Parcours in details
A course tailored to your needs!
During Houffa Gravel, you can choose from three different distances, 50 km, 68 km or 110 km. Below you will find all the details of what each route has to offer, so you can make a choice of which course you prefer.
After the start in Houffalize, the 50km route heads southeast and takes you to the border with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. We will flirt with the border between Belgium and Luxembourg there for a few kilometres. On leaving the border, we cross the ravel between Bastogne and Gouvy through a tiny tunnel and descend to Bernistap, known for the ‘Bernistap canal’, a canal tunnel that was never completed and was meant to connect the Meuse and Moselle rivers. A bit further down, we will pass the magical little river ‘Ruisseau de Boeur’, in our opinion one of the prettiest features of Houffa Gravel. We will completely immerse ourselves in the rough but stunning Ardennes landscape. Try to take it all in, because from this point onwards it’s relentlessly uphill and downhill all the way to Houffalize. Twice more, we will dive into the valley of the Eastern Ourthe, a real piece of ‘into the wild’, until we suddenly see campsite ‘Moulin de Bistain’ looming in the distance. From this campsite, we climb up between the chalets to start the final stretch to Houffalize.
After the climb from the ‘Moulin de Bistain’ campsite, the 68km route continues north instead of west towards Houffalize. We cycle in one go to 588 metres above sea level and arrive on the ‘Plateau des Tailles’, a protected nature reserve. The highest point of this plateau rings a bell because we are just a stone’s throw away from the ‘Baraque de Fraiture’ here. So, we are literally in higher spheres in a phenomenal bit of nature that looks a lot like the High Fens with its typical fens and peat soil. What goes up, must come down, the same goes for Houffa Gravel. From the wooded plateau, we head south in our descent towards Houffalize. Don’t cry victory too soon though as there are a few ups and downs along the way.
Just before the 68km route hits Houffalize, the 110km route loops west. Just after the junction at a stone’s throw, we pass Brasserie D’Achouffe. You might spot the brewery’s gnome in the distance and start to feel thirsty already. Next, we descend towards the ‘Natural Park of the Two Ourthes’ and cross the Eastern Ourthe again, this time on the other side of Houffalize where the river has a wider course. In the valley we also pass ‘les Cabanes de Rensiwez’ where you can spend the night in idyllic tree houses. However, don’t fall asleep because we’re getting ready for a long climb and continue along the E25 in the direction of Houffalize. After a few more inevitable attacks on those calves, you are rewarded with a blissful 4km descent to the centre of Houffalize where eternal glory awaits you!
