This article first appeared on My Travelogue by Bhushavali
Ninglinspo was on my wishlist since quite some time. I referred to it as
'Belgium's Tada'. If you're from Chennai you'll understand what I'm referring
to and I told everyone that it's what it is. It's almost like Tada, the trek
is neither too easy nor too hard, and you'll hike upstream just beside the
stream, and you'll come across several little waterfalls, a (kinda(!)) bigger
waterfall, and finally, all the way up, you'll see a fantastic view of the
valley underneath you!!! It is exceptional...
Planning my Ninglinspo trip depending on public transport was what delayed the
trip all the while. While it is actually well connected by public transport
(buses run once every hour), like most Belgian buses to villages, they become
very sparce during weekends & public holidays! While it is possible to do
a trip completely on public transport, it would get too hectic or you'll
probably have to do 2 day trips to the 2 places, which is also very much
possible (more details below). What did we do? A 2-day trip and used a taxi
for the very last bit.
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NINGLINSPO
A charming, family friendly trek in Belgium
Why is Ninglinspo called so? To begin with, the name Ninglinspo
was very weird for me. Why is Ninglinspo called so? That neither sounded Dutch
nor French for me and I began to dig into it and came to know that its
original name was Dolneux (yes, now that sounds French), but a mistake made by
a French cartographer, where he said, this is 'En Inglin Spau', the land of
the origin of Inglin river. 'En Inglin Spau' became 'Ninglinspo'!
As I mentioned, we took the train to Gare Aywaille and then directly took a
taxi, so we could drop off our luggage at the hotel and then reach the
starting point of the hike. It was a quick ride and we were at the starting
point of the hike. Btw, one of the fun things I've started doing with my
daughter on the roads is to see the vehicle plates and find the country and
somehow most vehicles at the parking of Ninglinspo hike were from the
Netherlands, even more than Belgium!
Blue Trail (No:21) at Ninglinspo: A board here, at the parking,
clearly shows the various trails that can be done at Ninglinspo. We chose the
Route 21, the blue route, which is about 6.5km. All the trails are color coded
and way marked, so it gets super easy to get around without any GPS.
Our hike started in a simple way, walking beside a stream. We also had to
cross a couple of small streams and here were also wooden bridges, in case
water level rises. The trail was beautiful with rocks & roots; trees
covered with moss; sounds of birds & running water everywhere; it was
awesome. Soon, we started to come across little waterfalls made by those
streams. And then, a wee-bit trickier parts began. There was a very slanted
rock, above 40-50° slanting, and there was a rope in place, to help cross that
and very soon, we were overhead a small waterfalls! It was quite amusing for
Atyudarini to see a waterfalls from the top as it was her first time seeing
that! The path further continued, but now there was a fence between the trail
and the stream. It was almost lunch time by then and we stopped at a bench
across the stream and had our packed picnic. There were kids trying to catch
some fishes and collecting stones. We also spotted a group who were trying to
record the sounds of nature up & close with microphones close to the
sources, like very close to the streams/waterfalls, or on the trees,
etc.
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Soon we were at the one of the important stops of our hike - Bain du Cerf
(trans. Deer Bath). While you cannot compare Ninglinspo with typical, high
waterfalls, this was stunning for what it was, a small waterfalls that flows
into a pool to swim in. Here too, there were ropes to help go down & climb
up the slopes. The weather wasn't great to go swimming, so we didn't!
A very short walk later, we were at Bain de Diane (trans. Diane's Bath) and
that's where the route takes a turn and you start walking back towards the
starting point, but in a different route. However, there were still some more
upward slopes to be climbed, and as other places, there were ropes in place to
aid the climbing. Then, very soon, the route got very flat and we were away
from the river, which quickly got a bit boring for Atyudarini. Then, we were
are the final important point of this trail - Point du vue Drouet (trans.
Drouet Point of View). The view was absolutely gorgeous. We did this trail in
the beginning of autumn and to see the slowly changing colors of the trees
from high above, it was awesome - some trees were green and some had just
started getting yellow and a few were yellow. I believe going here in the
depth of autumn would lend a phenomenal view.
