Travel Guide Cerfontaine

The natural site of the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure is a real tourist paradise in Wallonia. Located on the borders of the provinces of Hainaut and Namur, this vast complex of five reservoirs constitutes the largest artificial lake in Belgium (600 hectares). Since its conception between 1971 and 1978 thanks to several dams, the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure have been used to supply the Sambre and the Charleroi canal. This green site, about thirty kilometres south of the centre of Charleroi, invites you to take a walk. The vast water body of the Plate Taille, with an area of 351 hectares (the largest dam in Belgium), offers the practice of various water sports. The Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure hold the EDEN award "European Destination of Excellence". This label is a recognition as a model for sustainable tourism development and a driving force for the economic development of an entire region. Here is this exceptional destination classified among a network of 140 tourist sites throughout Europe. On Charleroi Métropole, the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure join the Viroinval Natural Park. For the whole of Wallonia, we can add the city of Durbuy and the city of Ath. The site of the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure has more kilometres of shoreline than the Belgian coast has a coastline: 70 km! Originally, the site was intended (in terms of tourism, it means) for non-residents who enjoy barbecues with friends and youth movements eager for space. The development of a complete and large-scale tourist resort has made it possible to move from a one-day tourism to a holiday tourism and a seasonal activity to a destination open all year round. There are many possibilities for activities (nature, recreation and relaxation, sports), not to mention accommodation, restaurants... Several holiday villages are open all year round and have very good attendance rates, even in winter. A residence completes the stay offer. A real alternative to the Ardennes "standards", the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure offer the possibility of spending a stay (a weekend or much more!) in the heart of nature, by the water. As mentioned above, the leisure and sports offer is very complete. In addition to the various water sports (kayaking and stand up paddle, jet-skiing and water-skiing, sailing and ski lift), you can enjoy hiking and many marked trails (including a lake tour), cycling, mountain biking and paddling at the Aquacentre, enjoy a tree-lined course and zip lines, take the Red Crocodile (amphibious vehicle), visit the Plate Taille dam, play laser golf, practice aqua-golf, have a drink or a meal on the terrace or simply do nothing and enjoy the beaches sheltered from the wind. Froidchapelle (province of Hainaut, 4,000 inhabitants) and Cerfontaine (see below) surround this territory, which forms the largest artificial lake in Belgium (600 hectares of water, 600 hectares of grassland and 600 hectares of forests). The origins of Froidchapelle go back to the 7th century. For several hundred years, the economy was mainly based on forestry and wood processing. Today, its income is mainly derived from agriculture and tourism. In this respect, the Lakes attract holidaymakers from all over Belgium and from the neighbouring regions of neighbouring countries. The rest of the municipality is more of an authentic and landscaped rural interest: a fifth of its surface area is classified as a Natura 2000 area and more than 200 km of paths are accessible via some twenty marked walks. In mid-Lent, the Laetare de Froidchapelle attracts a surprisingly large crowd given the small number of inhabitants in the town. We can thus observe a thousand people marching in procession on floats, to the sound of folk music and with a different theme each year. The origins of this carnival date back to 1855. Even older, the March of the Blessed Sacrament takes place in Boussu-lez-Walcourt, every second Sunday after Pentecost since 1835. It is one of the few so-called Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse marches in the south of Charleroi Métropole that is not a recent creation. The most famous contemporary personality of the municipality is the former international footballer and Red Devil Daniel Van Buyten, a native of the area. The villages that are part of the municipality of Froidchapelle are: Froidchapelle, Boussu-lez-Walcourt, Erpion,Fourbechies, Vergnies. Cerfontaine (Namur province, 5,000 inhabitants) has known many centuries of forest exploitation before a partial conversion to tourism. Rural and old (traces of housing date back to Roman times at least), Cerfontaine is a small municipality that is now residential. It lives mainly from agriculture and hunting and also benefits from the tourist activity of the Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure. Employment is growing significantly (+8.65% in five years). The municipality has regional-scale equipment with its airfield. The municipality wants to maintain its rural character and benefits from the tourist flow to maintain a series of local shops (supermarket, carwash). Among the remarkable buildings of the commune, we can mention the Saint-Lambert church. In neo-Gothic style, it dates from the 19th century and is built of local limestone. We will also mention the station, classified, whose particularity is to be built on a bridge. Now abandoned, it houses a small museum of local life. The kiosk, dating from 1931 and nicely restored, is still worth noting. On the occasion of Saint-Lambert's Day (August 15), marchers marched in First Empire uniforms, accompanied by a period infantry gun in working order. In addition to Cerfontaine, the village of Silenrieux is undoubtedly the most dynamic in the municipality. Its origins go back to the Neolithic period. An important crossroads on the Route des Lacs from Walcourt, Beaumont or Philippeville, there is a certain amount of activity during the tourist season. The centre of the town has some interesting local shops. The villages that are part of the municipality of Cerfontaine are: Cerfontaine, Daussois, Senzeille, Silenrieux, Soumoy, Villers-Deux-Églises.