Walking boots for walker-friendly municipalities in Wallonia

11/10/2019

Things are looking good for pedestrians. While top restaurants receive a star, chef's hat, whisk or number as a quality symbol, since 2018, municipalities in Wallonia who go the extra mile for walkers are now rewarded with one or more walking boots as a sign of their efforts. Who has earned the most?

Since 2018, the Walloon Region has recommended 45 Walloon walking districts in partnership with the non-profit organisation Tous à pied. They have all done something to benefit eco-mobility and the development of a network of small local paths. Walkers can often choose from over 20 routes, providing a grand total of tens or even more than 100 kilometres of well-signed footpaths. Walcourt, Nassogne and Viroinval are in the top 3, and boast the maximum score of 4 walking boots. Ohey is also doing very well, and has 3 boots. The area intersects a GR path, creating extra opportunities to join in, and some themed trails have also been developed.

A Golden Walking Boot even rewards efforts to improve the comfort and safety of pedestrians on local roads. This year the award went to Saint-Ghislain. Young children and their parents can now walk safely to school along a new path, without needing to use the local roads or cause chaos with all the cars at the school gates.

If you are up to it, why not give every path a try? An interactive map displaying all 45 municipalities is sure to keep you on the right track.

Find the award-winning municipalities on the Interactieve map and surf to their website. Here you will find the marked trails. Be sure to check whether these are accessible to hikers during the game season (between 1.10 and 31.12).