Bus from Ninglinspo: After a bit of walk from Point du Vue Drouet,
we were at a point that said to turn left for Fond du Quarreux and right for
parking (where we started).
Here's the thing - if you are going to take the public transport to return, it
is probably better/wiser for you to turn left, have a look at Fond du
Quarreux, and then take the bus from Fond du Quarreux bus stop. Unfortunately,
I didn't know that we could reach the bus stop from this route, so I took
right and got back to the same bus stop, our starting point. That said, from
this point, the Fond du Quarreux is a bit longer than the route to staring
point, making the hike about 7km; and also, this part of the trail is not
way-marked, so you'll probably have to rely on your GPS and I'm personally
unaware of how the trail looks like.
Btw, an unusual thing happened when I was returning - the bus stop was filled
with multicultural, multiracial, multi-ethnic people and it didn't look like
all were hikers or tourists and it was a bit surprising! Well, that's when I
realized that, just opposite to the hike's starting point is the Red
Cross Reception Center of Nonceveux Amblève which runs the Refugee Center
of Amblève!
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Ninglinspo tickets: €0
Ninglinspo timings: 24x7
Where is Ninglinspo (on Google Maps): Balade de Ninglinspo
How to reach Ninglinspo? Best way to
reach here is by your own car. By public transport, take LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Gare Aywaille to Nonceveux Ninglinspo. More info and
detailed itinerary below.
Ninglinspo season: Check the
official website of Aywaille
to see if there are any official closures. There are times the town gets
closed to day-trippers to avoid overcrowding during some holidays. Also, when
the hunting season is on, the hiking path alone gets closed.
Mostly used hiking path:
Way-marked Blue route
via Route You
Deviated Route I wanted to try:
Ninglingspo by Bus
via Komoot (While most of the hike would be the same as the Blue Route, the
last bit, after Point du Vue Drouet, you turn left and head to Fond du
Quarreux bus stop and get the bus from there).
GROTTES DE REMOUCHAMPS
Longest boating inside a cave!
Entry to Grottes de Remouchamps: After hiking Ninglinspo, we got back
to the hotel and retired for the day. The next day, we headed out just
opposite to the hotel, to Grotte Remouchamps. I've been wanting to go here
since ages. Why? Well, this is one of the few places around the world where
you can go on a boat inside an underground cave and infact the largest one!!!
Entry to the cave is timed every hour and we had booked as soon as it opens.
Then the actual entry to every group is once in 5 minutes or so, so people are
well spread out across the cave and not all crowded in 1 chamber together. The
tour is self-guided, so you just help yourself and walk around. The path is
clear and there's no chance to get lost.
History of Grottes de Remouchamps: Grottes de Remouchamps has been a
busy cave ever since pre-historic times. Ten thousand years ago, at the
end of the Ice Age, prehistoric hunters lived in this cave. During the Middle
Ages, Remochamps was a Portuary village (a village where religious works were
being done) and the caves were its wine cellar! Much later, in 1828, the
complete cave network was discovered by Prof. Willmart of the University of
Liege. Then, during WW॥ it was used as a shelter by the people of the
region.
Geography & Geology of Grottes de Remouchamps: To understand how
awesome Grotte de Remouchamps is, it is necessary to understand the georgraphy
of it. First of all, what is Karst? Karst is the geomorphological structure
(changes made in geology by water!) - If a shape of any landscape, esp with
water-soluble rocks like carbonates or limestones, is changed constantly by
the action of water on it, that's Karst Phenonmenon.
The tributary of river Ambleve, called Rubicon, comes from the Chantoirs
valley, Near Deigné (where Monde Sauvage is located), it goes underground and
reappears only a few meters before its confluence with the Amblève. When I say
'goes underground', it is actually the action of the force of the flowing
water, that creates the passage to go underground! Today, it is this
underground flowing river is what we get to see inside Grottes de Remouchamps.
Even though, it is 'underground' it is technically at the same level as the
town around it, just that it is under a tiny hill that's about 100m
tall!
