# Durbuy and La Roche-en-Ardenne Durbuy, the stone village on the Ourthe, with its topiary park, Adventure Valley and the Wéris dolmens, and La Roche castle 35 minutes away. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/durbuy-and-la-roche-en-ardenne · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Durbuy is the most convenient gateway to the Ardennes from Brussels: a village of grey stone and slate roofs set in a bend of the Ourthe, beneath the castle of the Counts of Ursel, which advertises itself as "the smallest city in the world". Around it you have a garden with more than 250 boxwood figures, a large adventure park, the Wéris dolmens and, 35 minutes upriver, La Roche-en-Ardenne and the ruins of its feudal castle. Together they make a long day by car or a relaxed night away. ## How do you get there from Brussels? By car, about an hour and a half: the E411 towards Namur and Luxembourg, exit 18 for Durbuy, and the N929. Leave the car in the old town car parks, with a single rate of €9 and panels showing free spaces. From Durbuy to La Roche is about 35 minutes via Hotton. Without a car it is complicated: the train on line 43, Liège–Jemelle, stops at Barvaux and Bomal, with a change at Liège or Namur, and a shuttle to Durbuy that only runs at certain times of year. For this trip, hire a car. ## What to see in Durbuy? Start with the old town and the Ourthe: an hour of lanes, the bridge and the riverbank with views of the castle, which is private. Next to it is the topiary park, €5 and an hour among animals and characters in boxwood, open every day except from mid-January to mid-February. If you are travelling with children or teenagers, Adventure Valley needs the whole day: zip lines, a via ferrata, treetop walkways and a large covered area for when it rains, from €45. The same company rents kayaks to paddle the Ourthe from Durbuy to Barvaux, 8 km in two hours, from April to October and if the river has water. Ten minutes away, at Wéris, are the most important dolmens in Belgium, about 5,000 years old, in open meadows, with a small museum at the Maison des Mégalithes. ## What about La Roche-en-Ardenne? La Roche is the other great village on the Ourthe: a closed meander, a slate village and, above it, the ruins of the feudal castle, €8.50 and about 45 minutes to visit, open every day from 11:00 to 17:00. The village was badly damaged in the Battle of the Bulge, in the winter of 1944. If you are interested in that history, continue to Bastogne, about 40 minutes away. ## Where to eat and sleep? In Durbuy, La Bru'sserie, by chef Wout Bru, serves sharing plates from Wednesday to Sunday, including Sunday lunchtime. Le Clos des Récollets cooks seasonal menus in a seventeenth-century house and is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. For sleeping, Le Sanglier des Ardennes is the village's five-star, with wellness and suites; Le Clos des Récollets is small, on a quiet street and has covered parking. ## How long? One day covers Durbuy, the topiaries and Wéris, or Durbuy and La Roche if you do not go into Adventure Valley. With children and the adventure park, better to stay a night. With more days, combine it with Dinant and the Caves of Han, less than an hour away. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Caves of Han (Han-sur-Lesse) (a 31.7 km), Spa (a 32.9 km), Liège (a 33.6 km), Dinant (a 40.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **Durbuy old town and the Ourthe** (1 h · Free): Durbuy presents itself as "the smallest city in the world": a seventeenth-century old town of grey stone, pink brick and cobbles, tucked into a bend of the Ourthe beneath the castle of the Counts of Ursel, which cannot be visited inside. It can be walked in an unhurried hour: the lanes around the Place aux Foires, the bridge over the river and the bank, with views of the castle. At weekends there are lots of people and the terraces fill up; on weekdays and in winter it is much quieter. The panels at the entrance show the free spaces in the car parks in real time. - **Durbuy topiary park** (1 h · All ages, with a pushchair · €5 · €4.50 students and seniors · €1 for ages 6 to 12 · free under 6): The Parc des Topiaires claims to be the largest topiary park in the world: more than 250 clipped boxwood figures, from animals to characters, in a garden beside the old town, at Rue Haie Himbe 1. It also has a medicinal plant garden and a herbalist's garden. The visit takes about an hour and there is an app with the route. Price and hours €5 for adults, €4.50 for students and seniors, €1 for ages 6 to 12 and free for under-6s. Open every day: from March to October from 10:00 to 18:00, in November and February until 17:00, and in December and the first week of January until 16:00. Closed on 25 December, 1 January and from mid-January to mid-February. Last entry, one hour before closing. - **Adventure Valley: zip lines, via ferrata and a covered area** (6 h · Children from 85 cm; the more demanding activities, from 140 cm · €45 from 110 cm · €15 for 85 to 110 cm · free under 85 cm, without activities): Adventure Valley is Durbuy's adventure day, on the outskirts of