Whether you’ve decided on a morning hike, a family outing or a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, this hill will live up to your expectations. Get your trainers on for a trip into the great outdoors!
 

Even its name is enchanting

The walk usually starts at Vieux Puits, a brasserie-restaurant popular with Mons locals. After the walk, a little something to drink or a good meal is welcome. But nice things have to be earnt. Opposite this establishment, the Ermitage trails stretches out before you. Follow in the footsteps of druids and former besiegers of Mons until you reach the summit of Mont Panisel.

Already the path is no longer as smooth or flat but it’s still easy to tackle. The trees in the groves and thickets will act as a guard of honour for you up to the first viewpoint. You’ll be impressed by the panorama of Mons and its surrounding hills, where the Belfry and Saint Waltrude Collegiate Church stand out majestically!

To the summit in just a few strides

Just a little more effort to climb up (but it’s hardly anything because it’s not that steep!). Walk past the water tower and you’re there already, the highest point standing at 107 metres. Take the opportunity to have a short break, sit down or have a bite to eat and hey presto, off again!
 

You’ll have to retrace your footsteps a bit, to the water tower, which you’ll see once again before turning off to the right (p2). Enter the undergrowth that will lead you to fields topped by hawthorns. You’re now on the eastern slope of Mont Panisel.
 
Take a right, where the descent path becomes steeper. Fortunately, it goes down! You’ll see a cottage on the side of the hill. Its owners have a beautiful view. Go down to the end of the path, drifting through the woods and hills.
 

Like a breath of fresh air
 



Below, at the crossroads of the dirt road and the paved road “of Bethlehem,” a marker commemorates the Battle of Mons 14-18. Take a right and you’ll find a paved path.

You’re now walking along the southern flank of the hill, giving you the opportunity to admire two charming properties from the 19th century.  Well, soon you won’t be alone anymore; the horses and cows will be happy to have visitors.
 
A hundred metres further on, a sign will remind you that you’re in the agglomeration of “Mons Borinage”. Thankfully it’s there, because with such a change of scenery, you lose all sense of space and time. Here the remains of an old mill, a waterfall, beautifully renovated farms and middle-class houses unfold before you. It’s worth hanging out in the area in the spring! This is indeed the time when frogs lay their spawn and with a little luck, you’ll see them hurtling down the hill to the wetlands on the other side of the road. Don’t worry about them being in danger; volunteers monitor our friends’ epic crossing. And here you are; do you recognise the place? This is where the walk began and now ends. So, need a little rest at Vieux Puits? A wide range of beers, home-made pancakes, wood-fired grilled meats and local specialties await you.