If you're an Indian reading this, here's something to think about - It is
suspected by scientists that river Saraswathi maybe flowing underground like
this, today!
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Chambers of Grottes de Remouchamps: We are the 3 or 4 to enter the
cave in our timeslot. There were dolls of witches, thanks to my visit in the
spooky month of October! The self-guided tour begins in the upper gallery on
foot. That's why you climb several stairs, to the top of the hill, to reach
the entrance of the caves. This walking tour is for 700m to each the other end
of the cave; from there, there's a boat(!) to reach back to the
entrance!
As soon as we entered, there was a wagon inside which was probably the mode of
luggage transfer in the middle ages & during WWII. Soon, we were walking
deep into the caves through the Gallery of Precipice, where, we were spotting
very many stalactites, stalagmites, pillars and draperies. This is an 80m long
gallery which served as a home to the locals during the wars.
Personally for me, the draperies are where the beauty is. The stalactites
& stalagmites are formed when it rains of the surface and the water seeps
in the ground and through the roof of the cave carrying limestone particles
which become limestone deposits here making the formations. It the water gets
evaporated, depositing the limestone particles at the ceiling it forms a
stalactite and if it drips down and flows away/evaporates, leaving the
limestone deposit on the ground it forms the stalagmites. As they grow &
meet, they form the pillars. It takes a century for the stalactites &
stalagmites to grow just 8 cu.cm. So.... don't touch it; don't break it!!!
At the end of this gallery, you start seeing the magic - the river Rubicon
flowing underneath, reflecting the cave in it! You also get see some 'parked
boats' here! You climb down the stairs & walk across Rubicon, on the
passage and walk over to the other side, at an elevation and soon we were in
the next gallery - The Labyrinth. What you see there in front of you are 3
tunnels in 3 different altitudes and the Rubicon river flowing beside you in a
lower altitude. Well, those 3 are the 3 different paths taken by the river
Rubicon over several millenia! First, the river flowed in the highest
altitude, and then slowly and steadily, it started creating channels at a
lower altitude, and in course of time, the lower altitude channel became the
main channel.... and then it all repeated again, and again, and now we the
river at this current altitude! The lighting effect in these 3 tunnels is
really good and it really helped to visualize how crazy this phenomenon
is!
Further ahead, we were in the next gallery which is the Gallery of the Great
Drapery or the Elephant Gallery which has a 7m tall stalagmite that resembles
a family of Elephants in 1 angle (like the baby in front of mommy who is in
front of daddy elephant)! This particular stalagmite is more than 700,000
years old!!! This is perhaps the most magnificent Stalagmite formation that
I've ever seen!
The next is the Virgin Mary Gallery where one of the stalagmites resemble a
Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus! That said, this gallery also where you can see
prehistoric fossils of molluscs like organisms embedded on the cave wall!
These could be as old as 360 million years! Apart from these, fossils of
corals & sea sponges have also been found inside this cave. The draperies
in this gallery were also mind-blowing; I mean, really, some of those look
like fabric!!!
Other natural caves to visit in Belgium - Grottes de Han, Grottes de Hotton, Grottes de Rochefort, Grottes de Merveilleux (Dinant), Grottes de Remioul (Prehistomuseum).
The next is the grand gallery which is 22m tall. This is wide & large
room, the biggest in this cave. At this point we are 80m below the hilltop.
Technically the lowest point underground, but still, at the same level as the
town around it, just under the highest point of the hill! At this point there
are also little 'pools' formed by the river when it gets bulged! It was quite
fascinating, and perhaps the first time I was seeing stalagmites forming
'draperies'! Rubicon formed this, when overflowing!!!
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This is the point which has a spiral staircase with 82 steps to climb. This
was setup in 1912. Again, here the geology is quite interesting - without the
spiral staircase it would be have been one vertical climb, on a vertical rock
face followed by a 60° slanted rockface - impossible! That said, if you don't
feel like climbing this staircase, it is possible to wrap up the tour here and
get the boat to return from this point.
