|
STONES AND CASTLES
... and the earth towered !
This is how the territory came into being which was later called the Ardennes.
Thanks to the local soil, consisting of sandstone and schist with quartz phyllites, multiple exploitations are a given, such as sandstone and schist quarries. This schist is still used today – and has been used in the past – for slate production.
When climbing, we already discover the Blessed Virgin Mary convent of Hurtebise. The community consists of a dozen Benedictine sisters. Retreats and religious sessions are held there. The deceased sisters are burried on the domain.
In a wingbeat, you will be able to admire the beauty of the town Saint-Hubert. You will be immediately astonished by the impressive basilica and its abbey-palace.
The basilica is occupied by different abbey churches. The building’s façade was redone in classical style between 1700 and 1702 to conceal the old style.
After troubled times of destructions, fires and lootings, the abbey’s domain was renovated in classical style between 1729 and 1731.
 Although the pilot remains on course, you will think you are flying over a castle in the Loire region. Roumont’s castle has the same style. It is raised right in the middle of a typically English parc where the straight roads run into the forest. Peculiarity about this castle: it has 365 windows.
A small curve follows and you are on the perpendicular line of Libin’s kaolin quarry.
Kaolin is a very greasy, oily, heavy and white-coloured clay which is used in the white cement industry (Orbourg), in earthenware tiles and in cosmetics. A kaolin quarry still exists and is still in use, near Libin, at Transinne (where the Euro Space Center is located).
Following the railway between Luxembourg and Brussels, in a pronounced curve, Mirwart’s castle appears. It was built in the early 1700s on the ruins of a medieval fortress. Mirwart’s domain extends over 1350 hectares of lakes and forests.
Its fish farm is very known for its brown trouts
.
We maintain course and come upon the “Fourneau Saint-Michel” where an open-air museum of walloon country living is situated. This museum reconstructs – by transportation of old buildings – a whole of typical Walloon hamlets of the 10 geographical regions in the south of the rivers Sambre and Meuse. Farms, chicken coops, washhouses, bread ovens, barns, pigsties, etc., will allow you to experience the village atmosphere as it used to be.
 Stones are the privileged witnesses of both past and present because of the different architectural elements in our Ardennes regions (castles, churches, mills, ...).
The audiovisual documentary which will be presented to you before the flight, will tell you more, with beautiful aerial photographs which will become real during the flight.
During the flight, each important point crossed, will be explained in your headphone.
|
