At 503 metres above sea level, where the forests are so vast they bring Canada to mind rather than Belgium, lies La Croix-Scaille. A sea of trees spanning 9,000 hectares on the Belgian-French border, with at its heart a spectacular observation tower that lifts you high above the treetops.
La Croix-Scaille is a plateau in the Gedinne region, and the fifth highest point in Belgium. The landscape here is unlike anywhere else in the Ardennes: wider, wilder and more unspoilt. There are no picturesque villages around the corner - just dense forest as far as the eye can see.
At the centre of the plateau stands the Tour du Millénaire, a spectacular 60-metre-high observation tower shaped like an hourglass. The steel structure houses three viewing platforms at 15, 30 and 45 metres. With each level, the silence deepens and the views grow broader.
A feeling of boundless space
At the top, 45 metres up, a 360° panorama over the sweeping forests of the Ardennes Croix-Scaille awaits. Anyone standing here immediately understands why visitors describe it as having a "Canadian feel."
The scale of the landscape, the endless treetops, the silence - it is an experience rarely found elsewhere in Belgium. La Croix-Scaille is also an ideal starting point for long forest walks through one of the country's best-preserved natural areas. Enjoy!
© Pictures : Visit Wallonia - Visit Ardenne
My favourite walk starting from the Tower? The “Fange de l’Abîme” walk
Explore the surroundings
