This hike starts in Aywaille. Yes, Aywaille. Not the one with palm trees and volcanoes, but the little village that sounds like the tropical island.
This is a silly old joke. I used to camp here a lot in the area when I was in the "boy scouts". We use to say to our friends we went to Hawaï for camping...

After circling around for a bit, we managed to find a parking spot near the local police station. Honestly, that’s usually a pretty safe bet when you’re looking for somewhere to leave the car.

Normally, I’m not the biggest fan of starting a hike in a busy tourist village, especially during peak season. But I’ve recently decided to stop being so picky about my hiking criteria and simply explore places I would have skipped before.

I’m glad I did.

The walk kicks off with a proper climb straight up the hillside. It’s a good wake-up call for the legs and rewards you with sweeping views over the valley and the village below. Whether you think that village is picturesque… I’ll leave that up to you.

From there, the route keeps changing character. Open meadows turn into woodland, narrow little trails become wide forest lanes, and before long you’re standing at another viewpoint overlooking the valley. This one comes with an old bunker and gun turret, which instantly caught my attention.

I always love stumbling across these places. They make you stop for a moment and imagine what this landscape must have looked like 50 or even 80 years ago.

Of course, what goes up must come down… and then immediately back up again. There are a couple of steep sections that definitely got us sweating. Luckily, after about six kilometres the hike settles into a much gentler rhythm with rolling hills instead of leg-burning climbs.

The rest of the route keeps surprising you. Twisting little paths, wide-open views, quiet countryside, the occasional village street… every 15 minutes the scenery seems to change.

A unexpected highlight.
I never look for highlights and then search for a hike in the neighbourhood. I let the hike surprise me. 
Here the surprise was nearly at the end.

A castle ruin appears, and while it’s already impressive from the ground, it became a whole different story once I sent the drone into the air. Suddenly those dramatic cliffs revealed themselves, dropping almost vertically below the ruins. It’s a spectacular place to admire, just make sure you keep a safe distance, as you’re not supposed to climb on the cliffs themselves.

After one final gentle descent, we arrived back in Aywaille, where the car was patiently waiting for us.

A surprisingly varied hike that completely exceeded my expectations. Exactly the kind of walk that reminds me why it’s worth stepping outside my own “perfect hike” checklist every now and then.

Don’t forget to have a look at the 360° photos as well. They’re probably the closest thing to standing there with us.