Ardennes (Belgium): tourist information


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When we talk about Ardennes we mean a hilly region covered by forests, located largely on the territory of Belgium and Luxembourg, but with offshoots up to France where there is a department and a region that inherit its name, precisely the department of the Ardennes and the Champagne-Ardenne region.


Tourist information

The Ardennes region is characterized by having deep valleys formed by rivers, of which the largest is the Meuse.

Excluding the two main cities Liège and Namur, which are located in the Meuse valley, the Ardennes have a low population density.


The name Ardenne derives from the ancient Arduenna Silva forest which in Roman times was very extensive, starting from the Sambre river in Belgium to reach the Rhine in Germany.

The current Ardennes instead consist of a smaller surface area.

History

In the wars of the past, the Ardennes have always had a strategic position and for this reason they have lent themselves to being conquered in eras other than France, the Spanish Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.


In more recent epochs dating back to the twentieth century, the geographical location has lost a little importance as it was considered that they were not suitable for military operations on a larger scale, mainly due to the impervious terrain and the reduced communication routes.

Despite this, during the first and second world wars, Germany exploited this territory to implement rapid passages through it and attack the less defended areas of France.

The major battles that the Ardennes were the scene of in the two world wars were the battle of the Ardennes in the first world war and the battle of France in the second during which the inhabited centers suffered considerable damage.

Economy

Due to the unsuitable terrain, the agricultural sector has not had great development. On the contrary, large forests are very rich in game, timber and minerals abound among natural resources, the cities of Liege and Namur are important industrial centers.

From a tourism point of view, thanks to the beauty of the landscape and the remarkable hiking opportunities in the Ardennes forests, the Ardennes region represents an important destination for tourism.

Top 15 Things To Do In The Ardennes, Belgium (February 2024)


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