The best hiking routes in Walloon Brabant

Walloon Brabant offers a landscape of gentle, low-lying hills and wide agricultural plateaus, rather than the deep gorges or high peaks found further south. Walkers will notice a distinct contrast between the open, clay-heavy farming plains in the east and the wooded, sandy valleys of the west. The soil underfoot changes visibly from sticky agricultural loam near Jodoigne to lighter, sandy paths as you approach the forests near Wavre.

In the western part of the province, the remains of the ancient charcoal forest dictate the walking experience. Here, paths wind through dense beech stands where the forest floor turns into a carpet of bluebells in late April. In contrast, the eastern plains are dominated by vast fields of sugar beet and wheat, punctuated by massive, fortified white-stone farms that have stood since the Middle Ages.

This is a highly developed region where nature and history are closely intertwined. You will often walk along sunken lanes, carved into the soft ground by centuries of cart traffic, which open up to views of brick church towers. While popular spots near the ruins of Villers Abbey attract more visitors, the quiet field paths along the small Lasne and Dyle rivers offer a more solitary walking experience.