Belgium's Ardennes in miniature: a self-styled "smallest town in the world" squeezed into a loop of the Ourthe river, a whimsical topiary garden, kayaking under the cliffs, and some of the best forest riding and hiking terrain within a single extended weekend of Meudon-la-Forêt.
Durbuy has marketed itself as "the smallest town in the world" since a medieval charter never got revoked — in reality it's a cluster of a few hundred people packed into a knot of cobbled lanes on a bend of the Ourthe, ringed by limestone cliffs and Ardennes forest. It's touristy in the best way: a genuinely pretty stone core, a surreally manicured topiary garden, easy kayaking on the river right through town, and — a few minutes away — some of the densest via ferrata / zipline / adventure-park terrain in Belgium. It's also a proper base for two- or three-day forest hiking and mountain biking loops through the Famenne-Ardenne, which is exactly the kind of terrain the guidebooks undersell.
Meudon-la-Forêt to Durbuy is about 378 km, roughly 3h50–4h driving via the A1/A2/E19/E42, mostly French and Belgian autoroutes (French péage tolls apply on the A1 stretch; Belgian motorways are toll-free). At a realistic ~330–370 km real-world range for this 97%-SOH Model Y Premium, that's beyond one charge each way, so plan on one Supercharger stop per leg.
Sources: fr.distance.to/Durbuy, kelbillet.com Paris–Durbuy route data, chargemap.com/tesla-supercharger-namur, tesla.com Belgium Supercharger list.
Leave Meudon-la-Forêt early or the evening before. Charge at the Namur Supercharger (Suarlée) — grab a coffee, stretch, then finish the last ~44 km into Durbuy. Settle into camp, then walk the tiny medieval core: cobbled Rue des Récollets, the castle exterior (privately owned, not open inside), and the riverside promenade along the Ourthe. Grab an early dinner or just wander — this town is built for slow evening strolls.
Morning at the Parc des Topiaires — over 250 sculpted boxwood/yew shapes on a hillside overlooking the town, genuinely worth the modest ticket. Entry is €5 adults, €4.50 for 60+, €1 for kids 6–12, free under 6 (note: parking is a separate €9/day if you drive up — park in town instead and walk). Afternoon: paddle the Ourthe with Adventure Valley (Rue Rome 1, Barvaux-sur-Ourthe, a few minutes from Durbuy) — routes of 8, 12, or 23 km with shuttle and gear included, roughly €27–35 per person depending on distance; the 8 km Durbuy–Bomal run is the easiest half-day option. If you want more adrenaline instead of/alongside the kayak, Adventure Valley also runs Belgium's largest zipline, accrobranche courses, and a via ferrata (roughly €25–43 depending on package/age) — book online, minimum weight ~40kg for via ferrata.
Sources: topiaires.be/tarifs, adventure-valley.be/en/tickets, adventure-valley.be/en/activities/kayak, park4night.com (Rue du Marché, Camping/Aire Le Vedeur listings).
This is genuinely excellent hiking/biking country — the Famenne-Ardenne forest around Durbuy has a dense network of waymarked RAVeL and forest trails, with rolling limestone ridgelines, river valleys, and enough elevation change to make it interesting without needing lift access. Options include the loop trails around Barvaux and Bomal-sur-Ourthe, or heading toward the Fond des Vaulx / Hérou nature reserve nearby for a wilder, quieter hike. Take a full day — pack a picnic lunch and just explore; trail markers (VTT and GR-style) are well maintained throughout the region.
Treat meal: jambon d'Ardenne and regional Ardennes cuisine at La Brasserie Ardennaise in Durbuy, a local institution since 1996 — set menus run roughly €19–29, with individual dishes around €11 (their ham knuckle with mustard/béarnaise sauce has shown up as a €6 lunch special). Then retrace the route: charge again at Namur, drive the remaining ~330 km home.
Bike rides inside the car per the Car Camping, Food & Bike Guide — front wheel off, no range penalty, no rack needed. The Ardennes around Durbuy is some of the best riding terrain covered in this whole series: mixed fire-road/singletrack with real elevation change, well waymarked, and genuinely quiet outside peak summer weekends. Worth allocating a full day to it rather than squeezing it in alongside the town's other activities.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tolls (French A1 stretch; Belgian motorways free) | ≈ €15–20 |
| Supercharging (Namur, both directions) | ≈ €25–35 |
| Lodging (free Rue du Marché spot, or Aire Le Vedeur ~€21–35/night) | €0–70 |
| Parc des Topiaires entry | €5 |
| Kayak on the Ourthe (8km route) | ≈ €27–29 |
| Via ferrata / Adventure Valley extra (optional) | ≈ €25–43 |
| Ardenne specialty meal (La Brasserie Ardennaise) | ≈ €19–29 |
| Food (self-cooked, remaining meals) | ≈ €35–45 |
| Total | €150–200 (more with via ferrata / paid aire every night) |
Prices researched July 2026 via topiaires.be, adventure-valley.be, park4night.com, kelbillet.com, brasserieardennaisedurbuy.be — confirm current rates before booking, especially seasonal park hours and campsite fees.