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nice place to go on holiday

The Henri Fontaine stream rises between Cras-Avernas and Bertrée, then irrigates several villages in the commune of Hannut before crossing the reserve at Grand-Hallet. Its source has long been linked to watercress cultivation, which requires good quality water.

In several places in the reserve, the alluvial bed is occupied by a floodplain forest, subject to the regular flooding of the Henri Fontaine stream, which deposits its silty alluvium. The forest stand is dominated by white willow and black alder, while the herbaceous layer is composed of large nettles. This wooded area is left to its own devices, favoring old trees, senescent wood, and deadwood. The Henri Fontaine stream rises between Cras-Avernas and Bertrée, then irrigates several villages in the commune of Hannut before crossing the reserve at Grand-Hallet. Its source has long been linked to watercress cultivation, which requires good quality water.

In the 13th century, a new church was built, of which the beautiful Romanesque tower remains today. This tower was built of flint stones that were quarried in the town itself or in neighbouring villages such as Lincent and Petit-Hallet. The nave of this church was not behind the tower as it is today, but in front of it. It was smaller than the current nave. The tower, which served as a shelter for the population during wars, had no outside door and no staircase leading to the upper floors. Source: https://www.hannut.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/brochure-7-fontaines-nl.pdf Around the church you will find several graves of famous figures and families from local history, a war memorial, a monument for the victims of two plane crashes during the Second World War (one British and one American) and a small park with trees, benches and some play equipment. There are some old gravestones incorporated into the outer walls with their beautiful pieces of flint. Don't miss the beautiful church path and be sure to check out the chapel on the left in the entrance before you enter the main church building, if it's open at least. One of the graves - with a story - that remains from the old cemetery around the church is that of Lambert-Hubert Pierco - you can read more about it at https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/5909533

Across one of the lanes from which the chapel is situated is a memorial cross with the names and ages of the very young crew of 115 Sqn RAF (Royal Air Force) which was shot down on 28th August 1942 (and for whom there is a memorial in the cemetery, as well as for the crew of an American aircraft).

A more recent chapel about which no interesting information can be found online. It is located diagonally across the access road to the historically important castle farm, Ferme Warnant, see https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/7635987

The chapel of 'Sainte-Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus' is not really situated in the fields (although it may seem that way if you walk from the fields to here) and is located on the corner of the rue de l'Épinette and the rue du Condroz, under a beautiful chestnut tree. At the time of my visit, one of the roads was being renovated and paved, which limited the view. One of the paved roads leads past some beautiful houses, the stream and the 'moulin Dardenne' straight into the centre of Grand Hallet (unless you prefer to walk along the nature reserve instead). The chapel was rebuilt in 1931, perhaps based on an earlier core. Above the door is a stone with the inscription: "Grand-Hallet 1931 / Built in honor of / Ste-Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus / By the family / Gilsoul-Dardenne" (engraved from the nearby water mill. It is quite a special chapel with a small tower that gets an extra dimension if you also stand a little higher (the piece of land behind it is quite high). Source: https://www.hannut.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/brochure-7-fontaines-nl.pdf

This marshy area of 21 hectares was already inhabited in prehistoric times and buildings were built in Roman times. Today there is a water pumping station and watercress beds are still in use. The area includes part of the valley of the Henri-Fontaine stream with flora that can no longer be found in the rest of the area. Damp meadows, dense reed land and tall perennial herbaceous plants of 1.5 to 2 meters high, located in alluvial zones on non-acidic and fairly moist soil with pieces of forest with trees that do well on wet soils, such as alders: these are remnants of the typical wet valleys that you often saw before agriculture became increasingly intensive. You cannot enter the nature reserve itself but you can see it quite well and at a certain point (if you follow the path next to it) you come to a beautiful piece of alluvial forest with the stream. Be sure to also walk to the Moulin Dardenne, which is located on the edge of the area on another road and location with the nature reserve behind it and streams that come out of the nature reserve. This is also the start of the path along the nature reserve. On the other side you will also find a start of the path - with information board - at a junction with the Rue du Condroz in Grand-Hallet. You will find it just before the bend behind which the Dardenne watermill is located. Turn left, it rises a little and then you are on the path. More on https://www.hannut.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/brochure-7-fontaines-nl.pdf where you will find a full description of a 'seven-sources walk' that of course runs along the nature reserve and many sights around it.