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Best Forest Hikes in Belgium

319 routes in Belgium qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 7.8 km and 163 m (535 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 78.8 km.

That is 9 percent of the 3,665 routes we map in Belgium. They are shorter than the local average, 7.8 km against 10.1 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day.

Forest trails are the dependable choice: shade when it is hot, shelter when it is not, and a completely different character once the leaves turn. The mix is broad: 137 are rated easy and 12 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

Jeune Bois

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
5.5 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
121 m
Typical duration
1 hr 19 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le Bois Jean

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
8.7 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
190 m
Typical duration
2 hr 5 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Abannets

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
194 m
Typical duration
2 hr 8 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Aisances

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
6.6 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
146 m
Typical duration
1 hr 36 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Anciennes Carrières

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
9.3 km
/ 5.8 mi
Elevation gain
204 m
Typical duration
2 hr 14 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Bornes

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
7.6 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
167 m
Typical duration
1 hr 50 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Carrières

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
6.2 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
136 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Charmes

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
135 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Crêtes

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
5.8 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
127 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Dolimarts

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
88 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Epioux

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
238 m
Typical duration
2 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Huit Semois

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Mauleus

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
107 m
Typical duration
1 hr 10 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Pelouses Calcicoles

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
179 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Recours

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
74 m
Typical duration
49 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Rivelottes

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
73 m
Typical duration
48 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Rives

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
12.6 km
/ 7.8 mi
Elevation gain
277 m
Typical duration
3 hr 2 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Sentier des Songes

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
71 m
Typical duration
47 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les Étangs de Conques

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
115 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mechels Bos Oranje bol

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
1 hr 21 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Mechels Bos Paarse trapezium

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
188 m
Typical duration
2 hr 4 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mechels Bos aanlooproute

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mechels bos Groene rechthoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
82 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Promenade Entre les Lacs

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
22.4 km
/ 13.9 mi
Elevation gain
493 m
Typical duration
5 hr 38 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Promenade des Grands Bois

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
10.1 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
222 m
Typical duration
2 hr 26 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Promenade du Bois Bascouw

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
72 m
Typical duration
47 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Promenade du Bois de Blaimont

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
1 hr 33 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Promenade du Bois de Gonrieux

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
5.8 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
127 m
Typical duration
1 hr 24 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Promenade du Bois de Lompret

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
160 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Promenade du Bois d’Aublain

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
262 m
Typical duration
2 hr 53 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

GR 16 Variante Les Bulles

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Easy

GR 16 Variante Les Hayons

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Moderate

GR 412 Boucle 2 Les Coteaux

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
9.7 km
/ 6.0 mi
Elevation gain
213 m
Typical duration
2 hr 20 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Moderate

GR 412 Boucle 3 Hasard-Bas Bois

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
252 m
Typical duration
2 hr 46 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Easy

Les 9 Hêtres

Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois · Wallonia

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
1 hr 33 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les Taillettes

National Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse · Wallonia

Distance
8.4 km
/ 5.2 mi
Elevation gain
186 m
Typical duration
2 hr 2 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ad's Path

Nationaal Park Brabantse Wouden · Flanders

Distance
25.3 km
/ 15.7 mi
Elevation gain
557 m
Typical duration
6 hr 25 min
  • Forest
Expert

Entre Lesse et Lomme

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
78.8 km
/ 49.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,734 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Promenade du Tram noir

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
94 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Castle and ruins

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
50 Promenade de Dohan (Les Hayons, Bouillon)Parc national de la Vallée de la Semois8.5 km186 m2 hr 3 minModerateApril to October
Circuit d'Interprétation du Bois de MaconNational Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse3.7 km81 m53 minEasyApril to October
Jeune BoisParc national de la Vallée de la Semois5.5 km121 m1 hr 19 minEasyApril to October
La Butte aux Bois Groene rechthoekHoge Kempen National Park5.3 km118 m1 hr 17 minEasyApril to October
La Butte aux Bois Paarse trapeziumHoge Kempen National Park11.2 km247 m2 hr 42 minModerateApril to October
Le Bois JeanParc national de la Vallée de la Semois8.7 km190 m2 hr 5 minModerateApril to October
Le Forêt d'Herbeumont et le Rocher du ChatParc national de la Vallée de la Semois20.0 km440 m4 hr 59 minHardApril to October
Les AbannetsNational Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse8.8 km194 m2 hr 8 minModerateApril to October
Les AisancesParc national de la Vallée de la Semois6.6 km146 m1 hr 36 minModerateApril to October
Les Anciennes CarrièresNational Park Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse9.3 km204 m2 hr 14 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Mechels Bos Paarse trapezium, Promenade du Bois d’Aublain, Les Dolimarts. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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