Destination Guide
Cycling in Ardennes
Cycling in the Ardennes: Liège-Bastogne-Liège terrain, forested climbs, and the oldest monument in professional cycling on roads you can ride the next morning.
Last updated: 12 March 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Climbing
- Difficulty
- Moderate — Expert
- Road Quality
- Good
- Cycling Culture
- Strong
- Pro Team Presence
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège — La Doyenne, the oldest Monument in cycling, founded 1892 — is held here each late April. La Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race complete the Ardennes Classics week in mid-to-late April. Teams including Jumbo-Visma, UAE Team Emirates, and Ineos Grenadiers use the Ardennes climbs for spring recon. The Waalse Pijl (Flèche Wallonne) climbs the Mur de Huy three times — a nearby climb sharing the region's brutal short-ramp character.
- Traffic
- Low
Best Time to Cycle in Ardennes
Late April delivers the Ardennes Classics atmosphere that transforms every climb into a pilgrimage. The week surrounding Liège-Bastogne-Liège (last Sunday of April) is when the region is most alive with cycling energy — ride La Redoute days before the professionals and you'll find amateur cyclists from across Europe on the same roads. May and June extend the season with warm, stable conditions and roads free from any significant tourist pressure. September and October are ideal for atmospheric riding with autumn foliage covering the Ardennes forests in colour. December through February can be genuinely harsh — cold, wet, and with ice possible on the wooded climbs.
Temperature: -5°C (winter) to 30°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in Ardennes
La Redoute
2km · 174m · 8.9% · CAT2
The most iconic climb in the Belgian Ardennes and the defining moment in Liège-Bastogne-Liège since it was added to the route in 1979. La Redoute rises from the Amblève valley through a narrow, sunken road hemmed in by forest, averaging 8.9% over 2km with a notorious section exceeding 20% midway that has broken races and broken riders since Bernard Hinault first rode it at race pace. The name — 'the fortress' — is apt: the gradient comes in waves that offer no recovery between ramps. WorldTour attacks on La Redoute with 40km remaining in Liège have decided the race more frequently than any other climb. Riding it in the week before the Classics is a pilgrimage that every serious cyclist owes themselves.
Côte de Saint-Nicolas
1.2km · 95m · 7.8% · CAT3
The gateway climb to the final act of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, situated on the outskirts of Liège itself as the race enters the finish straight. Saint-Nicolas climbs through a residential street — an unusual setting for a Monument climb, lined with houses and fans rather than forest. The 1.2km at 7.8% average includes a sharp 15% ramp that arrives just when legs already carrying 240km of racing have nothing left. In the amateur cycling world, Saint-Nicolas is used as a threshold test precisely because its short length and urban setting make it repeatable: turn around at the top, descent, and ascend again for interval sessions with perfect gradient consistency.
Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons
1.8km · 122m · 8.7% · CAT3
Added to the Liège-Bastogne-Liège route in 2008, La Roche-aux-Faucons immediately became one of its decisive climbs. The 1.8km averages 8.7% on a road that alternates between smooth tarmac and sections of degraded surface, demanding constant adjustment of line and power output. It sits just 35km from the finish in Liège, which means any meaningful gap opened here is defensible to the line. Andy Schleck attacked here in 2011 with Frank Schleck and Frank Gilbert following in a move that led to the iconic photograph of all three brothers — wait, not quite: this was the launch pad for the winning move in Philippe Gilbert's extraordinary Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory. The forest-lined road gives it a more remote, dramatic character than many Ardennes climbs.
Stockeu
1km · 90m · 11.4% · CAT3
One of the most savage short climbs in the Belgian Ardennes and a long-standing fixture on the Liège-Bastogne-Liège route. Stockeu rises from Stavelot — a picturesque Ardennes town famous for its Carnival — at an average of 11.4% over a single kilometre, with a maximum gradient of 24% on the upper section that forces virtually everyone off the saddle. The climb is located near the Spa-Francorchamps racing circuit and is often combined with Wanne in the same ride. The Eddy Merckx memorial near the summit honours five Liège victories. The narrow road and steep gradient mean this climb is best attempted with knowledge of the road rather than blindly from the foot.
