Holiday homes for motorcyclists in Belgium

From the Route du Soleil along the Meuse to the twisting roads of the Semois valley, every day brings a new route and every village a find. The Belgian Ardennes are compact enough to combine plenty in a week and rich enough to return to every year.

What motorcyclists look for in a holiday home: a lockable garage or carport for the bike, a reliable Wi-Fi connection for route planning and a host who understands that an early start in good weather is not a luxury but a must.

The Ardennes have one of Europe's finest road networks for motorcyclists. The N89 from Libramont to Bastogne, the roads along the Ourthe and Amblève and the small back roads in the Gaume are classics. The landscape changes quickly: forest, pasture, river, village.

Unlike better-known motorcycling regions in southern Europe, the Ardennes are pleasant to ride outside the peak season too. Fewer tourists, lighter traffic and that typical Ardennes feel in the village cafés where you stop for lunch.

The N89 from Libramont to Bastogne is a classic: a wide road with sweeping bends and an open landscape you will not find anywhere else. The road along the Ourthe from Houffalize to La Roche-en-Ardenne passes through a deep valley with hairpin bends and stopping places right on the riverbank. The Amblève from Stavelot to Remouchamps offers about thirty kilometres of forest, rock faces and small waterfalls.

The Semois valley is the Ardennes' best-kept motorcycling secret. The road from Bouillon to Membre winds along the river with tight bends and almost no through traffic. The Gaume, the southernmost tip of Belgium around Virton and Florenville, offers small roads through rolling farmland with an almost French feel. Riding from Bouillon to Florenville via the Semois is one of the finest motorcycle routes in the country.

A lockable, covered garage is the first thing motorcyclists check when booking. Leaving a bike out in the rain is bad for both leather and metal, and an expensive machine on an open driveway is a security risk. Ask when booking whether the garage is tall enough for a bike with a windscreen and whether several bikes can stand side by side if you are travelling as a group.

A drying room for motorcycle gear is a benefit that is often underrated. Anyone who rides out in morning mist or rain wants to find their jacket and boots dry the next day. A big table for planning routes, a reliable Wi-Fi connection and a host who knows the local roads: these are the details that make a motorcyclist's holiday home truly complete.

The High Fens east of Malmedy offer a very different riding experience from the Semois valley. More open and more expansive, with straight stretches across the high moor and then suddenly a tight bend in the middle of a spruce forest. The road from Malmedy via Robertville to Ovifat runs along the edge of the plateau with unexpected views down into the valley. Less technical than the Ardennes valleys but just as captivating.

Along the Meuse from Namur to Liege a regional road threads between small villages that rarely see tourists. It is a quiet route with views of the river and sunny terraces for a lunch stop. From Liege the heart of the Ardennes is less than an hour away, plenty for a day trip to Bastogne or the Semois.

The best motorcycling season in the Ardennes runs from April to October. The start and end of the season, April to May and September to October, are ideal: fewer holidaymakers on the roads, fresh air and the countryside at its most attractive. In winter the twisting roads can be slippery from frost or fallen leaves, and the pleasure of riding diminishes. Late summer remains by far the most popular time for motorcycle clubs.

Groups of motorcyclists are best off booking a large chalet or group holiday home with a garage or carport that can take several bikes at once. Filling stations are reasonably well spread across the Ardennes, but in the most remote valleys there can be twenty kilometres between two pumps. If you ride a large twin, fill up before turning onto the small roads along the Semois, as there is very little fuel to be found along the way.