Coo Waterfalls

The waterfall at Coo is about fifteen metres and is the largest in Belgium, and it is not natural: the Amblève made a long loop here around a rocky spur, and in the medieval period monks from Stavelot cut a channel through the narrow neck to shorten the river and drive mills, leaving the old meander dry and creating a drop where the new cut rejoined the bed. The fall is directly beside the road and free to look at. Around it a leisure park has grown with a chairlift to a viewpoint, a small amusement park, kayak hire, and a large pumped storage hydroelectric station in the hill behind, whose upper reservoirs sit on the plateau. It is one of the busiest spots in the Ardennes.

What you actually see

• A fifteen-metre man-made fall - the largest in Belgium, cut by monks.
• The dry old meander - the abandoned river loop around the spur.
• The chairlift viewpoint - looking down on the fall and the valley.
• Pumped storage reservoirs - the hydro scheme on the plateau above.

When to go

April to October for the park and chairlift; the fall itself is visible year round and free. Half a day. Summer weekends and Belgian holidays are extremely busy. Flow is best after rain.

Honest expectations

It is beside a road with a commercial leisure park built around it, which for many visitors ruins the setting. Summer crowds are heavy. The chairlift and attractions are separately ticketed and dated. The fall is smaller than photographs suggest.

Nearby

Stavelot is south-east; Ninglinspo valley lies north-west.