Belgium and France share lanes without frontiers

From May, 2014, visitors to the Ardennes will be able to combine the best of Belgium with the best of France through a choice of six new, themed trails - all accessible electronically via state-of-the-art interactive technology.

It is the first time that the two separate tourist boards, in Belgium and France - covering the world-famous Ardennes region - have worked together in this way. And the result is a new online guide to ways in which visitors can now enjoy the shared history and heritage of the Ardennes region while taking-in some spectacular scenery on both sides of the border.

The website will go live in English from mid-May - after which time visitors will be able to create their own routes by selecting what they most want to see and do, and where they would like to eat and stay. Those tailor-made routes can then be downloaded to mobile devices and mobile phones.

Together, the six themed circuits are designed at giving the visitor far greater access to the Ardennes as a whole, and at pointing them in the direction of everything from a Legends Trail taking-in secret valleys, deep forests and fast-flowing rivers by car; through to a Green Routes Trail which can be followed by bike, on foot, roller-skates and segways.

One circuit in particular helps to illustrate, perhaps more than any of the others, the true character and flavour of the Ardennes region…

The Beer Route is designed to be followed by car, motorbike and campervan - with a choice of 21 stops along the way, where it’s possible to come to grips with the history of brewing, to try-and-buy, and - best of all - to park-up for the night and enjoy a glass-or-three of the local beers that have been brewed in the towns and villages of the Ardennes.

The other three themed motoring trails in the current collaboration between Tourisme des Ardennes in France and Tourisme des Provinces de Namur et du Luxembourg in Belgium are: a Fortifications Trail talking-in the geographical significance of the Ardennes over the centuries and visiting some striking fortresses and castles; an Abbeys Trail; and The Rimbaud & Verlaine Trail, which follows a fascinating tour through the inspirational landscapes of the Ardennes which inspired some of France’s best-known poetry.

All of the routes will now be heavily promoted throughout the region, and online via the website, online brochure, and through QR codes.

The best starting-point for further details is the online brochure “Ardenne All Access” at www.ardennes.com/utile/nos-brochures.aspx, and www.visitardenne.com/all-access (in English from mid-May).

EndsFor press information, contact:Djamila Daoud T: +33 3 24 56 67 77 E: daoud@ardennes.com