Already occupied in prehistoric times, the forests of the Ardennes have seen the birth of prehistoric, Celtic, Gallo-Roman and then Christian places of worship. The remains of these millenary rites have become rare, but several sacred places, reused to this day, still retain their memory.
This tour is part of six tours designed by the Eglises Ouvertes network, "De clocher en clocher au coeur de l'Ardenne": 11 churches in La Roche-en-Ardenne, Rendeux, Manhay and Tenneville open their doors to you to share their history, their treasures and their unique atmosphere. Original and inspiring destinations for your family, walking, cycling or car trips. Discovery tools (adapted to children) await you there! Download (soon) our discovery brochure "From bell tower to bell tower in the heart of the Ardennes" (FR).
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Ortho is a very old locality and has long been the primary church in the region. From the first construction, an outbuilding of the abbey of St-Hubert, there remains the bell tower (formerly used as a fortified refuge), which probably dates back to Romanesque times (...)
St. Antoine's Church, in the heart of the village, harmoniously combines several works of art from today with the neo-Gothic furniture typical of the building.
First of all, it is the environment of this small chapel made of schist and rubble that will enchant you: a small green meadow surrounded by a low wall, a nearby stream, a bench to sit down and contemplate the landscape and the village houses (...)
The Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows was built by the inhabitants of the village in 1911, a sign of the popular fervour typical of that period.
The site of the "Blancs Cailloux", where imposing quartz blocks still stand, was probably a sacred place in the megalithic era, contemporary with the Egyptian pyramids.