Rocks of Marche-les-Dames

Wooded cliffs above the Meuse where King Albert I died in 1934

About ten kilometres east of Namur, the wooded Rochers de Marche-les-Dames rise from the right bank of the Meuse — a long band of grey rock cliffs threaded with paths. The walk through the forest above and along the river is one of the prettiest near the city.

The cliffs are best known as the place where King Albert I of Belgium died on 17 February 1934. He had gone rock-climbing alone before lunch and never returned; his body was found at the foot of the rocks. A simple stone cross marks the spot, set high on the wall and reachable by a marked path. The site is treated with quiet respect by climbers and walkers alike.

things to do sight hiking
A story
On 17 February 1934, King Albert I — the much-loved "soldier king" who had led the Belgian army through the First World War — went climbing alone on these cliffs and did not come back. His body was found at the foot of the rocks the next morning, broken by the fall. The cause of death (a slip? sabotage? a heart attack on the wall?) is still occasionally debated, but most accounts settle on the simplest explanation. A small stone cross marks the spot.

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