Villas in Ardennes

Bouillon suits castle and river walks, Durbuy and Rochefort suit families after caves and kayaks, and Bütgenbach suits hikers. Homes are mostly stone houses and gîtes in wooded valleys, a drive from Calais or a train ride from Brussels with no flight needed. Rain is frequent in every season, and you will need a car.

Where

Villas: 32
From, per week: £378
Cheapest month: October
Nearest airports: Most UK visitors drive: Eurotunnel or the ferry to Calais or Dunkirk, then under three hours to Couvin, around three to Durbuy and about four to Bouillon. Eurostar reaches Brussels in about two hours, and you can hire a car there. Brussels, Charleroi, Liège and Luxembourg airports are all within reach; Luxembourg is closest to Bouillon.

Where to stay in Ardennes

Bouillon and the Semois valley (Bouillon, Sainte-Cécile)

Most of our Ardennes homes are in Bouillon, a small town in a tight loop of the Semois below a medieval castle once held by Godfrey of Bouillon, with falconry displays in season. Kayaks run down the river in summer. Sainte-Cécile, upstream near Florenville, is a quieter village in the same valley, and the Trappist abbey of Orval is around 20 minutes from it. Luxembourg airport is around an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: A castle town, river loops and long woodland walks

Not for you if: You want a short drive from Calais: this is the far south, around four hours away.

Durbuy and the Ourthe (Durbuy, Heure, Hamoir, Marche-en-Famenne)

Durbuy calls itself the smallest town in the world, a cluster of stone houses on the Ourthe with a topiary park and plenty of restaurants. Kayaks and rafts run on the river in summer. Hamoir is a quieter village further down the Ourthe, Heure sits in farmland a few minutes from Durbuy, and Marche-en-Famenne is the local market town. Brussels is around an hour and a half by car.

Best for: Families who want kayaking, a small old town and easy walks

Not for you if: You want Durbuy to yourself: its cobbled centre fills with day trippers at weekends.

Rochefort and the Lesse (Rochefort, Mesnil-Saint-Blaise)

Rochefort is a small town known for the Trappist beer brewed at the abbey nearby, and for caves: the Han-sur-Lesse caves, reached by an old tram, are about ten minutes away. Mesnil-Saint-Blaise is a village near Houyet, the starting point for the classic kayak trip down the Lesse to Anseremme, just south of Dinant. Charleroi airport is around an hour away, and Brussels a little further.

Best for: Caves, Trappist beer and kayaking towards Dinant

Not for you if: You want quiet in August: the Han caves and the Lesse kayak run are among the busiest outings in Belgium.

Trois-Ponts and Vielsalm (Amblève and Salm valleys)

Trois-Ponts sits where the Salm meets the Amblève, a few minutes from the waterfall at Coo, which has a small amusement park and a chairlift beside it. Stavelot, with its abbey museum, and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit are around 15 minutes away. Vielsalm, up the Salm valley, is quieter, with forest and lakeside walks. Both towns have stations on the Liège railway line, and Liège is around 45 minutes by car.

Best for: Waterfalls, hill walks and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit

Not for you if: You want silence on race weekends: traffic and engine noise from Spa-Francorchamps carry around the area.

The East Cantons (Bütgenbach, Nidrum, Medendorf)

This is the German-speaking part of Belgium, close to the German border. Bütgenbach has a large reservoir with watersports and a path round the shore, and Nidrum is a village just beside it. Medendorf is a hamlet near Amel. The High Fens, a plateau of moorland and boardwalks, rise to Signal de Botrange, the highest point in Belgium, around 20 minutes away. Malmedy is close, and Liège around an hour by car.

Best for: Walkers, cross-country skiers and a German-speaking corner of Belgium

Not for you if: You want plenty of restaurants nearby: villages here are small and spread out.

Couvin, Walcourt and Thy-le-Bauduin (south-west)

This corner lies between the Sambre and the Meuse, near the French border. Couvin has an old centre above the Eau Noire river, and in the Neptune caves nearby a boat takes you along an underground river. Walcourt has a large Gothic basilica, and the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure, a group of reservoirs with beaches and watersports, are about 15 minutes away. Thy-le-Bauduin is a village near Florennes. Charleroi airport is around 40 minutes away.

Best for: The Eau d'Heure lakes and the shortest drive from Calais

Not for you if: You want the deep wooded valleys of the high Ardennes: this corner is gentler farmland and forest.

When to go to Ardennes

Summer is the main season, when Belgian and Dutch school holidays fill Durbuy, Bouillon and the kayak rivers through July and August. Late spring and September are quieter and good for walking, and the forests turn in October. Rain is common in every month, so pack for it. In winter the east around Bütgenbach and the High Fens can get enough snow for cross-country skiing, though it is never reliable, and some riverside cafes close.