The Caillou-qui-bique, curiosity of nature (Honnelles)

« Caillou-qui-Bique ». With such a name it is not surprising that the site attracts the curious! Considering the number of circuits that cross the site, you could almost say that all roads lead to the Caillou-qui-bique, Rome has serious competition...
 
It is probably one of the most frequently visited attractions of the municipality of Honnelles. Nestled in the Angre forest in Roisin, the Caillou-qui-Bique stirs curiosity for several reasons. The first is its somewhat incredible history. Imagine that the large stone would be the work of the devil. Satan could not stand that saint Remacle built the Abbey of Stavelot. To prevent the inauguration, he departed from the Pyrenees with a huge rock on his back to throw it on the church. But along the way, he met a poor man who tells him that the road is still long... Discouraged and angry at not being able to arrive in time to spoil the festivities, the devil dropped his rock in anger and it embedded itself in the ground... This rock, which seems to keep in balance since the dawn of time, would be the Caillou-qui-Bique!

 

An enchanting site

Beyond the legend that makes us smile, the Caillou-qui-Bique is mainly worth a visit because of its exceptional setting. Irrigated by the Grande Honnelle, it stands in a world of undergrowth among daffodils and other narcissi. Birds sing to the sound of gently flowing water. The place is enchanting, all in relief. When you walk through the Angre forest, nearing the famous Pebble, you understand better why the great Belgian poet Verhaeren loved to walk here. What did he think of when he watched these rock clusters? Because the  Caillou-qui-Bique is not alone... Other crags keep him company. Like any walker, maybe the artist asked himself for how long the rock had been balanced that way? Well, after examination, you should know that hundreds of millions of years separate this big rock and our existence.

Millions of years

From the height of its 25 metres, this pudding stone (hard rock sediment) has been scrutinising the curious for 370 million years. Tyrannosaurus was not yet born! This makes you humble.
For geology fans, the Caillou-qui-Bique rock is an example of a clastic sedimentary rock, this is the only place in the region where such a unusual and such an old shape is fully exposed to view! Most of the valleys in the landscape of the Honnelles are known for their limestone formations...

 

Walks

Several signposted circuits cross the site. The Natura 2000 Honnelles circuit (loop C) crosses Roisin and the Angre forest. Walkers also meet blocks of stone engraved with the most beautiful verses of Emile Verhaeren here and there in the forest. Departing from the Espace Muséal Verhaeren, the rocks circuit (4km) in the tracks of the artist. Caillou-qui-bique is of course the key stop of the walk!