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One of Belgium’s tourist gems, La Roche-en-Ardenne is a municipality in the Walloon region in the province of Luxembourg. The “jewel of the Ardennes” lies on the banks of the River Ourthe making it a perfect summer or vacation destination for Europeans and even for the locals.
Aside from the natural beauty offered by the lush and verdant hills and the rushing river waters, La Roche offers a unique charm that comes from its rich ancient history. The town was already a settlement in the Neolithic period and like a number of areas in Walloon became a fortified town under the Roman Empire. La Roche developed as a town with its major guilds comprised of the weavers, tailors or haberdashers, tanners and cordwainers. It started becoming a tourist destination as early as the 19th century when English people would come for fly fishing. Although it also suffered great devastation during the World War II, it was able to rebuild itself from the ruins and preserve most of its natural resources. Now this vacation paradise has sprung up with resorts and all sorts of holiday facilities.
To get to La Roche-en-Ardenne via train, make a stop at the Marloie station on the Brussels-Namur-Luxembourg line. From Liege, you can take a train to Melreux. Then take a bus to La Roche. On the highway, it is on the N89, between N4 (Namur-Marche-Luxembourg) and E25 (Liege-Bastogne-Luxembourg) motorways.
Because of its long and colorful past, the people of La Roche has amazingly kept a rich assemblage of folklore and tradition, evident in the festivals that are celebrated in the area. Some examples of the annual events observed by the people are the Bandas Festival, the Soup Festival and the Bal Cochonailles or the medieval festival at the castle of La Roche. As well there are several local markets and fairs held in La Roche and neighboring towns which bring together the finest artisans from the area and where visitors get to also sample the local delicacies.
Perhaps the most prominent landmark of this charming little town is the medieval castle whose ruins still stand majestically above La Roche. Built in the 9th century it was in use until the 17th century. It was turned into a fortress when the French Army started its sieges in the region. After it was laid to waste following the attacks it was never restored back to its former glory. However, the ruins are now part of the landscape of La Roche and one of its popular tourist attractions.
There are also attractions around the town that attest to its painful past during the World War II. There is the Achilles Anti-tank SP 17 used by the Britsih Army in 1944. It was placed in a special area in town as a symbol of the liberation of La Roche by the British Army in 1945. Then there is the Battle of the Ardennes Museum which displays memorabilia from the devastating World War II. There are photos, period vehicles and war artilleries and other objects presented in slide shows and wax figures.
What draws visitors to the town though are its sporting and cultural facilities combined with the breathtaking vistas around. La Roche offers over 250 kilometres of marked trails for those into hiking and cycling. The River Ourthe is a stretch of over 20 kilometres of cool, rushing waters perfect for those into kayaking, canoeing, or even leisurely boating. The town also has a cinema, a water playground for children and a beach (Maboge Beach) lying on the outskirts. The Parc a Gibier (Wild Game Park) is an ideal family destination – there’s a walking trail where you can see various animals in their natural habitat. Children will have a fun time spotting wild cats, owls, farm animals, fallow deer and stags among others.
Local tourism is so strong that it is not surprising to find the town of La Roche with plenty of accommodations to suit the travelers’ needs – from hotels, inns, B&B’s to camp sites and camp grounds for those who are just in town for the sporting activities. There are also good restaurants serving traditional Belgian cuisine and some bars as well as a number of shops in the town centre. But a must-stop is the traditional chocolate factory of Samree where chocolate confections are made from about 60 kinds of chocolate. The chocolates are also all handmade according to traditional methods. A visit to the shop will not be complete without sampling scrumptious confections such as orangettes, manons, pralines and marzipan.
