Furfooz Park

The Parc de Furfooz occupies a limestone spur inside a loop of the Lesse, and a marked circuit of about three kilometres takes in a dense group of features: caves used in the Palaeolithic and excavated in the nineteenth century, including the Trou du Frontal where Neolithic burials were found; a Roman bath house of the fourth century, partly reconstructed, fed by a spring; the earthworks of a Late Roman fortified refuge on the plateau; a natural rock arch; and viewpoints over the river far below. The plateau carries dry limestone grassland with orchids and butterflies. The Lesse itself is used for kayaking in summer, with boats passing beneath the cliffs.

The landscape

• Prehistoric caves - excavated shelters with Palaeolithic and Neolithic finds.
• A Roman bath house - fourth-century baths fed by a spring.
• Viewpoints over the Lesse - the river loop far below the plateau.
• Limestone grassland - orchids and butterflies on the dry plateau.

When to go

April to October; the park closes in winter. Two to three hours for the circuit. May and June for the grassland flowers. Kayak traffic on the Lesse peaks in July and August.

What to expect

The circuit is steep in places with rough steps and is hard work. Caves are gated and viewed from outside. The Roman baths are partly reconstruction. It closes for the winter. There is little shade on the plateau.

Nearby

Dinant is north on the Meuse; Chateau de Veves lies east.