It’s almost impossible to find the Saint Remaclus Cave. It lies hidden deep in the Ardennes on a forest trail near the village of Auby-sur-Semois.
The only help you get are the word Grottes (caves) painted on trees in faded yellow letters. And even if you spot the signs, it’s not an easy route to follow. At a certain point, you have to pick your way carefully along a narrow ledge high above the River Semois. But you finally come to a gothic arch cut out of the crumbling shale rock. It leads into a dark cave with a white limestone statue of St Remaclus tending two sick animals.
According to a local legend, the hermit lived here in the seventh century. Many pilgrims have visited the caves over the centuries, including King Albert I who came here as a boy. A few burnt-out candles on the altar prove that people still find their way to this lonely spot looking for help.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
