Camping at the Lake des Vieilles Forges

I had been wanting to bivouac (i.e. regulated wilderness camping) near Belgium for a while. Unfortunately, bivouac is not allowed everywhere. After some research I found the Ardennes National Park in France. Only 2 hours drive from Brussels, it's the ideal place for a change of scenery while staying close and bivouac is allowed, provided that you respect some rules and respect the environment.

The park is very big and there is a lot to do. We chose to go to the Lac des Vieilles Forges on the recommendation of my friend's mom. And once we got there we were not disappointed at all.

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR TENT ?

It is possible to pitch a tent all around the lake. On one side there is the road with the beach and a campground/restaurant but before and after these there are spaces on the lakefront that are free to put the tent. You are alone but close to people if you want to be safer. This is what we did as two girls and there was no noise before 10am. For those who want to be well isolated, there is the same on the other side of the lake but it is not accessible by car.

No need to reserve, no need to pay. It's first come, first served.

ACTIVITIES

At the lake itself it is possible to swim, kayak, sail, go to the beach, and go around the lake by bike or on foot. I advise to do it by bike (and mountain bike preferably) because it is quite long, about 2 hours.

In the surroundings there are many walks/treks to do on foot or by bike. Unfortunately the routes are very badly indicated and the maps given by the Tourist Office are useless. So if you are resourceful and have the physical condition to ride a mountain bike for hours, you can do a lot. You can go on the website of the Tourist Office to see all the activities to do there.

You can go and see the sunset at the Mont Malgré-Tout which offers a sublime view on the village of Révin surrounded by the Meuse.

If you want to get away from nature there is the town of Charlesville-Mezières which has a very nice square and in the summer they turn it into an urban beach. There are a lot of stores, restaurants etc. Always good to know, there is a decathlon there just in case.

WHERE TO EAT ?

We had the opportunity to make two restaurants to be pleased between the meals of camping. The first one is the farm inn of the bridge of the Aulnes. It is a magnificent renovated farm. There are two possible menus and the menu changes according to the seasons. The staff is very nice, the place is beautiful and we ate very well. And then the restaurant La Bonne Source in Révin before the sunset on the Mont Malgré-Tout. I was also advised the Ferme auberge du Malgré-Tout, to test.