that flows.... I mean, the way the lighting switches on and off, makes it appear as if it's flowing. No, I can't explain that in words. It's better to see the below above (from 5:05 mins) to understand that.
The beginning of the video is the most magical light & sound show, video mapping, I've ever witnessed!!!! This is titled Origin, and was created by Luc Petit. With mapping, that glorifies the stalactites and stalagmites, it is too crazy and mind-blowing!!! Watch the video, but let me assure you, this doesn't do any justice. To be standing there, inside the cave formed millions of years ago, 110m below the ground, with stalactites and stalagmites all around you and light projecting on them - to say it's magical - is an understatement. You have to be there to feel it and believe it!!!!
There are parts of the cave that are not accessible during the tour; some that can be accessed only by diving. If you're a geologist or a student studying to be one, you could possibly visit these restricted places too if you want to research, after getting special permissions towards it. Otherwise, the regular tour is about 2 hrs & 2km long.
That's the heritage train/tram
The temperature inside is 13°C no matter what the outside weather is. So make sure to wear suitable clothing. When its too hot outside, you can actually see the river water vapourizing after hitting the cool temperature inside the cave.
PARC ANIMALIER (WILDLIFE PARK)
ON FOOT - The walking trail begins with a short ride on a heritage train. The heritage train (tram) basically follows the historic railway line that functioned here as passenger railways long back incl. stations like Gare de Boine, Gare de Faule (which is near Canopy walk), Grottes (near the caves), Tivoli (near the restaurant) etc. This was functional till 1968 for people to visit the caves!
The train drops you at Gare de Boine today and from the walking trail starts. After you walk and explore the park, you'll finally reach close to the bear enclosure & Belvaux Chasm where the Grottes railway station is located. The heritage train picks you up here for returning back to the ticketing office/entrance.
The walking trail can be 3km or 6km. From the Gare de Boine (where the walking trail begins) to the Belvaux Chasm is 3km. From Belvaux Chasm to the bear enclosure is another 3km which can be walked or the shuttle bus can be taken. Very close to the bear enclosure is the entry to the caves.
SAFARI BUS - Another option is the safari bus which is a 1:30hours guided bus tour as well which is more suitable if walking is difficult for you. It is a circular path with pick you up and drops you back at the entrance. The bus has a couple of stops incl. viewpoints, bear enclosures etc, and goes through the central passage of the herbivores area.
The walking trail begins with the Reindeers, European Bisons, Eurasian eagle owls, Great grey owls, Deers, Corsican mouflon (mountain goats), Alpine Marmots, Wolves etc.
Very close to the owls, is a series of Obstacle Courses for kids called the Red Squirrel Parcours. It is definitely a fun place to be if you are there with kids of 3 years or above. On my first visit, my gal was very young to experience this, but on my second visit, she was super excited to do every activity in this area. The video below has her complete experience recorded. Go ahead and watch it.
The most fascinating place in the wild park area - the canopy walk! It's a passage of a series of suspension bridges that connect the various trees! From atop here, the view of the whole wildlife park area is just wow! Also from atop here, you can see quite a few animals including polar fox. Further ahead are enclosures Eurasian Lynx, Griffon Vulture, White Storks etc till the grand closure with Brown Bears!
Further ahead, beyond the deers, European bisons, white stork, vultures etc is the restaurant called Tivoli, which again lends an impeccable view of the park. Beyond this is one of the most important places in this region - the one that's used as the logo of Famenne Ardennes UGGp - the river that disappears - the Gouffre - Belvaux Chasm!!!!!! Here the river enters the cave and falls down to a depth of 11.5m; then travels underground for 1.8km, which is spotted time & again during the underground tour inside the caves; after that it goes up again, like a siphon and continues!!!!
Further ahead is the enclosure for the bears and upcoming insect hotel which would be the largest in Belgium. There is a tiny drinks/snacks kiosk here as well. After a few more animals, the bus shuttle ends at the entrance of caves.
Also there 2 museums within this place - Han 1900 (included in Wildlife park ticket) which is about the rural daily life of the last few centuries and PrehistoHan (included in Caves ticket) which is about, as the name says, the prehistoric excavations that happened in Han showcasing 9000 years of history.