Wanne
2.5km · 148m · 7.2% · CAT3
The longer, more sustained climb that precedes Stockeu on the Liège-Bastogne-Liège route, climbing from the Amblève valley through forest to the exposed Ardennes plateau. At 2.5km averaging 7.2%, Wanne is not as violent as Stockeu but is far more relentless — the gradient hovers between 6-9% for almost the entire ascent with little respite. The upper section opens onto windswept heathland that is beautiful in clear weather and bleak under the grey skies common in the Ardennes spring. The combination of Wanne and Stockeu — descending between them on the valley road — is a punishing 20-minute exercise in sustained suffering that mirrors the race experience.
Insider Tips
- The week of Liège-Bastogne-Liège (last Sunday of April) is the single most atmospheric time to cycle in the Ardennes. Ride La Redoute on the Friday before the race and you'll encounter hundreds of cycling pilgrims doing exactly the same thing. The professional race the following Sunday draws massive crowds to every climb — spectating from La Redoute's steepest section is as close to Tour de France atmosphere as anything outside the Tour itself.
- The Ardennes Classics Week — Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands, Sunday), La Flèche Wallonne (Wednesday), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Sunday) — all happen within eight days in late April. Base yourself in the Liège area for the full week and you can watch all three races and ride the course roads between them. This is one of the finest weeks in the cycling calendar.
- Walloon cycling culture operates on entirely different principles from Flemish cycling. Where Flanders has the bergs and the beer cafés, Wallonia has the forest climbs and the cuisine — Ardennes ham, boudin, and truffle-based dishes from the Gaume region are genuine gastronomic pleasures. Factor proper sit-down lunches into your riding plans.
- Spa-Francorchamps racing circuit is within 10km of the Stockeu and Wanne climbs. Several operators run combined cycling-motorsport packages. The circuit itself is open to visitors and the surrounding roads — including the famous Raidillon corner approach — are on public roads that cyclists can use freely.
- La Doyenne — Liège-Bastogne-Liège — is the oldest Monument in professional cycling, founded in 1892. Before the race was fully professionalised, the route was used as a military fitness test for Belgian soldiers. This context — riding roads with 130 years of sporting history — gives the Ardennes climbs a depth of meaning unavailable anywhere else in cycling outside Paris-Roubaix's cobbled sections.
How to Get to Ardennes for Cycling
Nearest Airports
Liège Airport(LGG)
Transfer: 30-50 minutes to Ardennes climbing areas
The most convenient gateway for Ardennes cycling. Liège sits at the northern edge of the cycling region, with the key climbs (La Redoute, Côte de Saint-Nicolas, La Roche-aux-Faucons) within 30km of the city. Limited commercial airline services — primarily Ryanair from London Stansted and select European cities — but the proximity to the climbs makes it the preferred option when flights are available. Car hire essential at the terminal.
Brussels Airport(BRU)
Transfer: 90-120 minutes to Stavelot or Liège
The primary international gateway with the widest European and intercontinental connectivity. 120km from Stavelot via the E40 and E42 motorways — a manageable transfer that provides access to both the northern Ardennes (Liège climbs) and the deeper Ardennes (Stockeu, Wanne) from the same rental car. Useful for riders combining Flanders and Ardennes in a single trip, as Brussels sits equidistant between both cycling regions.
Maastricht Aachen Airport(MST)
Transfer: 50-70 minutes to Liège area
Small regional airport straddling the Dutch-German border with select European connections. Useful for riders approaching from the Netherlands or Germany. The Dutch cycling community frequently uses this airport for Ardennes trips. Car hire available. The drive south through the Meuse valley to Liège and then into the Ardennes passes through some beautiful cycling territory in its own right.
Getting around: Car Recommended — Liège is the natural urban base with direct rail connections to Brussels and good road access to the climbing region. For riders specifically targeting the deeper Ardennes — Stockeu, Wanne, and the Haute-Levée — basing in Stavelot or Malmedy puts you within 5km of the key climbs and eliminates any car need for daily riding. The E42 motorway links Liège to the Ardennes plateau quickly. Roads between climbing villages are generally quiet and well-surfaced.