Thanks to the staircase, it is possible to see the tallest gallery in this
cave - called the Cathedral. The height of it is a whopping 40m with several
several stalactites from high above on the ceiling. The stalactites &
stalagmites make quite some formations here and it is called Cathedral for a
reason - the formations on your right & left resemble Nativity Scene and
the musical Organ! A gentle climb down, brought us to the 'boat jetty'! I
mean, how often do you see a 'boat jetty' under ground, inside a cave?!!! From
here we took the boat back to the entrance and it's first stop was to pickup
the people near the spiral staircase and then we went on. The boatsman now
started giving all information as he navigated us through the waterway. Yes,
the level of water, just like the rivers outside, bulges & shrinks time to
time, as per the weather. So, yes, a heavy rain can cause river Rubicon to
completely bulge and fill the cave so much that it is in impossible to go
boating; and in those times, ofcourse, the cave is shut to the public. He
also explained that at some places, the cave is not just limestone, but
also oil shale. As we went through the water, we spotted 'the Palm Tree'
- well, it's a huge column, formed by the stalactite & stalagmite meeting
each other and forming a big pillar like structure that resembles a palm
tree.
It is so unique in so many ways -
I'm going on a boat inside a cave in an underground river and I'm seeing a
palm tree sized column made by the stalactites & stalagmites, in the
middle of that river!!!
Grottes de Remouchamps Tickets: €19 for adults; €13 for kids
How to reserve Grottes de Remouchamps Tickets: Buy
time-slot ticket online in the
official site of Grottes de Remouchamps
Grottes de Remouchamps Timings: 9:30AM to 6:00PM all days except Winter. Check their website for winter
closure periods
Where is Grottes de Remouchamps (on Google Maps): Les Grottes de Remouchamps
How to reach Grottes de Remouchamps: Best way to reach here is by your own car. By public transport,
take LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Gare Aywaille to Grotte Remouchamps. More info and
detailed itinerary below.
Tips for visiting Grottes
de Remouchamps: Wear sturdy shoes - the floor is uneven and can also skip when its wet.
Choose to visit in a non-rainy season - the caves are closed when the river
bulges.
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MONDE-SAUVAGE Wildlife Safari Park
Very close to Grotte de Remouchamps, just 4km away, is Monde Sauvage Wildlife
Safari Park. Infact, Grottes de Remouchamps is being managed by Monde-Sauvage
Wildlife Safari. Like a typical safari, you can go explore the park with your
own car or in their little toy train or on foot. Animals from all around the
world, from Lions, Hippos, Zebras, Giraffes, Camel & many more are here,
in an open space enclosures. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to go here yet. If
I do, I'll update you here.
Monde Sauvage Tickets: €20.50 for adults; €14 for kids
How to reserve Monde Sauvage Tickets: Buy
time-slot ticket online in the official site of Monde Sauvage
Monde Sauvage Timings: 10:00AM to 6:00PM all days except Winter. Check their website for winter
closure periods
Where is Monde Sauvage (on Google Maps): Monde Sauvage Safari Parc
How to reach Monde Sauvage: Take LeTEC Bus Route 64 from Grottes Remouchamps or Liege Guillemins to
Louveigne Deigné and walk to 1.5km to Monde Sauvage. Or walk/bike 4km from
Grottes Remouchamps.
HOTEL BONHOMME
Best hotel in Aywaille & Oldest Hotel in Belgium!
There are 2 major hotels to stay in Aywaille region close to Remouchamps &
Ninglinspo. One is R Hotel Experiences & Hotel Bonhomme and we stayed at
Hotel Bonhomme.
The best thing about Hotel Bonhomme is its location; it's just across the
street from Grottes de Remouchamps, on the main road, in the central junction
of Aywaille. The hotel was awesome with very comfortable rooms & an
amazing restaurant. The rooms are truly historic with its timber frames,
vintage furnishings that were truly charming. That said, all the facilities
& amenities were very modern and comfortable.