HAN-SUR-LESSE HOTELS
The best way to experience & enjoy the Domain of the Caves of Han is by staying inside the domain! It's also possible to stay inside the Domain de Han, in treetop tents! Climbing atop with a ladder, you could just be one with nature and sleep under the stars. There are also glamping tents called Cocoon Village for a more sophisticated experience or also, probably more suitable if you're with younger kids. You could be spotting, deers and horses walking about around you! The stay includes barbeque dinner, picnic basket breakfast etc. These treetop tents & glamping tents are neither available throughout the year nor all days of the week. They have specific days which you can check the links above to the official website to know the dates when they are available.
The best way to experience & enjoy the Domain of the Caves of Han is by staying inside the domain! It's also possible to stay inside the Domain de Han, in treetop tents! Climbing atop with a ladder, you could just be one with nature and sleep under the stars. There are also glamping tents called Cocoon Village for a more sophisticated experience or also, probably more suitable if you're with younger kids. You could be spotting, deers and horses walking about around you! The stay includes barbeque dinner, picnic basket breakfast etc. These treetop tents & glamping tents are neither available throughout the year nor all days of the week. They have specific days which you can check the links above to the official website to know the dates when they are available.
Outside of the domain, it is possible to camp in Han-sur-Lesse, Aux Cailloux and Le Roptai with your own caravans or tents.
If you prefer a regular hotel, there is just 1 hotel in Han-sur-Lesse itself. Few boutique & luxury hotels are available in Rochefort and Marche-en-Famenne. Hotels at all price points are available in Dinant. Check out my review of La Merveilleuse in Dinant and Le Quartier Latin in Marche-en-Famenne.
Mr.V with Ms.Dominique of Wallonia Tourism & Mr.Albert Joris of Domaine des Grottes de Han
HOW TO REACH CAVES OF HAN
Where is Domaine des Grottes de Han (Domain of the Caves of Han) - On Google Maps: Grotte de Han
SNCB Trains are available every hour from Brussels to Arlon/Luxembourg, that stop at Rochefort-Jamelle. LeTEC bus route 29 are available from Rochefort to Grotte de Han. Check the timings of LeTEC bus route 29 on the official website. Frequency is good on weekdays, but there are 10 buses that run on Saturday and 8 on Sunday with the last departure at around 7PM. So make sure you don't miss the last bus, esp. on summers when 7PM doesn't feel like it!
Where is Domaine des Grottes de Han (Domain of the Caves of Han) - On Google Maps: Grotte de Han
SNCB Trains are available every hour from Brussels to Arlon/Luxembourg, that stop at Rochefort-Jamelle. LeTEC bus route 29 are available from Rochefort to Grotte de Han. Check the timings of LeTEC bus route 29 on the official website. Frequency is good on weekdays, but there are 10 buses that run on Saturday and 8 on Sunday with the last departure at around 7PM. So make sure you don't miss the last bus, esp. on summers when 7PM doesn't feel like it!
Being easily connected to Brussels, makes Han-sur-lesse, one of the best daytrips from Brussels by train.
DOMAINE DES GROTTES DE HAN TICKETS (updated on May 2021)
Cave + Wildlife Park - €33 (both separately €17 & €18).
Possible to buy online for their official website.
If you live in Belgium, it is better to choose the annual pass at €55 which gives unlimited visits for 1 year as well as discounts for the treetop tents & cocoon village. It can also be purchased at their website.
If you live in Belgium, it is better to choose the annual pass at €55 which gives unlimited visits for 1 year as well as discounts for the treetop tents & cocoon village. It can also be purchased at their website.
As of May 2021, the SNCB Discovery Combi (ex B-Excursion) tickets to Domaine des Grottes de Han have been discontinued.
DOMAINE DES GROTTES DE HAN OPENING HOURS (updated on May 2021)
Caves: 09:30/10:00AM to 04:00/05:00PM (tour begins every hour or every half-hour)
Wildlife Park by safari bus: 09:30/10:00AM to 04:30/05:30PM (bus leaves every hour or every half-hour)
Wildlife Park by foot: 09:30/10:00AM to 02:30/04:00PM (train leaves every hour or every half-hour)
Museums: 11:40AM/12:00Noon to 05:30/06:30PM
MY ENTIRE NAMUR & DINANT TRAVELOGUE
Powered by GetYourGuide
MY ENTIRE NAMUR & DINANT TRAVELOGUE
Namur Citadel, Guy Delforge Perfumery, Jean Chalon Garden, Railbikes of Molignee, Domaine des Grotte de Han, Les Jardin d'Annevoie, Wepion Strawberry, Dinant Citadel & Notre dame Collegiale, Maison Leffe & Grotte Merveilleuse, Dinant Town
P.S: I was invited by Wallonia Tourism to experience the region for review purposes, however, the opinions are my own and this post does not advertise the product/service.
