On leaving Guise, via the voie verte, you reach Vadencourt, continuing to follow the Oise.

From Macquigny to Origny-Sainte-Benoite, a new greenway built on the old railway line follows the Oise. This very natural route is well worth the diversions.

At Guise, a more direct variant through the plateau joins the route at Macquigny.

This route, among meadows and ponds,  follows the towpath of the Sambre à l’Oise canal.  Don’t hesitate to take a few detours to discover the brick villages that line the canal. Saint-Quentin, 15 km from Ribemont, is a beautiful town, renowned for its Art-Deco architecture.

This stage and the next cross the Moyenne vallée de l’Oise, made up of large expanses of hay meadows that often flood, and are home to more than 200 species of bird, including one protected species, the corncrake.
Tergnier is a former railway workers’ housing estate designed by Raoul Dautry and destroyed during the Second World War. Chauny, ravaged during the First World War, was rebuilt in an Art-Deco style.

At Tergnier, connection with the Veloroute Vallée de Somme – V30.

Between Marest-Dampcourt and Pont-l’Evêque, the route continues along the canal. Noyon is classified as a Town of Art and History, with a medieval atmosphere around the cathedral which saw the coronation of Hugues Capet in 987.
Then a stop to discover the impressive ruins of the Cistercian abbey of Ourscamp is highly recommended.

After Maubeuge, the route passes through a landscape of hedged farmland where you can discover churches, bandstands, dance halls, mills and the economic activities of yesteryear revealed by the earthenware and pottery museum at Ferrière-la-Petite and the glass museum at Sars-Poteries.

From Liessies to Trélon, the route passes through the beautiful Abbé-Val-Joly national forest.
The route then bends towards Fourmies, where the Musée du Textile et de la Vie sociale (Textile and Social Life Museum) bears witness to the textile industry, which was very important until 1950.

The route follows the Axe vert de la Thiérache which follows the course of the River Oise. Riding through this landscape of meadows, apple trees and hawthorn hedges is enchanting.

At Ohis, Wimy, Sorbais and Autreppes, you can take in the stunning fortified churches.

This stage continues  along the Axe vert de la Thiérache to Guise. Fortified churches, mills still mark this beautiful hedged farmland route. A visit to the Familistère de Guise, a “social palace” for housing workers built in the 19th century by Jean-Baptiste-André Godin, is a must.

The towpath that follows the meandering Sambre between Namur and Floriffoux bears witness to a major industrial park. Then it’s on to more rural surroundings, with a diversion to Floreffe Abbey, built on a promontory, offering a remarkable viewpoint. Before arriving in Auvelais, we return to an industrial environment with the famous Moustier glassworks and the Solvay chemical plants.

This stage, especially from Farciennes to Charleroi, reveals once again the strong industrialisation of the region. Some industries have disappeared (steel), while others have been modernised or developed (glassmaking, aeronautics, biotechnology). Many of Charleroi’s brownfield sites are currently being rehabilitated.

Don’t miss the guided walks offered by the Maison du tourisme des pays de Charleroi.

After Charleroi, the peaceful, leafy route passes through Thuin, a pleasant place to stroll and admire the hanging gardens. It then reaches Lobbes, with its magnificent collegiate church, and the pleasant town of Merbes-le-Château.

This cross-border stage, green in Belgium, moves from one bank of the Sambre to the other in France, among industrial remains (drawbridges, depots, shed-roofed factories) and hedged farmland.

Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen), a former imperial city, lies at the very heart of Europe.
Charlemagne (748-814) was the ancestor of Europe and the founding father of France and Germany. With his imperial coronation, the royal palace at Aachen became his favourite residence and, for almost two decades, the centre of the Carolingian Empire.

From the borders of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium (the 3 Bornes), the Pays de Herve reveals a land of hedgerows and orchards.

This verdant region boasts a remarkable heritage: three of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Wallonia”, Val-Dieu Abbey, the Meuse Valley, the Trois-Bornes…

In the Pays de Herve, you produce syrup (Liège syrup, you see it everywhere and put it in everything!), cheese of the same name which, in terms of scent, is as good as a Munster! Not forgetting cider and beer.

The RAVeL that takes you to Liège is used today by a wide variety of users : on a daily basis for work, school or shopping, and also for leisure, relaxation or tourism.

Liège is a must-see stopover. It has a reputation for being welcoming, lively, laughing… it’s nicknamed the Cité Ardente!

It has a varied architectural, historical and cultural heritage.

The new station, an aerial structure designed by Santiago Calatrava, is well worth a visit.

The start of the route runs alongside the industrial estate, which is impressive but fortunately undergoing conversion.

Then, Huy‘s approach becomes more peaceful.

Situated halfway between Liège and Namur, the site has always been strategic. The town boasts a magnificent collegiate church and a peaceful centre offering great walks through its very rich and eventful history.

Still following the RAVeL on the right bank of the Meuse, we reach Andenne, a small town on the Meuse.

Next, a gentle entry to Namur , the other capital of Belgium!