Hotel Bonhomme has been welcoming visitors since 1768 and it has been the
family business for 8 generations! It has been an Inn ever since 1768 and has
welcomed some VVIP King Albert I of Belgium, the Count and Countess of
Paris etc! So with that comes the tricky part when we came to the restaurant
downstairs to eat - packing for a hike & a cave visit, we were not even
near rightly-dressed for a gastronomic restaurant of this sort! So yes, here's
the tip - pack something nice to wear to this restaurant!
There's a wall in the reception showing all the historic photos of the hotel.
That also means that the hotel survived the 2 world wars! From the window view
of my room I could see the 2 Remouchamps Viaducts. One is the brand-new
motorway, an engineering marvel, that's almost 1km long and 80m above the
river! The other is the historic railway bridge which was originally built in
1883. However, it was blown-up twice during WWII and was rebuilt in the same
way in 1947-48 and it looks absolutely charming. It is quite something to see
the 2 bridges, one in front of another...
Where is Hotel Bonhomme (On Google Maps): Hotel Bonhomee
How to reach Hotel Bonhomme: Best way to reach here is by your own car. By public transport,
take LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Gare Aywaille to Grotte Remouchamps. More info
and detailed itinerary below.
To book online: Hotel Bonhomme official site
Hotel phone no: +32 4384 40 06
Room rates begin at €100 for double occupancy in standard room without
breakfast
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NINGLINSPO & GROTTES DE REMOUCHAMPS ITINERARY
Day trip to Ninglingspo Itinerary by train:
7:00 to 8:39 (or) 9:00 to 10:39 - SNCB-NMBS Train from Brussels Central to
Gare Aywaille via Liege Guillemins
Wait!
9:52 to 10:16 (or) 11:52 to 12:16 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Gare Aywaille to
Nonceveux Ninglinspo. Schedule of LeTEC Bus Route 142 via LeTEC Official Website.
Hike Ninglinspo for 4 or 6 hours depending on the bus timings you
choose.
14:42 to 15:00 (or) 16:42 to 17:00 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Nonceveux
Ninglinspo to Gare Aywaille (16:42 is the last bus, don't miss it!).
15:23 to 16:55 (or) 17:23 to 18:55 - SNCB-NMBS Train from Gare Aywaille to
Brussels Central via Liege Guillemins
Day trip to Grottes de Remouchamps Cave Itinerary by train:
Exactly same as above but get off the bus at Grottes Remouchamps.
1-day cramped trip to Ningslinspo & Grottes de Remouchamps Itinerary on
a Saturday:
7:00 to 8:39 - SNCB-NMBS Train from Brussels Central to Gare Aywaille via
Liege Guillemins
Wait!
9:52 to 10:16 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Gare Aywaille to Nonceveux. Schedule of LeTEC Bus Route 142 via LeTEC Official Website.
Hike Ninglinspo for 4 hours
14:42 to 14:48 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Nonceveux Ninglinspo to
Grottes Remouchamps.
15:00 - Enter Grottes de Remouchamps (they have a timed entry every hour).
Visit Grottes de Remouchamps for 1.5 hrs (that's a quick visit)
16:48 to 17:00 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Grottes Remouchamps to Gare
Aywaille (This is the last bus, don't miss it!).
17:23 to 18:55 - SNCB-NMBS Train from Gare Aywaille to Brussels Central via
Liege Guillemins
2-day trip to Ningslinspo & Grottes de Remouchamps (+ Monde Sauvage)
Itinerary on a Weekend:
Day 1 (Saturday)
9:00 to 10:39 - SNCB-NMBS Train from Brussels Central to Gare Aywaille via
Liege Guillemins
Wait!
11:52 to 12:16 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Gare Aywaille to Nonceveux
Ninglinspo. Schedule of LeTEC Bus Route 142 via LeTEC Official Website.
(If you have luggage that you cannot hike with, you have to get down at
Grottes Remouchamps, leave your bags at the hotel and then take a taxi to
reach Ninglinspo. I booked my taxi with Taxi Henry Aywaille - Ph: +32 438
44528).
