Haybes: Slate History, Nature and Culture

Haybes brings together traces of its slate heritage with places to enjoy nature and river views. When planning your stay, two distinctions are especially useful: the heritage trails vary in length and focus, while the Verger conservatoire brings together nature, fruit varieties and animal habitats. If you are looking for hotels in Haybes, you can plan your stay around the aspects of the town you would like to explore more closely.

Heritage in Haybes

The Monument aux Morts was inaugurated in 1926. A replica of the Grotte de Lourdes has stood on Place du Vivier since 1928. Both sites give your visit a historical dimension, while the Église Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul stands out for its architecture: its floor plan is shaped like a Latin cross, and it was built from rubble stone made of Haybes arkose. The church is open to the public only during religious services.

The École d'autrefois exhibition is another cultural attraction. It can be visited on the upper floor of the Maison des Randonnées. Haybes thus brings together several themes: a monument, a religious replica, church architecture and an exhibition about school life in the past.

Slate history along the trails

The Parcours du Patrimoine offers two trails of different lengths. The first covers three kilometres and takes you through Haybes’ urban heritage. The second is about six kilometres long, passes former slate quarries within the town and intersects the first trail. You can choose based on distance and focus: a shorter route through the heritage sites or a longer loop linked to the former slate quarries. The distances describe the routes; no walking time is specified.

A circular trail in the Mohron valley highlights six places linked to the slate heritage of the Fumay and Haybes basin: the Moulin Labotte, the Ruisseau de Morhon, the Ardoisière du Fond d’Oury, the small bridge, the exploration holes and the Camp des Hesses. The Circuit Ardoises et Légendes follows the Ruisseau du Mohron and features seven information panels about work in the slate quarries. Both experiences explore the subject from different perspectives: one through several sites in the valley, the other via panels along the stream.

Riverside, viewpoints and nature

The La Platale viewpoint offers views of the town of Fumay. Excursions with Arden'Gyropode also start there. A riverside promenade on the Quai de Meuse, lined with colourful façades, offers views of the river; the Voie Verte also runs along it. Haybes’ Parcours de santé is situated along the Voie verte and has various exercise stations for children and adults.

The Verger conservatoire – Haybes is home to 120 trees representing 40 varieties of apples, pears, plums and cherries. The orchard also provides a refuge for animals and plants. Bats, owls and songbirds, for example, find shelter there in nest boxes or purpose-built shelters. From April to the end of September, you can follow the educational trails with an explanatory booklet available on site.

Another way to combine nature and art is the freely accessible Balade poétique au milieu des arbres fruitiers. Nature-themed works can be seen in the Verger conservatoire and in the arboretum beside the Maison des Randonnées. The orchard, educational trails and artworks each offer a different focus, so you need not limit yourself to just one theme.

Activities and when to visit

The Maison des Randonnées rents mountain bikes, trekking bikes, electrically assisted bicycles and tandems. Check availability before your trip. If you would like to visit Haybes during a festival, you could plan your trip around Fest'in Haybes: this summer festival takes place every year and lasts two days. The exact dates vary from year to year, so check the festival dates for the year of your trip.

Whether you are interested in the shorter heritage trail, the routes linked to slate, the orchard or the riverside promenade, each place and activity offers its own focus for your stay in Haybes.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Villers-Semeuse, Givet, Savigny-Sur-Aisne, Ham-Sur-Meuse, Saint-Étienne-à-Arnes, Donchery, Carignan, Vireux-Wallerand.

Return to the main travel overview: Ardennes.