the village. With the Adventure Pass you enter the activities according to your height: from 85 to 110 cm, a children's area, a maze, nets, a dinosaur mission and beavers; from 110 cm, most of the outdoor and indoor activities, such as the treetop circuit, the tubing slide or the via ferrata; from 140 cm, with a supplement, the Superfly and the free fall. The Wildwood area adds hanging walkways and a 25-metre tower. Price €45 from 110 cm and €15 for 85 to 110 cm; children under 85 cm go in free without activities. The Indoor Pass for the covered area only and the afternoon tickets, from 16:00 to 19:00, are cheaper. Parking costs €11 per car per day. - **Kayaking the Ourthe from Durbuy to Barvaux** (2 h · 8 km · Beginners; children from 110 cm, in a double kayak with an adult): Adventure Valley rents single and double kayaks to paddle the Ourthe between forests. The classic route goes from Durbuy to Barvaux, 8 km in about two hours, for all levels. With low water they only open a 4 km circuit at Barvaux, of one hour; with enough flow, on Saturdays and Sundays there are two departures, at 10:30 and 11:00, for the 12 km stretch from Noiseux to Durbuy, of about three hours. Before you go Booking is only on its website, not by phone, and cannot be made far in advance because it depends on the river level: check the "navigation conditions of the day" before setting out. A double kayak is for two adults or one adult and one child. You cannot stop during the descent and dogs may not go in the kayak. In the morning there are fewer people. - **Wéris dolmens and menhirs** (1 h 30): Ten minutes by car from Durbuy, the village of Wéris has the most important megalithic complex in Belgium: the Wéris dolmen or north dolmen, the Oppagne dolmen or south dolmen and several menhirs, raised by the first Neolithic farmers about 5,000 years ago. The dolmens stand in open meadows, beside the path. The Maison des Mégalithes, at Place Arsène Soreil 7, is the starting point: it has a museum renovated in 2026 about the dolmens and their builders, walking routes, a terrace and the Dolménius, an amber beer served only there. Telephone: +32 86 21 02 19. - **La Roche-en-Ardenne feudal castle** (45 min · Not accessible for reduced mobility · €8.50 from age 12 · €6.50 for ages 3 to 12 · animations, €2 more): About 35 minutes south of Durbuy along the valley, La Roche-en-Ardenne lies in another bend of the Ourthe, dominated by the ruins of its feudal castle on a rocky ridge. The fortress was built gradually from the eleventh century; a fire ruined it in the eighteenth century and in the winter of 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the village was badly damaged. Price and hours €8.50 from age 12 and €6.50 for ages 3 to 12; the animations cost €2 more per person. Open every day from 11:00 to 17:00, with last entry half an hour earlier, and it may close in snow or ice. It is not accessible to people with reduced mobility. Dogs on a lead are welcome. ## Dónde comer - **La Bru'sserie** (Restaurant, Durbuy · Rue du Comte Théodule d'Ursel, €€€). Qué pedir: the sharing menu of eight dishes to share, or the three-course one at lunchtime - **Le Clos des Récollets** (Restaurant, Durbuy · Rue de la Prévôté, €€€). Qué pedir: one of the three-, four- or five-course menus ## By car: Durbuy and La Roche by car By car, Durbuy is an hour and a half from Brussels on the E411, exit 18, and La Roche-en-Ardenne about 35 minutes further along the Ourthe valley. It is the natural way to make this trip: Wéris, Adventure Valley and La Roche are outside the village. Presupuesto orientativo: 110–200 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Le Sanglier des Ardennes** (Spa hotel): The Sanglier des Ardennes is Durbuy's grand hotel, five-star, on the Place aux Foires in the old town, on the banks of the Ourthe. It has a wellness area with treatments, a gym, shops and several restaurants signed by chef Wout Bru, including La Bru'sserie, Wagyu, Le Grand Verre and Limoni e Tartufi, as well as brunch. The rooms There are classic and deluxe rooms of 22 m², superior rooms of 32 m² and suites of 64 to 90 m², some with a fireplace and a freestanding bath. The hotel's website has offers for stays with dinner and wellness packages. Getting there and parking An hour and a half from Brussels on the E411. The hotel has electric car charging points and its own parking procedure, explained on its website. - **Hôtel Le Clos des Récollets** (Small hotel): Le Clos des Récollets is a small hotel in the heart of old Durbuy, on a quiet street a couple of steps from the Place aux Foires. It occupies a seventeenth-century stone house, with its gourmet restaurant downstairs. The rooms and breakfast The rooms combine old stone with present-day comfort. Breakfast includes home-made jams and regional hams. Book by phone or with the form on its website, and there are half-board and gourmet-stay packages. Parking The hotel has covered parking, with a maximum height of 2.05 m, for €12 a night: useful in a village where parking is difficult at the weekend. ### Servicios - **Durbuy old town car parks**: Single rate of €9 to visit Durbuy; panels with free spaces in real time ## By plane: Flight to Brussels or Charleroi and car to Durbuy For Durbuy, fly to Brussels-Zaventem (BRU) or to Charleroi (CRL), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and hire a car at the airport: Durbuy is a good hour and a half from Zaventem and a little less from Charleroi. By train you reach Barvaux via Namur or Liège, but with changes and a shuttle that does not run all year. