Date and time of visit: July 16, 2017, approximately 10 a.m.
On our second day in Walloon, our first stop was a small village called Lompret, about 30 minutes by car from the auberge where we were staying. I think I finally found the unique beauty of the region that I was looking for. It’s surrounded by small mountains and forests, and there’s a nice stream running through the village. By the way, the place is located in the southern part of Walloon region. Nearby is the town of Chimay, a famous monastery beer in Japan. If I had time, I would have liked to stop by there. (Actually, I also considered staying there.)
Now the parking information. There was nothing in particular in the village, but it seems that this village is often used for trekking, camping, etc., or as a base, so there was space for several cars to park throughout the village, although it was not wide. So I was able to park without any problem. The weather at the time of arrival was generally mild and sunny, although there were some clouds. There is no problem for sightseeing. It seemed to be able to take a lot of good pictures.
This is the view from where I just parked my car. It’s nice.
Although the atmosphere is good, the only highlight is this church at most. If you read the official site, you will find that it is a neo-Gothic church and its name is “St. Nicolas Church”. By the way, the history of the village, I couldn’t understand well only from the information on the official site, but it is said that the whole village became the present structure from the 18th century to the 19th century.
It is said that the climate here is relatively mild and comfortable for the northern part of Europe, and there is a legend that it is because a Roman soldier, who must have died in a battle or something in this area a long time ago, was buried here to seek rest. (You can see the official site by clicking the logo of the beautiful village church at the bottom of this article.
Now, there is a nice little stream right in front of the church, and the name of this stream is “L’eau blanche” (white water).
The name may be derived from the name of the river. The name of the only cafe in the village was also “L’eau blanche” as you can see. This day was a holiday, so it was crowded with many customers even in the morning. I guess they are going to go trekking or hiking.
Speaking of hiking, we were able to climb the small mountain that surrounds the village from around the entrance of the village. The view of the village from there is very beautiful, so this is a must-see point when visiting.
The information about where the view point is can be found on the internet or in the official brochure which you can get for free from the local information center. The location where I took the photo above is number 6 on the map below. It’s a must-have item to bring with you on your visit to Walloon.
I think I’ve finally started my tour of beautiful villages. I think so. This day has just begun.
