The Semois is a mysterious, meandering river that flows through southern Belgium, touching small villages along the way before it disappears around another bend. Some people say it is the most beautiful river in Belgium.
The river flows through an isolated region of ruined stone castles, steep wooded hillsides, abandoned watermills and grey slate houses. The valley used to be planted with tobacco, but the wooden drying sheds now lie abandoned in every village.
The main source of employment is now tourism, which brings thousands of visitors to the river banks in the summer. The noise of kayaks and camp sites disturbs the rural calm, but the season is short, and the broad river is quiet again once schools open in September.
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.
