Five Countries Cycle

Make your own way to the meeting point, a hotel in Maastricht*, no later than 1pm, ready to cycle. (*when Maastricht is full, the meeting point is a hotel in ‘s-Gravenvoeren, approx. 20km from Maastricht, across the border in Belgium. This will be advised on confirmation - in this case today's cycle will be 29km). We can assist with booking pre-tour accommodation (according to your meeting point) on request. At the meeting point you leave your luggage at the hotel for collection and transfer and collect your travel documents and bike. When you're ready, set off to Liege (in Belgium). Cycle following the river Jeker to the picturesque village of Kanne and soon after pass the locks at Ternaaien / Lanaye. From here, follow the RAVeL International Meuse Route cycle path via Vise to Liege (Luik in Dutch). The last few kilometres take you past tall cranes, rusty boats and old but busy industrial zones. Straddling the Meuse River (or Maas as it is known in Dutch), Liège is in Belgium’s French-speaking Wallonia region and dates from medieval times evidenced by St Bartholomew, a Romanesque church. Its cultural legacy is demonstrated by Opéra Royal de Wallonie, which has been the home of opera since the early 1800's. After settling into your hotel, take some time to explore the historic centre or wander through the parks and boulevards lining the river. Overnight in Liege.

Taking you right through the centre of Liege, the cycle path along the Meuse is pleasant and safe. Follow the John Cockerill railway as you make your way out of the city, following the signs for RAVeL (La Meuse a velo) and past the blast furnaces of Seraing, which are awe-inspiring up close. If you like decorative glass, you can stop at the Val St Lambert crystal factory shop. Continue along the quiet backroads, past typical Walloon villages and never far from the river, towards Huy. Just before Huy, switch to the bike track, where the Tihange nuclear reactor is another striking industrial complex. The Grande Place in Huy is an ideal spot for a lunch break. From Huy enjoy the change of scenery as nature gradually prevails over industry. In Namur, at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, a stunning medieval fortress has a commanding position above the river. Drink in the views from the gardens of the Citadel de Namur, and time permitting, enjoy explore some of the 7km of underground passages. Overnight Namur.

Today you will follow the RAVeL (La Meuse a velo) to Dinant, passing through the village of Wepion, famous for strawberries, and the Gardens of Annevoie further along the river are well worth a visit. In Dinant take your time exploring and enjoy its riverside cafes. After Dinant, you will reach the lovely Chateau Freyr, once the summer house of the Dukes of Beaufort-Spontin. For the next several kilometres you'll cycle on the former railway line from Hastiere to Mariembourg. Cross the border into France and the first town you'll encounter is Givet, with its imposing Charlemont citadel. Overnight in Givet.

Today you will cycle on the 'Voie Verte Trans-Ardennes' following the Meuse river. One of today's highlights is a visit to the charming town of Montherme, best known for its religious monuments, the Abbey of Laval Dieu and the Church of Saint-Leger. Your destination is Charleville-Mézières, with its lovely town centre. If today's full distance is a little daunting, you can take a train from Givet or at various points along the way, to shorten the stage. The train mostly follows the Meuse route.

The cycle today is quite challenging. The route continues on the Voie Verte Trans-Ardennes through a picturesque landscape to Sedan, famous for its castle. At Sedan, you leave the International Meuse Route. After a break for lunch, set off on the first leg of the connecting route that bridges the end of the Meuse route and the start of the Vennbahn. On the French side, a quiet road climbs gradually (average 3% incline) to the border. After crossing back into Belgium, there's a delightful descent to Bouillon. The town has an impressive castle-fortress, once the residence of Godfrey of Bouillon, the French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. Overnight in Bouillon.

This is the most challenging day of the trip, across the Ardennes. Leave Bouillon this morning by way of a narrow, climbing road and proceed along a connecting route through the south of Belgium. After a few kilometres you'll be pedalling on country roads flanked by farmland, on a rolling plateau, passing characteristic villages seemingly untouched by time. The views are lovely! A good place to stop for lunch is the town of Libramont-Chevigny, home to the Museum of the Celts. At the end of this section, follow another stretch of the RAVeL route (on the former railway line 163 from Libramont via Bastogne to Gouvy) to Bastogne. Bastogne has many monuments remembering the Battle of the Ardennes at the end of WWII. Overnight in Bastogne.

From the 'Gare du Sud' railway station, follow RAVeL 163 in a northerly direction on one of the most beautiful bike tracks of the RAVeL network. South of Gouvy, at the end of this RAVeL route, head east to the border with Luxembourg. Shortly afterwards you cycle through a slightly undulating landscape on peaceful roads to the Vennbahn route. In Huldange, the highest point in Luxembourg (558.5m) you will reach the Vennbahn, then a little later cross back into Belgium. Through a beautiful landscape the route takes you to the ruins of Burg Reuland, towering high above the village. Continue to Hemmeres, a German enclave, and finally to today's destination of Sankt-Vith.

Progress is easy on the paved bike track between Sankt-Vith and Waimes, as you pedal towards the Belgian-German Ardennes-Eiffel Nature Park. Stop off in Montenau (and an Ardennes ham smokehouse), in Sourbrodt, a former station on the Vennbahn railway, and in Kalterherberg, where there are several possibilities for a tasty lunch. Further on you will leave the Vennbahn to make a detour to Monschau. Quaint and enchanting, this small town in the Eifel region boasts lovely half-timbered houses, enticing shops, friendly cafes and good restaurants. Overnight in Monschau.

On your last cycling day head back from Monschau centre to the Vennbahn rail trail. A visit to the monumental town of Kornelimünster is a must. After a long descent you will reach the town of Aachen. Once a royal residence of the emperor Charlemagne, it served as the principal coronation site of Holy Roman emperors and of German kings from the Middle Ages to the Reformation. After your visit to this historic town, cycle trough the rolling Limburg landscape back to Maastricht… Or book a train ticket and cycle to Kerkrade from where you take the train. Taking the train will shorten the cycling to 61-80km/38-50mi (dependent on your hotel). Ticket not included, payable locally. You can relax and enjoy as the hills of the scenic southern Limburg glide by. Overnight in Maastricht (NL) or ‘s-Gravenvoeren (B)

The trip concludes after breakfast.