Travel Guide La Roche-En-Ardenne

The landscape of La Roche is marked by the Deister spur on which stand the ruins of the feudal castle of La Roche. In the Middle Ages, La Roche-en-Ardenne was the seat of an important fiefdom gathered around the castle of the Counts of La Roche and the small agglomeration which, as early as the 12th century, began to develop at its feet. In the 14th century, La Roche was granted the title of city and was able to build a defensive fortification. This fortress was then occupied by the Counts of Namur, then by the Dukes of Luxembourg. The property then passed into the hands of the dukes of Burgundy, Maximilian of Austria, Charles V and Philip II. The enclosure fell into ruins in the 18th century and gradually disappeared from the city's landscape. The first restoration works were undertaken in 1852 and the castle was bought by the State in 1854. For a long time, La Roche was dedicated to the tannery and leather working activities, before being almost totally reconverted to tourism at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, La Roche-en-Ardenne is one of the most touristic towns in the Ourthe valley. Not far from there, the village of Ortho is surrounded by numerous hamlets, the most famous of which is certainly Nisramont, famous for its dam.