Hike Ninglinspo for 6 hours.
16:42 to 16:48 - LeTEC Bus Route 142 from Nonceveux Ninglinspo to
Grottes Remouchamps (This is the last bus, don't miss it!).
Stay overnight at Hotel Bonhomme or R Hotel Experiences.
Day 2 (Sunday)
9:30/9:55Walk to Grottes de Remouchamps (across the road from Hotel
Bonhomme (or) 1.5km (20 mins walk) from R Hotel Experiences).
10:00 - Enter Grottes de Remouchamps (they have a timed entry every hour).
Visit Grottes de Remouchamps. for 3 hrs
Quick lunch
13:36 to 13:41 - LeTEC Bus Route 64 from Grottes Remouchamps to Louveigne
Deigné
Walk to Monde Sauvage (1.3km (19 mins walk))
Visit Monde Sauvage on foot or safari train for 2:45 or 4:00 hours.
17:15 (or) 18:45 - Leave from Monde Sauvage (they close at 18:00) and walk
to bus stop.
17:45 to 18:20 (or) 19:16 to 19:51 - LeTEC Bus Route 64 from Louveigne
Deigné to Liege Guillemins
19:00 to 19:55 (or) 20:00 to 20:55 - SNCB-NMBS Train from Liege
Guillemins to Brussels Central
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PIN IT / BOOKMARK IT NOW, READ LATER
We had 2 weeks in Belgium and spent our time exploring the cities. I had no idea about great outdoor spots like Ninglinspo. While it seems we could do it by public transport but I would probably want to have a car to move at my own pace. Nice to know there are different paths to hike. And we would certainly try to add in a visit to the Grottes de Remouchamps. Next time we visit Belgium we will certainly be heading for outdoor adventures.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such an incredible place to explore, like something straight out of a fantasy novel where they're wandering through a forest. I love spending time in nature and this is 100% a place I would love to go exploring in the near future, especially while I'm living in Europe for the time being.
ReplyDeleteI have visited Belgium for a couple of days decades ago and you have inspired me to do a trip soon. Ninglinspo sounds totally magical. Belgium’s Tada is perfect for me - no hard hikes. It is impressive that there was a long boating tour inside an underground cave. I would love to visit this place someday.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful place to explore and I am happy to know that these are also kid-friendly. Actually, it never crossed our mind to visit the outdoors when in Belgium but I am pretty sure my little boy would enjoy exploring the Chambers of Grottes de Remouchamps.
ReplyDeleteNinlingspo name has a very interesting origin and a very unique name and looks like a scenic hiking trail. Exploring tiny waterfalls joined by bridges, birds chirping around and the fresh smell of earth in the laps of nature is always refreshing! And a boat ride through the Grottes DevRemouchamps sounds exhilarating with the giant stalactites and stalagmites looking at you and rocks resembling pillars and draperies. It’s magical how the river Rubicon flows underneath the caves and these rock formations are standing here for millions of years!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! I would love to visit this place!
I love your posts about lesser known places in Belgium. Ningslinspo looks so fresh and green and the picture with the rainbow is like a fairytale. Visiting the Grottes de Remouchamps would be on my list too - such beautiful rock formations!
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of Ninglinspo, but I loved learning about it's name! Funny how names get changed like that. Sounds like a wonderful family friendly hike with beautiful scenery -- just the kind of hiking we look for.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the Grottes de Remouchamps, too. Amazing to explore the caves, especially by boat!
What a charming story about the origins of the name of Ninglinspo. The forest around here just give off good vibes especially the sound of that stream as you walk alongside. I definitely will include that underground cave boat trip in GROTTES DE REMOUCHAMPS - All in all : this is a really good side trip to go on after city visits.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an amazing trip. The hike looked like a lot of fun and reminded me of forests in the UK, the view from the top overlooking the area, though is stunning. I would love to visit when all the trees have changed colour though. I would also love to stay in the same hotel, I love older hotels with character and history. The cave looked like so much fun, I love visiting caves, but having a boat in there too, looks very cool.
ReplyDelete