The chapel Saint-Roch and its 360° viewpoint (Honnelles)

A chapel in a village, let’s say there are more original discoveries. Except that this one dominates a complete region! Perched on the heights of Angre, the chapel Saint-Roch provides a breathtaking 360° view of Honnelles and surrounding areas.
 
Highest point of the village of Angre, the chapel Saint-Roch is an ideal starting point to discover the region of Honnelles. At the top of the Saint-Roch road, it provides a breathtaking view of the surrounding villages. In clear weather, you can see more than thirty towers! With the orientation table it's fun to guess to whom these famous bell towers belong... The pointed one over there in the West, would it not the Saint-Medar church in Gussignies? Or the Saint-Barthélemy church in Bellignies? The France is only a stone’s throw away...

 

Close to France

Take for example, Marchipont below the road was cut in two by the border in the Treaty of Utrecht! Hidden by trees, it has the distinction of being the smallest village in Belgium. Today it depends on the municipality of Honnelles, but it continues to maintain privileged links with its French neighbour, who took its name Rombies-et-Marchipont from it. A bridge separates them but the friendship remained intact. The church is attended by the two communities, one Belgian and one French, and there are countless French-Belgian couples!

High country!

But let’s continue our overview. On the other side, we catch a glimpse of the villages of Roisin, Angreau and of course Angre, a small still rural village, dotted with beautiful traditional farms. From the top, the fields spread as far as the eye can see. Woods here and there break the monotony. The vegetation is dense when looking at these villages from above. We can better understand why Honnelles is located in the nature park “ Hauts Pays “. If Jacques Brel had visited the region, its worldwide hit "Le Plat Pays", would maybe not have had the same title, who knows?

Exceptional landscapes

Here at Angre and more broadly on the territory of the Honnelles, the landscape is very different from that of the neighbouring regions: the presence of forests, rivers and streams, waterfalls, valleys, headlands, villages nestled in the hollow of the valleys are all scenic elements. There are lots of walking paths. From the chapel, one path takes you to the centre of the village, another to France. But before leaving on new adventures, take the to observe what you came for: the chapel! Neoclassical in inspiration, it was built in 1849 following a cholera epidemic. Bordered by immense linden tress, it watches over its village as one watches a treasure...