A visit to the Caves of Han, Belgium

Located in the middle of the Belgian Ardennes you can find the Caves of Han or ‘Grottes de Han’: a site where you can pay a visit to the Cave of Han and a wildlife park. During our trip to the Belgian Ardennes in July this year, we visited the Caves of Han. It was a rainy day, so at the end we only did a tour to the cave. In this article I’d like to tell you more about the site and what’s there to do and see.

About the Caves of Han

The site of the Caves of Han is located in the Belgian Ardennes, at approximately 30 minutes driving distance from well-known towns like Dinant and Durbuy. The site is devided in two parts: one part features the cave of Han and the other part features the wildlife park, where you can spot all kinds of wildlife. You can chose yourself if you would like one of the two parts or if you’d like to combine them in a day trip. The site also provides several eateries and an accommodation possibility.

A tour through the Cave of Han

A visit to the Cave of Han is a must when you’re interested in geological places. You’ll get a guided tour through the cave during which you’ll get informed about the history and the facts of the cave. On the way, you come in a hall where you can enjoy a beautiful light- and sound spectacle; probably the highlight of the tour. Also called as the Origin, this show is really beautiful!

If you book a tour through the Cave of Han, you’ll also get free entrance to the museum PrehistoHan. This museum shows archaeological pieces which are found at the bottom of the river in the Caves of Han.

The Wildlife Park

Besides the cave of Han, there’s also a wildlife park where you can spot all kinds of wildlife. You can chose if you’d like to explore the park (consisting out of 250 hectares of pure nature) by foot or by Safari-car. If you’d like to walk through the park, it takes around three hours, and if you’d like to go by Safari-car, it takes around 1,5 hours. During your visit you can spot a diverse range of animals: from brown bears to owls and from wolves to wild boars.

If you book a ticket for the Wildlife Park, you’ll also get free entrance to the museum Han 1900. In this museum you’ll relive the daily life in the beginning of the 20th century.

Gastronomy

Around the area of the Caves of Han, you can find several stalls where you can buy a diverse range of snacks. If you’d like to eat some more than just a snacks, there are several eateries:

La Verrière located at the ground floor of the museum PrehistoHan, which is a nice tearoom
Le Pavillon located at the exit of the cave, which is a restaurant in art-deco style
Le Tivoli located along the hiking path in the Wildlife Park

Staying at the Caves of Han

There is also a possibility to stay at the site of the Caves of Han. How nice is that? Good to know: if you buy a PassHan ticket (a combination ticket) you can use this tickets several days, so it’s not only valid for one day. Ideal when you’re staying at the site and would like to visit the Wildlife Park one day and the cave of Han the other day. There is one accommodation option at the Caves of Han (and of course many other options in the environment of the site):

Tree Tents: in the middle of the Wildlife Park you can find these tree houses. An unique and really nice stay for everyone! You’ll sleep in the middle of nature with views over the old valley of the Lesse and the animals. In total, there are eight Tree Tents (possible to stay in with a maximum of four persons). Adults pay € 135,- per night and children (4-11 years) € 80,- per night. Included is a stay in a Tree Tent, a private hike in the valley of the Wildlife Park, a full meal, breakfast and a PassHan (combination) ticket.

Entrance fees

If you’re planning a visit to the Caves of Han, it’s good to prepare with some practical information. There are several options for tickets with, of course, different prices. The below prices are for the tickets you buy online (08-oct-2020):

A visit to the cave of Han

Child (4-11 years)	€ 15,50
Adult	€ 21,50
Senior (65+ years)	€ 19,50

A visit to the wildlife park

Child (4-11 years)	€ 15,50
Adult	€ 21,50
Senior (65+ years)	€ 19,50

A combination ticket for both the cave and the wildlife park

Child (4-11 years)	€ 22,90
Adult	€ 31,90
Senior (65+ years)	€ 29,90

Opening hours

If you’d like to know the opening hours for the specific day you’d like to visit the Caves of Han, it’s best to have a look at the official website as the opening hours differs per day. Sometimes the site is open a little longer in the weekends, same as in Summer time. In Winter time, there also are days that the site is closed. My advise would be to prepare well and always look at the website beforehand.

Location

As told before, the Caves of Han are located in the middle of the Belgian Ardennes, near Rochefort (see below for the map). The address is as follows:

Domain of the Caves of Han
Rue J. Lamotte 2
5580 Han-sur-Lesse
Belgium

The best way to reach the site is by (rental)car, but if you don’t have one, you can also reach the site by public transport. It’s located at approximately 10 kilometers from the train station of Rochefort-Jemelle. There are, for example, direct train connections from Brussels, which takes about 1,5 hours. Arrived in Rochefort-Jemelle, you can take the TEC-bus 29 towards Grupont, where you have to get off at the stop of Han-sur-Lesse Eglise (church). The bus trip takes around 14 minutes.