Tourist
information of
Grez-Doiceau
information of
Grez-Doiceau
information of Grez-Doiceau
(Trace gpx)
Walks
Nethen "The Walls" (9 km)
The starting point for this walk is the church of St-Jean-Baptiste. Built in the 18th century (the main body dates back to 1768) in brick and white stone, it is of a well-balanced, neo-classical design, with no visible sign of the fact that it was enlarged around 1860 after the disappearance of the church in Wez. Inside there is an Adoration of the Magi, a copy of a painting by J Gossart (16th century), a Lamentation of Christ, a painting in the style of Caravaggio, etc. The furniture is Regency, Louis XV and XVI (rood-screen, door leaves, pulpit, confessionals). The gothic baptismal font is in blue stone.
Before leaving the church, take a look at the Chateau van Zeebroeck, which stands on the other side of the road. This huge building, previously called Ferme Demariage, underwent considerable extension in the 19th century with the addition of a large gate-lodge with arched doorways and a slate roof. The main part, also renovated last century, is a wide building with twelve windows on each of the two levels with dormer windows above.
Notice also, still opposite the church, three beautiful houses (late 18th century).
On coming out of the church, turn left and follow Rue de Hamme-Mille. Walk along beside the village green; next to the church there is a large clump of conifers, which stand on the medieval mound of Nethen; this used to have a look-out tower or a keep. The mound dates back to the 15th century and is a classified site. On returning to the church at the end of the walk you can see the mound clearly from the other side of the church.
The sand quarry
Cross the River Nethen. On the bend on the right-hand side take a couple of minutes to go down a very short path to see a small water source “la Fontaine Saint-Jean”. Back on the main road turn left into a small road, which turns into a narrow path as it rises steeply to a pine wood. Turn right just inside the wood, following the walk sign, along a path which goes along the top of the old sand quarry. Enjoy the view from the top of the sand quarry over to the other side of the valley with its fields, copses and houses, and the wood of Pécrot. At the road le Tienne Vincent, turn left. After 300 metres this becomes le Chemin de la Trace, which leads to Meerdael Wood on the northern side of the village of Nethen. This is a pleasant track with a beautiful view on the left over fields to the walls of the Domaine de Savenel, which we are going to walk round, and in a hollow the Farm of the Twelve “Bonniers” (a bonnier is an old, Belgian measure of land).
Savenel
The estate of Savenel, with the château in the centre, consists of about 150 acres of woods, fields and wet meadows; in addition to the château there is an old barn and a few other buildings. It is completely surrounded by a high brick wall around three kilometres in length. Although a tower or keep may date back to the 13th century, the estate as we know it today dates from the 17th century, when the Carmes Déchaussés (barefoot monks) from Leuven bought it to serve as a Retreat, a place of prayer, contemplation and meditation in solitude (a “Saint Desert”). They stayed there from 1688 until 1795, when the French occupation, which had annexed the Belgian provinces after the revolution, forced them to leave under the law of the New Republic.
Most of the monastery buildings were pillaged and then destroyed. The wall, built at the beginning of the 18th century, survived and still surrounds the property today. This is the wall that we follow on this walk.
The forest of Meerdael
Only a small part of the forest lies in the commune of Nethen. As we walk round the Savenel estate, we can fully appreciate all aspects of its beauty – the undulating landscape, the trees, mostly beech, and many paths.
At the end of Chemin de la Trace continue straight on after the last house and enter the forest just where there is a large, old oak tree with benches surrounding its enormous trunk. In the forest turn half-left into a straight path. In a dip 300 metres on take a small track on the left; then 100 metres further on turn left again into a track that goes down-hill. At the bottom it joins another forest track (note the large tree on the right with the number six painted on its trunk); turn right, pass a field on your left (the estate walls run along the far side of the field), and follow the path round the field. At the top re-enter the forest. After 200 metres turn left into a beautiful sunken lane which leads to the estate walls and follows them down all the way to the bottom of the valley and the ‘porte’ (gate or doorway) Saint Pierre. This old gateway is built in a very English style, unusual in this village; turn right just before the gateway along a track which runs alongside the wetlands of the river Nethen.