The fantastic hotel has recently been renovated using materials local to the region, creating a very intimate and authentic atmosphere, perfect for the Ardennes. Mercure Han Sur Lesse hotel is located just a stone’s throw away from the world-famous Caves of Han-Sur-Lesse, which I luckily got to experience first-hand. The hotel’s facilities were just brilliant, with a heated swimming pool, on-site lounge bar, and private parking.
The following day, we visited a deer farm that was run by a Dutch farmer, Henrik van Beuningen.
Henrik was originally from Rotterdam, however, his parents moved to the Ardennes in 1987 as it was the “shooting capital of Europe”.
His farm is just 50 hectares, which means he cannot make a huge amount of money from farming but enjoys it as “a hobby”.
Due to EU regulations, Henrik said there were just six slaughterhouses in Belgium, and the nearest one to him was 200 km away. They also cannot kill animals in their own stables, as regulations require farmers to transport the animals alive to the slaughterhouse, which Henrik said made things “difficult”.
After exploring the deer farm, Henrik invited our party inside for a slice of cake and some Dutch coffee, which I kept asking for more of as it was so good.
DON’T MISS:
The Ardennes region is in the southeast of Belgium, with beautiful, aesthetic mountain landscapes to enjoy. Han Sur Lesse is famed for its cave systems, which are considered some of the most beautiful in Europe.
On the third day of our visit, I was lucky enough to experience the Caves of Han-Sur-Lesse, which I was so excited about. The caves were created in 1895, and so are the oldest in Belgium.
They experience 350,000 visitors a year, mostly from France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The caves are 13 degrees once inside, therefore were warmer than outside as we visited in November, but during the summer our tour guide said the caves would be a “cool down”. Once deep inside the caves, there are 60 metres of rock above your head.
My party of six, including myself, visited a local Belgian brewery in the Ardennes, Brasserie de la Lesse, where we learnt about the process of making beer.
In Belgium, they enjoy strong beer, and the minimum alcohol percentage will usually be six percent. In neighbouring countries such as Holland, they enjoy a lot of blonde beers, I was informed.
Mercure Han Sur Lesse bookings start from roughly £73 per adult for a classic King room.
