Discover Malempre
Accommodation in Malempre
Malempre combines the characteristic landscape of the Grassland Ardennes with a village layout arranged on a hillside around the church. It also features the Rocher du Diable, with its Walloon name and a local legend. You can therefore plan your stay around the landscape, architecture, hiking trails and local traditions.
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Photo: Joseph de Ferraris (1726 – 1814) via Wikimedia Commons, public_domain
Village layout and Saint-Martin Church
Malempre is considered a typical village of the Grassland Ardennes and is arranged on a hillside around its church. The church’s position also makes it a focal point of the village layout. Saint-Martin has a single-nave nave and a semicircular apse. Put simply, the nave is the elongated main space; the apse forms a semicircular ending. These terms can help you look beyond the church’s outer silhouette and notice the layout of its interior. Single-nave means that Saint-Martin has one main space rather than several parallel aisles.
Saint-Martin was rebuilt at its former site in 1840–1841 and fitted with a new tower. Restorations followed in 1882, 1885 and after 1945. The building can thus be understood as having a rebuilding phase followed by several later restoration phases. For architecture enthusiasts, the description of the single-nave nave and semicircular apse is therefore paired with a multi-stage building history.
Rocher du Diable: name and local tradition
The Rocher du Diable is also known by its Walloon name, Pîre al’Falhouze, meaning “Cliff Stone.” There is also a local tradition: according to legend, the Cour de Justice de Malempré held its sessions at the Rocher du Diable. The name and the legend offer two different ways to understand this place: a linguistic explanation and a story from local tradition. This adds a cultural perspective to your visit, complementing the church’s history and the nature and architecture themes of the hiking trails.
Hiking and planning your day
The family-friendly Croix Saint-Jacques circular trail starts in the village centre and takes in the rich architectural and natural heritage of the Ardennes. The route also includes a restaurant specialising in farm produce. If you would like to stop there, check before your trip whether it is open to visitors.
The Xhoûte-si-Plout hiking route starts at the church in Malempre and is 11.4 kilometres long. Check the route conditions and trail signs before setting out. The trails offer different highlights: Croix Saint-Jacques is a family-friendly circular route that starts in the village centre and focuses on architectural and natural heritage; Xhoûte-si-Plout offers a specific distance and starts at the church. When choosing, consider whether a family-friendly route and circular format or a stated distance matters more for planning your day.
Discover more destinations: Lierneux, Weywertz, Trois-Ponts, Theux, Sankt Vith, Weismes, Malmedy, BĂĽtgenbach
Go to the broader travel overview: Liège.
