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Quarreux - Vallon de la Chefna

Amblève has eroded the crumbly schist but has left intact the quartzite blocks.
One of Marcellin la Garde's legends tells that in exchange for his soul, Hubert Chefneux, miller of the Fond de Quarreux got from the evil the windmill he was dreaming of.
But to save his soul the worried wife hid herself in the mill with in her hands a medal of Notre-Dame de Dieupart.
The mill wheels didn't move and the evil, very angry, made it collapse and huge blocks fell down the mountain to the water.
It would explain the presence of the very hard stones in the river.
Very pleasant walk is proposed on the side of the water.

You'll perhaps find the "Pas de St Remacle" (St Remacle's steps) and the nice legend telling that St Remacle walking from St Roch to Stavelot going past Quarreux and Ville au Bois sat on a rock because his feet were painful and he was tired.
In the centre of this big stone, there was a gap full of water. He took a footbath and was miraculously cured and could go on walking.
Since that day, even in periods of drought, water has been stagnating in this gap called : "Pas de St-Remacle". Just try it, it could work !


The nice village of Quarreux is hidden behind the wooded hill and the charming hollows.
Not far from there on the right side of the wild stream of the Chefna, you can see two winding shafts, in fact it's a goldmine. The shafts are in a circular shape dug in a rocky wall and 2000 tons of stones were extracted forming excavations of 600 cubic metres. Round 1802 some farmers joined to exploit the mine.
They gave up. In the "Promenades historiques" (historical walks) Doctor Bovy notices that round 1832 one of the mining owners had nearly become a millionaire.
The exploitation is supposed to have lasted until the end of the 19th century. The gold content was 0,40 gr. of gold per ton.

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