Durbuy Walk

Durbuy Old Town
Durbuy Old Town

By Vicky · Published Jan. 29th, 2025

This short walk leads you around the touristy town of Durbuy before heading along the river and up to a viewpoint before returning to town.

Durbuy Walking Map

Location

This walk starts from a bridge near the Château de Durbuy. There are many car parks around Durbuy and if you enter the village along a main road there’s a sign telling you how many free spaces are left in each car park. All the car parks are paid, though they vary a little in price depending on how close they are to the centre. One close to the start of this walk is the Parking Allée Louis de Loncin.

To get to Durbuy on public transport is a little difficult but possible. You can take the train to Barvaux and then catch a bus. Alternatively, you could walk from Barvaux to Durbuy since it’s only a few kilometres and you could find a trail for most of the way.

Tips for Visiting Durbuy

  • Durbuy gets very busy in summer and during holidays at any time of the year. There’s a popular Christmas market, which is nice to visit but is also a busy time in the town.
  • The historical centre of Durbuy is quite small and you could walk around it in about ten minutes.
  • There are many tourist attractions on the outskirts of Durbuy, including several small theme parks, a labyrinth and much more.
  • The Panorama Tower Durbuy Belvédère (or Belvédère des Crêtes) is passed on this walking route, but you can’t actually go inside and see the view unless you take the little tourist train from the centre of town (€12). However, you can find a nice viewpoint a little further on down the steps a short distance.
  • Find other walks and hikes in the nearby Netherlands.

Durbuy Walking Route

Views of the bridge, church and castle in Durbuy, Ardennes, Belgium
The anticline in Durbuy on a walk through town in Belgium

From the bridge at the start of this walk, you’ll see the Château de Durbuy. This is a prominent castle or fortified house in the town centre by the river. You can admire it from the outside but unfortunately, it’s private property and isn’t open to the public.

Walking around Durbuy Old Town

Once on the other side of the river, you’ll be in the centre of the old, cute part of Durbuy. There are several little, cobbled streets that you wander around, strolling at your own pace to see the cute shops and cottages.

Make sure you don’t miss the Durbuy Anticline. This is a very impressive rock formation on the edge of town and it’s definitely worth a visit. It’s a huge cliff face with very obvious layers in the rock squished into a fold. There’s a viewing deck just next to the pond in front of the cliff where you can admire the folded rocks up close.

If you want to, head to the Topiary Park or Parc des Topiaires back on the other side of the river. It’s a small botanical garden where the focus is on sculpted bushes. It’s €5 to get in and you could spend about 30 minutes inside if you walk slowly and stop to look at all the bushes.

A cute street in Durbuy
Walking along a cute cobbled street in Durbuy at Christmas time

There are many places to stop for refreshments in Durbuy, from cafes serving crepes and informal restaurants serving fries to Michelin-starred restaurants. Note that even the basic places are expensive compared to elsewhere in Belgium since it’s so popular with tourists.

One building in particular to look out for is the Halle aux Blés, a distinctive half-timber building covered in red plaster and probably about 500 years old. It was a market hall but now is home to an art museum. It’s only €3 to get in and it’s a small but lovely museum, with a unique building and nice artwork.

Leaving Durbuy to the Countryside

To head along the river out of town, first head to the square behind the castle. Here you can see another, much smaller anticline. This is a continuation of the huge anticline you saw earlier, but the rocks are tilting into the ground and have been more eroded here so you can’t see so much of it.

Walking along a river in the Ardennes
Views of a town in the Ardennes

From here, turn left to walk along the edge of the river. After passing underneath a bridge you’ll come out in the riverside park. Continue along the river for about 700 metres before taking the path to the left. Cross over the road and head up the track on the other side into some fields.

After walking through the fields the path leads into the woods and bends upwards around the corner. The route continues along the high point through the trees and then reaches a road. Turn left here, heading slightly downhill, then take the right fork slightly uphill again at the first junction.

Walking through Durbuy

When this road starts to bend, take a left along the Rue des Crêtes. Note the panoramic view tower on your left, but as mentioned in the tips you can only go in if you pay for the tourist train up the hill. Don’t worry, as there’s another viewpoint coming up. Take the steps down to the left a short distance after the tower. You’ll walk right by the viewpoint at a bend in the steps and there’s a bench here to rest.

When you’re ready, continue down the steps. At the bottom, you’ll come out near the centre of Durby and can then continue walking around the town or head back to where you parked. This is the end of the Short Walk in Durbuy.



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