52 km | 64 km-effort
Right here you can visit the Archaeopark of Malagne which houses the remains of one of the most important villas in North Gaul. The very first excavation campaign, organised by the Namur Archaeological Society in 1891, uncovered a main building (104 m long and 30 m wide) and, outbuildings covering a total surface of 3.5 hectares. A century later, new excavations supplied more accurate information on the chronology and purpose of the buildings (cellar, baths, etc.). It is thought that it was the extremely fertile soil that attracted the Gauls to Malagne, then the Romans who invaded the area and developed – among others – metalworking. Unsettled by the ceaseless incursions perpetrated by the Germanic tribes, the Romans abandoned the villa during the late third century AD and used the site for metalworking purposes only.
For scientific purposes, but also to make the visit more meaningful, a number of buildings have been added to the vestiges. Malagne also breeds quite a few ancient animal species that were bred by the Gauls and the Romans. As for the vegetable and herb garden, it houses more than 200 different types of vegetables as well as a medicinal and aromatic herb garden. The vegetables and herbs are grown by hand and without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Our tip : book a visit to the micro-brewery with a demonstration of how barley beer is made (an archaeological exclusivity of Malagne) or, a bread baking workshop, they both interesting and great fun!
Motor
Randonnées de la Maison du Tourisme Famenne - Ardenne Ourthe & Lesse PRO