P.S: I was invited by Wallonia Tourism to experience the region for review purposes, however, the opinions are my own and this post does not advertise the product/service.
Very cool ecopark! I love the swinging bridges and treehouses that let you walk though the Wildlife Park. I'd love to see some Przewalski's horses in person. The arctic foxes and wolves are very cool too. The Grotte de Han caves look very beautiful and those are some impressive stalagmites and stalactites! I get a little claustrophobic in caves but those are so spectacular I think I would make an exception and venture inside!
ReplyDeleteI’d never heard of UNESCO Geoparks before so I was interested in hearing about this one in Belgium. Those grottoes and caves look amazing! I bet the canopee walk over the animal areas gave a great view. I appreciate the details on planning an entire visit including costs and where to stay.
ReplyDeleteI love that you made a point to visit all the UNESCO sites in Belgium. I never knew that there were other sub-catergories for UNESCO.. now I want to find out what I have been missing! The room of draperies looks really cool, I love natural formations like that.
ReplyDeleteI adore caves especially those centuries old with stalactites and stalagmites. This must be covering a large area with having additionally an animal park. All in all looks like a good day trip.
ReplyDeleteI visited an ecopark in Romania and just loved it. I love that you made it a point to visit all of them in Belgium, as I feel like they often get overlooked. Playing on suspension bridges are so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a lovely part of Belgium. We are planning to visit soon for the first time, so I’m going to keep these recommendations in mind. The caves look fascinating! The bridge also looks like a fun adventure!
ReplyDeleteIt would be a unique experience to see the UNESCO Geopark in Belgium - Famenne Ardenne which is only one of its kind in whole Belgium. I loved the rock formations part and good to know that centuries ago this region was under the sea. What a wonderful world it is and through visiting such places, we come across so many wonderful facts. I could imagine how they have placed LED lights so that you can feel the movement and no camera or words could express that feeling. Even visiting 250 hectares of Wildlife Park would also be a very informative visit. Thanks for sharing another beautiful destination to us.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is incredible. It would be a wonderful and memorable experience to visit the caves and see these formations up close. I have always been fascinated with these natural formations. Happy to know that the cave has amazing lighting and it is indeed breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your wonderful experience.
I couldn't feel jealous to your little one, as he already visited many UNESCO spots!
ReplyDeleteThose natural formations are beyond art. Looks breathtaking indeed.
That is an impressive place! But Grotte de Han is definitely fascinating. Well, we could be biased because we are cavers as well as mountaineers. Those speleothems look really amazing, and most importantly, untouched. Although we are not fond of human construction in caves (i.e. the fence), we know that those fences are important to prevent unruly people from damaging those delicate rock formations.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a lot of fun. Are they limestone caves? Some of the formations look a lot like the limestone caves and grottoes in Thailand. Though I doubt that you found any Buddha statues here. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteI knew about UNESCO heritage sites but never heard of Geoparks. It looks like a great place to spend a full day and I love caves. Grotte de Han reminds me a bit of Belianska jaskyna in Slovakia. It also has a chamber with lights and great acoustics where concerts take places from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind caves and that, but not when that's the only thing you can do there, so it's great to see that there's an extensive wildlife park that is attached to it to really round out the experience!
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of all these different wings of UNESCO sites until I read your post. We loved visiting Belgium and look forward to returning - and after reading your post, I'd like to include Famenne Ardenne in our itinerary. Your'e absolutely right - the Grotte de Han looks magical. So interesting to see nature's work in action in the Room of Draperies - the tulip in that chamber looks perfectly sculpted by nature. The video of the lighting in the caves really helps get a sense of the grandeur of the caves - it's beautiful. I love the fact that it is possible to camp at Grotte de Han - my family would love such an experience. We usually travel by public transportation during our trips instead of car rental so it was good to learn that it's easy to reach the site by train to Rochefort followed by a bus ride. Thanks for sharing and introducing me to the UNESCO GeoPark of Belgium.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about this place in Belgium before reading this article. The best I loved is the video of light and sound. Really it is amazing in the dark with LED light show.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this place in Belgium! But after reading your blog it looks very interesting. Hope i will get to see it in person next year.
ReplyDelete