Refreshing walk through the river in Clairfontaine

Feeling hot hot hot? Actually, you don’t feel like doing anything. But you’re on vacation and you want to make most of it. Our tip: this wonderfully refreshing walk along (and through) the river Eisch near Arlon. You’ll cross the border between Belgium (Clairfontaine) and Luxembourg (Eischen) a few times and get a little history on the way

Your hike starts at the Rue du Cloître. Take the small path (no. 2 on the map) right behind ABC Dance Studio. During this walk, you’ll cross the river Eisch regularly. This hike is about 4 km long and runs through 2 countries: Belgium (Clairfontaine – Arlon) and Luxemburg (Eischen). The water is quite shallow (and freezing!). Ideal to dip your feet. splash each other or build a dam. If you want to do this, we’d highly recommend wearing water sandals since the pebbles can be sharp.

History along the border

The river Eisch is surrounded by a rich and varied nature, but you’ll also find several historical elements. Look for the iconic landmarks to indicate the border between Belgium and Luxembourg. Halfway, you’ll notice the old dam. It was built after 14-18 to supply Arlon and Steinfort with water. Unfortunately the water in the river turned out to be too shallow and the project was abandoned. Nowadays these buildings host a colony of protected bats.

Fancy a longer hike?

Arlon tourisme developed 3 short walks* in the region. We chose la transfrontalière* (or simply: walk 2) because it ran along and through the river Eisch. We loved it because it was wonderfully cool (and fun!) for our boys. But you can also choose to take another walk or combine the 3 walks to a longer trip. If you’re up to it, he surroundings are definitely worth exploring further.

We haven’t actually tried these other 2 walks ourselves yet. But I’ll summarize them for you:

• Walk 1 starts at the apostolic school of Sacré-Coeur and passes by Mont Kaarlsbierg or the Sorcière plateau. This hike is 2.5 km long and runs entirely through the forest.
• Walk 3 starts behind the abbey. This hike is 3.8 km and runs through the beautiful village of Clairfontaine. You will also walk past the chapel of Notre-Dame du Bel Amour, the remains of the abbey, the source of Saint Bernard, the crypt and tomb of Ermesinde, and the aromatic botanical garden. In the abbey you can learn more on how the abbey used to work in the new interpretation centre.

About ‘la transfrontalière’

Highlights	River Millebaach, River Eggs, the former border posts and the old dam
Starting point	Rue du Cloître, 6700 Arlon (Clairfontaine – near ABC Dance Studio)
Length	4.1 km along and through the river Eisch
Difficulty	Easy
Roadmap	Download the GPX-file (by Luxembourg Belge) Check this walk on Cirkwi

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