Chambre d'Hôtes
Bed and Breakfast
Le Relais des Fagnes
Walk: Airfield
Relais des Fagne-Avenue Joseph Jongen-Forêt de Wayai-aérodrome-Forêt de Wayai-Avenue Joseph Jongen-Relais des Fagnes
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Quiet walk, round trip (2 times 5,5 km) through the beautiful Wayai forest.
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Halfway there is a possibility to eat at the tavern "Le Sunset" with a view of the airfield (usually open on weekends and in good weather also during the week).
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This is the perfect place for children, because "La Sauvenière" airfield is very popular with parachutists and there is a good chance that they will land at your feet.
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With a slight adjustment to the route, the walk is a good choice for children's cars and for less able people, as the route is on a hardened path along its entire length.
(If you intend to do the walk with a child's car or wheelchair, it is advisable to do this first part by car).
You leave on the "Hockai Road", at the exit of the Relais des Fagnes, towards the left side of the road. At the exit of the Relais des Fagnes, turn left towards the main road. You will cross it to enter the street opposite.
You are now walking down Joseph Jongen Street. Joseph Jongen has his own little monument a little further to the right (at number 83A). He was a composer, born in Liège in 1873, who was admitted to the Liège Conservatory at the age of 7 and created his first work at the age of 13. This first composition was followed by many others (241 of which he destroyed himself) for different instruments (cello, piano, harp but especially for organs). He was appointed director of the Royal Conservatory in Brussels and died in Sart-lez-Spa in 1953, 14 years after his retirement. His Symphonie Concertante of 1926 ranks, since its premiere in 2008 (!) on the largest pipe organ in the world, (notably the organs in Philadelphia, known as the 'Wanamaker') among the most famous works for organ and orchestra. The decision in 2018 of a Belgian candidate in the Queen Elisabeth competition to choose a song by J. Jongen, earned her a place in the final.
At the first crossroads you turn left. (! If you left by car, now is the time to park it here).
Now you walk straight ahead. You pass under the motorway and continue straight on until you reach the airfield. First you pass the parachutists' circle and then you arrive at the terrace of the tavern "Le Sunset". With a bit of luck you will get there when a plane full of parachutists takes off.
After your break, you return the same way, but this time in a rather downward line to your car. If you started on foot from the Relais des Fagnes, you will soon notice that for the last part you will have to face a climb, again requiring a serious effort.
