Trail #5: Lac de la Gileppe
Lac de la Gileppe is a great day trip from BASHH (the Blue Ardenne Sustainability Home + Hub) offering easy access to variety of outdoor activities, and restaurants and cafés nearby. The hiking trail around this artificial reservoir is 14km long, and surrounded by dense, mixed forests of beech, oak, spruce, and fir trees. Arrive in the early morning or evening for the best chances on spotting deer, foxes, martens, squirrels, or bats.
When not hiking, one can also enjoy the Accropark, a guided tour of the dam, mountain biking on bikes that can be rented on-site, or a nice meal in the panoramic restaurant tower. More info on all activities is available here.
Lac de la Gileppe, one of the oldest large dams in Europe, dates back to the mid-19th century. It has supplied clean drinking water to the city of Verviers since its inauguration in 1878. Today, it also provides flood control and hydroelectric production.
A dog-friendly 14km hike, with an ascent of 100m. This trailhead is an 18-minute from from BASHH.
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