Discovering Wallonia via slow tourism is the new project of Wallonia Belgium Tourism, in collaboration with Hike up and Railtrip.travel.
The recent crisis has, more than ever, helped to emphasise the local, the slow, and the staycation. It has been a great opportunity to enjoy wonderful routes and walks close to your home. How about spending our weekends and holidays discovering the often unknown wonders close to home? We could enjoy a lovely walk in the forest, a beautiful castle by the side of the road or a visit to micro-breweries founded thanks to the creativity of our young entrepreneurs, all while leaving the car at home.
To help us do this, Wallonia Belgium Tourism, in collaboration with Hike up and Railtrip.travel, is offering slow tourism itineraries. As a reminder, Wallonia Belgium Tourism, abbreviated to WBT, is responsible for promoting the Walloon tourism industry in Belgium and abroad (particularly in neighbouring countries).
The concept. Explore Wallonia by combining the train, walking and cycling for a few days of 100% zen and 0% car getaways. Make the most of your time by discovering a different side to our region, taking your foot off the accelerator and leaving the car at home in favour of soft modes of transport such as the train, the bicycle and walking.
Five itineraries are already available: Waterloo - La Louvière, Mons - Tournai, Charleroi - Erquelinnes, Namur - Dinant and Marche (Marloie) - Liège. Each one starts and ends at a station. Between the two endpoints are stopover stations, which are reached by train, walking or cycling. There's more! The itineraries can be combined (by train), giving you the opportunity to spend a magnificent, sustainable holiday (a fortnight in total) in Wallonia. Combine them however you want - according to your pace, your wishes, your visits, your accommodation, etc.
Travel booklet
For each getaway, a travel booklet offers detailed maps, visits along your route, nature activities, ideas for restaurants and beautiful picnic spots and wonderful accommodation, as well as local specialities, so you can enjoy Wallonia to the fullest.
All you have to do is plan your discovery trip with friends or family. There's nothing quite like our beautiful region for wonderful experiences and enjoying nature and its diversity. It is also an opportunity to discover exciting places that are sometimes just a stone's throw from our home but that we do not know.
You can download your travel booklets at visitwallonia.be/carfree.
On the www.visitwallonia.be website, you will also find a wide range of information to help you get the most out of Wallonia, by discovering its villages and the local area, nature and outdoor activities, not to mention culture and heritage. In short, it is a real goldmine that will offer a different perspective of Wallonia.
By Laurence Briquet
This article is taken from the W+B Magazine n°151.
