Biker-Friendly Places to Stay in Ardennes

Bon Frison is a guest house in Erezee, in the north-western Belgian Ardennes, between the Ourthe and Aisne valleys. La Roche-en-Ardenne, where our Ardennes loop starts, is about 15 km away, and Durbuy is a similar distance north. The owner rides a motorcycle, which helps when you want local advice on roads. There is no garage on record, so check where bikes can stand overnight. As a chambre d'hote, it is a small, personal place where breakfast is the meal to count on.

Le Nid d'Hirondelle is a hotel and restaurant in Durbuy, the small town on the Ourthe at the northern edge of the Belgian Ardennes. Our Ardennes loop passes through Durbuy, so you can ride it from here and be back for dinner in the restaurant. There is a garage for the bikes, which is handy in a town that gets busy with visitors on summer weekends. The narrow streets of the old centre are better on foot, so park up and walk. The Ourthe valley roads north to Hamoir and south to Hotton start close by.

Le Baton Rouge is in Vielsalm, in the Salm valley in the north-east of the Belgian Ardennes. Our Ardennes loop runs through the Ourthe and Ambleve valleys and up to Spa-Francorchamps, all within an easy ride. The owner rides, keeps a garage for guests' bikes, and is happy to suggest routes. Vielsalm has fuel, shops and places to eat, and the roads south towards Houffalize and Baraque de Fraiture are a good warm-up. Bring a rain layer: Ardennes weather changes quickly, even in summer.

Hotel a la Ferme is in Sy, a small village on the Ourthe between Hamoir and Durbuy, at the northern end of the Belgian Ardennes. The Ourthe valley roads, which our Ardennes loop follows, run right past, and Durbuy is a short ride south. There is a garage for the bikes, which matters in a valley where evening rain is common. Sy is tiny and tucked between steep wooded slopes, so it feels far away while still being easy to reach from Liege. Ask about dinner when booking, since the village has little else.

Maison Les Anges is a B&B in Les Hayons, a village just outside Bouillon in the Semois valley, in the far south of the Belgian Ardennes. The Semois loops back and forth below steep forested hills, and the roads that follow it west to Vresse and east to Chiny are some of the most scenic in Belgium. The French border is a few kilometres away. No bike parking is listed, so ask about where to leave the bike overnight. As a B&B, breakfast is included, and Bouillon, with its castle, has places to eat.

La Petite Ourse is in Amonines, a village in the Aisne valley near Erezee, in the north-west of the Belgian Ardennes. The Aisne valley road is narrow and twisty, and La Roche-en-Ardenne, the starting town of our Ardennes loop, lies only about 15 km south. The bikes get a garage, and you can ask the hosts for routes nearby. Amonines is small and quiet, surrounded by forest, so plan the evening around what the house offers or ride into Erezee or Durbuy for dinner.

This hotel is in Schoenberg, a village in the Our valley near Sankt Vith, in the German-speaking East Cantons of Belgium. The Our valley runs along the German border, so the Eifel is only a few minutes away, and the Belgian Ardennes roads around Vielsalm and the Hautes Fagnes are an easy ride west. There is a garage for the bikes. The East Cantons are quiet and green, with little traffic outside the main roads, which suits riders who want to cover a lot of ground without the summer crowds.

Herberg Le Lognard is in Laforet, part of Vresse-sur-Semois, in the far west of the Belgian Ardennes, a few kilometres from the French border. The Semois valley loops through steep wooded hills here, with narrow roads that follow the river towards Bohan and Bouillon. Charleville-Mezieres and the French Ardennes are a short ride south-west. Bike parking is not mentioned, so ask before you arrive. Laforet is a small village, so plan your evening meal before you arrive.

Hotel Cobut is in Falaen, in the Molignee valley in the province of Namur, near the Meuse and on the north-western edge of the Belgian Ardennes. The Meuse valley roads around Dinant and the abbey at Maredsous are close, and the ride south-east into the Ardennes proper is straightforward. A garage is available for bikes, and the hosts have route tips. A handy base if you come into Belgium from France or the coast and want a night before heading towards Durbuy and our Ardennes loop.

The Kings Head Inn is in Teuven, in the hilly Voeren area near the Dutch border, north of the Belgian Ardennes. The lanes here climb and drop through green hills and are a pleasant ride in their own right. The Hautes Fagnes and Spa-Francorchamps are about 35 km to the south in a straight line, and Maastricht and Aachen are close by. There is a garage for the bikes. Coming from the Netherlands, it makes a handy first stop before the Ardennes.

Chateau de la Neuville is in Tihange, next to Huy on the Meuse, north-west of the Belgian Ardennes. The Meuse valley roads east to Liege and west to Namur are close, and Durbuy and the Ourthe valley, both on our Ardennes loop, are about 40 minutes south. No bike parking is listed, so ask about overnight parking when you book. Staying in a chateau is a change from the usual roadside hotel, and Huy has a riverside centre with places to eat.

