Stoumont, the Amblève and Fagnenaze — a special corner of the Ardennes
In the heart of the Belgian Ardennes lies Stoumont, a picturesque municipality in the province of Liège. Extensive forests, hills, winding roads and flowing rivers shape the landscape.
One of the area’s most beautiful features is the Amblève, also called the Amel in Dutch. It winds through deep green valleys and has been part of the landscape for centuries.
The Amblève — a river with character
The Amblève rises in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons and flows through the Ardennes before joining the Ourthe at Comblain-au-Pont.
Along the way it passes impressive rock formations, old bridges, forests and small hamlets. Near Stoumont, quiet stretches alternate with faster water.
The river once mattered not only to nature but also to local communities. Hydropower, mills, farming and forestry played an important part in life along its banks.
Fagnenaze — a hidden piece of history
Fagnenaze is a small hamlet in the municipality of Stoumont, near Lorcé. Its historic dam on the Amblève makes it particularly interesting.
Between 1928 and 1932, a hydraulic system was built here to generate electricity.
Here is how it works:
The dam holds back around 50,000 m³ of water.
Water travels through a tunnel about 3.5 kilometres long, cut through the rocky hills.
It then drops around 40 metres.
This drives the turbines of the hydroelectric plant near Nonceveux.
It was an impressive engineering project for its time.
The keeper’s cottage — Fagnenaze, Stoumont
The house in Fagnenaze, Stoumont, stands in an area with a distinctive history of water engineering.
People worked at the dam to oversee the water and installations. Historical sources even mention a barragiste, or dam keeper.
The house belongs to a landscape in which the river, dam and hydropower play an important role.
A special place for photography and film
The flowing water, wooded slopes, dam and historic buildings make Fagnenaze a lovely setting for nature photography and atmospheric films. In autumn, the changing leaves can create beautiful views of the Amblève valley.
