In Flanders we used to rent an old station building which we renovated completely, preserving and reusing the original elements as much as possible. However, we thought it was time for a change in our lives. This area, the Semois Valley, that we loved instantly, has something magical about it. We opted for a small-scale construction project on the border of the Gaume with the Ardennes: intimate, compact and ecologically and environmentally friendly built. We have a mini co-housing project financed by multiple individuals, who love working and living in the middle of nature. The most important part of our search was the location, because land and nature are becoming a scarce commodity, so we fell head over heels for this building plot.

This charming timber frame house is located in the Semois Valley National Park. It is an almost passive timber frame, nice and cool in the summer months and cozy and warm during the winter. The holiday home is located on the edge of the village centre in Sainte-Cécile-sur-Semois and a 20- minute walk from the new suspension bridge, which connects Sainte-Cécile with Les Epioux.

We are situated in between Chassepierre and Herbeumont, not too far from the French border. The house is close to the village centre which has a delightful little square where you can enjoy a drink and a snack, and in the spring the swallows chirp and show off their flying skills. The nature reserve with the Semois and forests are nearby. The Valley of the Semois is one big nature reserve with, among other things, a new suspension bridge, La Roche à L'Appel (geological reserve), Le domaine des Épioux (with several lakes), Le Tombeau du Chevalier (Grave of the knight), Point de vue de Libaipire, and lots more. In this recognized nature reserve, the river Semois winds like a snake from one village to the other. This wooded area invites you to go birdwatching, hiking, cycling, mountain biking or kayaking, and please don’t forget your picnic supplies because the area has blissful spots in abondance! There is also plenty of cycling or walking fun just a stone's throw away at the Ravel 165A - Sainte- Cécile-Muno-Herbeumont where you can still find traces of the old railway bed. Downstream you can follow the Semois towards Herbeumont; highly recommended, as you will pass La Vanne des Moines. Further on you can make trips to the Gaume and the more southerly villages towards Florenville- Orval and Chameleux, where after a short climb you end up in France and the charming village Williers. From Chameleux you can take a beautiful walk following a small river all the way to Orval. Continue on towards Virton, with the Vallée de Rabais and the Zygomar walk being highly recommended.