Hotel Edelweiss is in Waimes, on the road towards Botrange, the highest point in Belgium, in the Hautes Fagnes. Our Ardennes loop crosses the Hautes Fagnes, and Spa-Francorchamps and Malmedy are only a few kilometres away. Nothing is listed about bike parking, so raise it when you reserve. The high plateau is often colder and wetter than the valleys, so a warm layer and good waterproofs are worth packing, even in summer.

Herberg Les Arondes is in Gueuzaine near Waimes, on the eastern side of the Belgian Ardennes by the Hautes Fagnes and the Robertville lake. Spa-Francorchamps is about 15 km away, and our Ardennes loop crosses the Hautes Fagnes, so both are close. With a rider as owner, you get a garage for the bike and first-hand route suggestions. The plateau here is high and exposed, so the weather can turn cold and wet even in summer: pack a warm layer and use the garage overnight.

Dolesca Park Hotel is at Baraque de Fraiture, a crossroads on one of the highest points of the Belgian Ardennes, between Vielsalm, Houffalize and La Roche-en-Ardenne. All three are a short ride away, and our Ardennes loop starts in La Roche. Bikes go in a garage, and route ideas for the area are available from the hosts. At this height the weather can be cooler and windier than in the valleys below, so pack a warm layer. Easy to find, with fast roads in several directions.

Hotel La Forge is in Malmedy, in the east of the Belgian Ardennes, close to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and the Hautes Fagnes. Our Ardennes loop runs over the old Francorchamps road circuit and through the Hautes Fagnes, so both are a short ride away. There is a garage for the bikes, worth having on race weekends when the area is full. Malmedy has a lively centre with fuel, shops and restaurants, so you can walk out in the evening. The German border is close too, if you want to add the Eifel to the trip.

Hotel Grandru is in Chaumont, part of Vaux-sur-Sure, south-west of Bastogne in the Belgian Ardennes. The countryside here is more open than the deep valleys to the north, with rolling roads, and the N4 runs close by for quick travel north or south. Bastogne is about 10 km away, and La Roche-en-Ardenne and our Ardennes loop are within an hour. Bikes are garaged overnight and the hosts can point you to good roads. A good first or last night if you are heading to or from Luxembourg and France.

Herberg Les Etables is in Bonnerue near Houffalize, in the Ourthe valley in the east of the Belgian Ardennes. Houffalize sits where the eastern Ourthe cuts through steep forested hills, and the river roads west lead to La Roche-en-Ardenne, where you can pick up our Ardennes loop. Bastogne lies a little to the south. Bikes are kept in a garage. Bonnerue is a small, quiet place, so it suits riders who want a calm night between long days in the hills rather than a busy town.

Auberge Taverne au Bon Vivant is a village inn in Vesqueville, next to Saint-Hubert in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes. Saint-Hubert sits on high forested ground, with long sweeping roads through the woods in every direction, and the Ourthe valley and La Roche-en-Ardenne, the start of our Ardennes loop, are within reach. There is a garage for the bikes, and the owner rides a motorcycle. As a taverne, it has food and drink on site, so you can lock the bike away and stay put for the evening.

Porte de la Lienne is next to the old Stoumont station, where the Lienne joins the Ambleve, in the northern Belgian Ardennes. The Ambleve valley is part of our Ardennes loop, and Spa-Francorchamps and the Hautes Fagnes are within half an hour, so you are in the middle of the riding. The owner rides a motorcycle, bikes are garaged, and route tips come with the room. The valley roads around La Gleize, Stoumont and Lorce are tight and wooded, so take care when they are wet.

Hotel Le Point de Vue is in Chiny, in the Semois valley in the south of the Belgian Ardennes, close to the Gaume area and the French border. The Semois winds through deep forest between Chiny and Florenville, and the roads west towards Bouillon are among the most scenic in Belgium. There is a garage for the bikes. The south of the Ardennes is quieter than the Ourthe and Ambleve area, which suits riders who prefer empty roads to busy weekend routes. Check meal times when you book.

Herberg de Lanterfanter is in Wingerscheid, near Schoenberg and Sankt Vith, in the German-speaking East Cantons. The Our valley along the German border is close, so you can ride the Belgian Ardennes and the Eifel from the same base without moving bags. There is a garage for the bikes. The area is green and thinly populated, with quiet roads between farming villages and forest. Sankt Vith is the nearest town for fuel and shops. Check meal times when you book, as villages here are small.

Haus Fexen is a B&B in Krinkelt, part of Buellingen, in the German-speaking East Cantons of Belgium, close to the German border. The Hautes Fagnes and the Robertville lake are a short ride north, and Spa-Francorchamps is under half an hour away, so it works as a base for both the Belgian and German side. Bike parking details are not on record, so sort that out with the hosts first. As a B&B, breakfast is the meal to plan on; the villages here are small.