The best hiking routes in Hainaut

Hainaut offers a landscape of transition, where the flat plains of Flanders gradually give way to rolling hills. Walking here does not involve climbing steep peaks or navigating deep gorges, but rather following gentle slopes and riverside paths. The terrain varies significantly between the agricultural north, the central industrial belt with its reclaimed coal tips, and the quieter, wooded borders in the south.

In the north, Parc naturel du Pays des collines presents a landscape of steep, clay-heavy ridges and narrow lanes, where willow trees line the fields. This contrasts with Parc naturel des Plaines de l’Escaut to the west, where the paths are flatter and follow canals, marshes, and damp deciduous forests. Further south, along the French border, Parc naturel des Hauts-Pays offers quieter, wooded valleys where the underfoot changes to sandstone and shale.

Your choice of path determines what you see. In the low-lying Escaut plains, you will walk past active nurseries and drainage canals, while the southern hills reveal old stone quarries and small pastures. In May, the woodlands of the Hauts-Pays are often filled with wild garlic, making it a distinct time to explore the southern border.