Day 1 — Namur → Annevoie / Meuse Valley and gardens
- 🚲 Start from Namur, ideally from the station area or the lower town by the Sambre, then head south calmly through the Meuse Valley via the RAVeL / Meuse à Vélo / EuroVelo 19 corridor. The day’s finish is Annevoie or the neighboring Anhée/Godinne area. Approximate distance 28–34 km, riding time 2–2.5 hours, elevation gain about 120–180 m depending on whether you ride up to the citadel and your hotel. The surface is mostly very friendly: embankments, dedicated bike paths, quiet asphalt roads along the river, with occasional short sections of compact gravel. Difficulty is easy: the route does not feel long because it follows the river almost all the time and has no hard climbs. Main stops: Namur Citadel with a panorama over the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse, Profondeville as a convenient coffee or early lunch break, and Jardins d’Annevoie — rare water gardens between Namur and Dinant. It is easiest to stock up on water and food in Namur before departure, then in Profondeville and near the tourist spots of Annevoie; there is a food point at the Annevoie gardens, and the walk through the gardens itself takes about 1.5 hours, so it is convenient to arrive here not at the very end of daylight. It makes most sense to stay overnight in Annevoie / Anhée / Godinne so that the second day remains short and very scenic. Road details: there may be a headwind by the water, after rain you may encounter damp sections and leaves, and at the entrance to the gardens the surface is no longer smooth road but fine gravel. If you are riding an e-bike, it is better to plan charging at the hotel rather than counting on random outlets along the way. The day is realistic for an ordinary cycle tourist because the distance is short, the profile is gentle, the route is officially known as a tourist corridor along the Meuse, and services and the railway remain nearby almost all day.
