Spring in the Ardennes

May 2024

Hero image of Spring in the Ardennes

During spring the Ardennes are a beautiful place to visit. The forests are full of life and the rivers are flowing with fresh water. We also had exceptional weather, which made it even more enjoyable. As always, some pictures and some pretty bad text.

It's my birthday

For my birthday, we went to the Ardennes. We stayed in a room near the Baraque Fraiture, which is the highest point in Belgium. The weather was exceptional, and we had a great time. We went for a walk in the forest and saw a lot of birds.

Just the forest with nobody else around

Just the forest with nobody else around

The quiet of the woods

The quiet of the woods

Through villages...

Through villages...

and over hills.

and over hills.

Beavers!

When we saw all the marks of beavers in the landscape, we knew we had to see them. We went to a place where we could see them, and we were unlucky. We did however found some beautiful nature.

Sharp teeth!

Sharp teeth!

On the lookout

On the lookout

Three very rare black storks

Three very rare black storks

A shy Eurasian bullfinch

A shy Eurasian bullfinch

Our host - who was also a guide - told us that the beavers were probably at another location. We went there the evening and saw them! We planned on having a relaxing weekend, but ended up on the same spot in the early morning to see the beavers again. It was worth it!

Evening bath

Evening bath

We were affraid to come too close. We didn't want to disturb them. The didn't seem to mind us, swimming very close to us. However when wild boars came in the area they started warning each other with their tails. That was pretty cool...

When wild boars came closer, a beaver hit the water with its tail to warn the others

When wild boars came closer, a beaver hit the water with its tail to warn the others

The kept swimming until late in the morning!

The kept swimming until late in the morning!

If you look close, you can see the orange teeth

If you look close, you can see the orange teeth

The end

We had a great stay and saw a lot of beautiful things. Here are some more pictures of the trip.

Squirrel digging something up

Squirrel digging something up

Walking

Walking

Green on the forest floor

Green on the forest floor

Looking at the details

Looking at the details

Grabbing food for the little ones

Grabbing food for the little ones

Ribbit

Ribbit

Worth the toughest climb of the year

Worth the toughest climb of the year