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Le Sanglier des Ardennes** (Spa hotel): The Sanglier des Ardennes is Durbuy's grand hotel, five-star, on the Place aux Foires in the old town, on the banks of the Ourthe. It has a wellness area with treatments, a gym, shops and several restaurants signed by chef Wout Bru, including La Bru'sserie, Wagyu, Le Grand Verre and Limoni e Tartufi, as well as brunch. The rooms There are classic and deluxe rooms of 22 m², superior rooms of 32 m² and suites of 64 to 90 m², some with a fireplace and a freestanding bath. The hotel's website has offers for stays with dinner and wellness packages. Getting there and parking An hour and a half from Brussels on the E411. The hotel has electric car charging points and its own parking procedure, explained on its website. - **Hôtel Le Clos des Récollets** (Small hotel): Le Clos des Récollets is a small hotel in the heart of old Durbuy, on a quiet street a couple of steps from the Place aux Foires. It occupies a seventeenth-century stone house, with its gourmet restaurant downstairs. The rooms and breakfast The rooms combine old stone with present-day comfort. Breakfast includes home-made jams and regional hams. Book by phone or with the form on its website, and there are half-board and gourmet-stay packages. Parking The hotel has covered parking, with a maximum height of 2.05 m, for €12 a night: useful in a village where parking is difficult at the weekend. ### Servicios - **Train to Barvaux or Bomal and shuttle to Durbuy**: Line 43 Liège–Jemelle; Barvaux to Durbuy shuttle at certain times of year, TEC bus on Wednesdays and Fridays ## As a family: Durbuy and La Roche with children Durbuy is small and made for strolling, and around it there are very clear plans for children: a garden of boxwood figures, an adventure park with a covered area for rainy days, dolmens in the countryside and a ruined castle at La Roche. ### What works best The topiary park, €1 for ages 6 to 12 and free for under-6s Adventure Valley, with activities from 85 cm in height The Wéris dolmens, in the open air La Roche castle, with animations and a treasure hunt during holidays Kayaking the Ourthe, from 110 cm, in a double kayak with an adult ### Where to sleep Le Sanglier des Ardennes has spacious suites ### Where to eat A picnic in the topiary park or in the outdoor areas of Adventure Valley ### Bear in mind La Roche castle is not accessible with a pushchair On summer weekends Durbuy's old town fills up ### Qué hacer as a family - Durbuy old town and the Ourthe - Durbuy topiary park - Adventure Valley: zip lines, via ferrata and a covered area - Kayaking the Ourthe from Durbuy to Barvaux - Wéris dolmens and menhirs - La Roche-en-Ardenne feudal castle ## With teenagers: Durbuy and La Roche with teenagers For teenagers, the Ourthe valley has real action: the adventure park with via ferrata and free fall, kayaking on the river and the ruins of La Roche. ### What works best Adventure Valley: via ferrata, tubing and, from 140 cm, Superfly and free fall Kayaking 8 km from Durbuy to Barvaux, or 12 km at weekends with enough flow La Roche castle and its story of the Battle of the Bulge The Wéris dolmens, for anyone who likes prehistory ### Where to sleep Either of the two hotels in the old town, within walking distance of everything ### Where to eat La Bru'sserie and its sharing plates ### Bear in mind Kayaking depends on the water level: in a dry summer the long stretch may close At Adventure Valley, book your pass during holidays ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Adventure Valley: zip lines, via ferrata and a covered area - Kayaking the Ourthe from Durbuy to Barvaux - Wéris dolmens and menhirs - La Roche-en-Ardenne feudal castle ## Consejos ### Weekdays are better On sunny weekends Durbuy fills up and parking is hard. ### Check the river before kayaking Adventure Valley publishes every day which stretches are open depending on the water level. ### One car, two villages Do Durbuy in the morning and La Roche in the afternoon: the castle is open until 17:00. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Brussels to Durbuy? About an hour and a half by car on the E411. ### Can you go to Durbuy by train? As far as Barvaux, changing at Liège or Namur, and a shuttle that does not run all year. It is much more convenient by car. ### What is there to see in Durbuy in a day? The old town and the Ourthe, the topiary park, the Wéris dolmens and, with children, Adventure Valley. ### How much does the Durbuy topiary park cost? €5 for adults, €1 for ages 6 to 12 and free for under-6s. ### How far is it between Durbuy and La Roche-en-Ardenne? About 35 minutes by car along the Ourthe valley.