Seven information panels along the Circuit Ardoises et Légendes are devoted to work in the slate quarries. In Haybes, this theme can be combined with the town’s cultural heritage, other walking trails and natural sites. The different themes help you organise your discoveries according to your interests and the time available.
Slate history along different routes
The first route of the Parcours du Patrimoine takes you on a three-kilometre walk through Haybes’ built heritage. The second route is about six kilometres long and leads to former slate-quarry sites within the town; along the way, it crosses the first route. The two distances provide a practical guide when choosing between a shorter walk through the town’s heritage and a longer loop connected with former slate mining.
The Circuit Ardoises et Légendes follows the Ruisseau du Mohron. Its seven information panels cover work in the slate quarries. A circular route in the Mohron valley highlights six places connected with the slate heritage of the Fumay and Haybes basin: Moulin Labotte, Ruisseau de Morhon, Ardoisière du Fond d’Oury, the little bridge, the exploration holes and Camp des Hesses. Together, the routes offer different insights into the slate heritage: one through information panels, the other through the places associated with it.
Buildings and traces of local history
The Monument aux Morts was inaugurated in 1926. A replica of the Grotte de Lourdes has stood on Place du Vivier since 1928. Two architectural features stand out at Église Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul: its floor plan is shaped like a Latin cross, and it was built from Haybes Arkose rubble stone. The church is open to the public only during religious services.
The École d’autrefois exhibition offers another way to learn about local history. It can be visited on the upper floor of the Maison des Randonnées. Alongside the walking routes, you can therefore choose individual cultural sites and an exhibition; the church, however, has the explicitly limited visiting hours of religious services.
Riverside, views and green routes
A riverside promenade with colourful façades invites you to explore the Quai de Meuse, which is also where the Voie Verte runs. If you want to take in the surrounding area, the La Platale viewpoint offers a view of the town of Fumay. The two places offer different experiences: the Quai combines the promenade with the Voie Verte, while La Platale is a viewpoint overlooking Fumay.
Haybes’ fitness trail also runs alongside the Voie Verte. It has a variety of exercise equipment for children and adults. You can therefore combine the route with a stop for some exercise, while the view from La Platale and the façades along the Quai offer other reasons to pause.
Discover the orchard and nature
The Verger conservatoire – Haybes has 120 trees representing 40 varieties of apples, pears, plums and cherries. The orchard also serves as a refuge for animals and plants. The animal groups protected there include bats, owls and songbirds, which find shelter in nest boxes or purpose-provided roosts. The numbers and species make the orchard a tangible counterpart to the town’s buildings and slate sites.
You can follow the educational trails in the Verger conservatoire from April to the end of September with an explanatory booklet available on site. The freely accessible Balade poétique au milieu des arbres fruitiers also turns your attention to nature: it showcases nature-themed works in the Verger conservatoire and in the arboretum beside the Maison des Randonnées. The orchard brings together trees, habitats and educational trails; the poetic walk adds works at both of the locations mentioned to these nature themes.
Practical planning for your stay
If slate history is your main interest, you can compare the different themes of the walking routes: the Parcours du Patrimoine stands out for its two distances, while the panels along the Circuit Ardoises et Légendes explain work in the slate quarries. For nature lovers, the orchard’s educational trails are available from April to the end of September; the explanatory booklet is available on site.
The Maison des Randonnées rents out mountain bikes, trekking bikes, electrically assisted bicycles and tandems. As the brochure on which this information is based is older, check availability before travelling. Fest’in Haybes is an annual two-day summer festival; dates change from year to year, so it is worth checking the dates for your planned stay.
Discover more destinations: Machault, Pouru-Saint-Remy, Sapogne-et-Feuchères, Nouart, Aiglemont, Moiry, Maubert-Fontaine, Semuy.
For the regional travel overview: Ardennes.
