La Roche-en-Ardenne (Walloon: Li Rotche, Dutch and German: Welchenfels) is a city along the river Ourthe in Luxembourg, Belgium.
Understand
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La Roche has been inhabited since at least the neolithic era, with a Celtic hillfort existing shortly upstream of the modern-day city. The hillfort was later used by the Romans as a fort, following their conquest of Gaul and the Ardennes. From the ninth until the eighteenth century, La Roche housed a castle that traced back to the earliest of Carolingian rulers. The castle came into the hands of the counts of Luxembourg in the twelfth century. In 1331, the city received its rights to fortify itself.
In the final episodes of World War II, during the Battle of the Bulge, the town was first liberated by American forces in September 1944, but was recaptured by the Germans in December of that same year. Being recaptured by the allies the next month, much of the town came out of the war destroyed.
Get in
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La Roche lies roughly between Marche-en-Famenne and Bastogne.
By car
[edit]From most places in Belgium and Luxembourg, it's easiest to make your way over to either Liège or Bastogne and use the E25 highway from there. On the E25, use exit 50 (Vielsalm) to leave the highway, and join the N89. The moment you leave the highway, directions to La Roche will be signposted for the remaining 17 kilometres (11 mi). Directions to the city are quite straightforward though: Just follow the N89, which leads into the heart of La Roche directly.
By public transit
[edit]Reaching La Roche by bus isn't entirely straightforward. The nearest train station is that of Marche-en-Famenne. From there, bus line 15 takes at least 28 minutes (and 57 minutes in its long variant) to reach La Roche. This line runs about once every two hours, switching between the long and short route.
Nearby Melreux-Hotton is a more reliable alternative, offering a connection to La Roche every two hours using bus line 13. This journey takes 27 minutes, and has no alternative routes.
Get around
[edit]See
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- 1 Château de La Roche-en-Ardenne, Rue du Vieux Chateau 4, ☏ +32 8441 1342, [email protected]. M-F: 13:00-16:00, Sa-Su and school vacations: 11:00-16:30. The castle of La Roche is a hilltop castle, built on top of a Celtic oppidum. Pippin the Elder, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, founded a hunting lodge here at the start of the seventh century, which was expanded into a keep in 844. The castle falls into the hands of the counts of Namur in 1152, and then passes on to the counts of Luxembourg by the end of the same century. The last large expansions to the castle were done between 1681 and 1688, under the reign of Louis XIV of France. At the end of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), the castle came into Austrian hands, and was subsequently mothballed and neglected. The castle then sustained damage in 1721 from lighting which caused a fire. The castle was subsequently dismantled, and became further damaged by vandalism and a heavy bombardment during World War II. Today, the castle is open most of the year for you to explore yourself for €8.50. Guided tours are available at a surcharge of €50 per guide. You can further combine this with a tasting of local produce, for another €27. €8.50.
- 2 Le Cheslé, Mâboge 17 (A 25-minute hike from Maboge, Borzée bus halt.), ☏ +32 8436 7736. A Celtic hill fort in use from the seventh until the fifth century. The site has been subject to extensive excavations, but the damage done to it over time has largely been restored, retaining key features such as the 1,750 metres (5,740 ft)-long double rampart. The hill fort is accessible by foot and bike only. A small unpaved parking lot can be used by the bus halt just outside of the town of Maboge, from which the hike to Le Cheslé takes about 25 minutes.
- 3 Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes (Battle of the Ardennes Museum), Rue Chamont 5, ☏ +32 8441 1725. April-September: All days, 10:00-18:00. October-March: Weekends only, 10:00-18:00.. €12.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]- 1 Cyril Chocolat, Samrée 63, ☏ +32 8446 7120. Family-run chocolatier, which makes pralines, nougat, marzipan and tailor-made chocolate bars. Demonstrations and tasting sessions are organised in English on Saturdays at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 (for groups of 15+ people). €30.
- 2 Boucherie Bouillon, Place du Marché 9, ☏ +32 8441 1880. Artisan butcher since 1955, which is a certified producer of Ardennes Ham (Jambon d'Ardenne) and dry-cured Ardennes sausages (Saucisson d'Ardenne).