Domain of the Caves of Han — Attraction in Rochefort

We went there on a Sunday afternoon. We didn't really have to wait for buying the tickets, we paid 36 euro for a combi ticket, this ticket included a guided tour to the cave, a wildlife Safari by a car/truck and an entry to a museum about the cave and wildlife Safari.

About the cave: The cave is nice, some parts are very beautiful. The guided tour is a group tour, with a guide and around 40-50 people. The guided tours are conducted in two languages (Dutch and French) as far as I could see, though our guide spoke french, Dutch and German. She informed us well about the caves. When you go inside, they also show you a video film about mostly the wildlife. Some parts of the cave are slippery, so be careful. There are also some stairs and you are not allowed to touch the stones. It took us around 1h10 minutes to complete the tour, it is around 1.5km walking one way. Be sure to carry a sweater or a jacket, we went in september beginning and the temple inside was around 10 degree Celsius, it could be more or less depending on the season. It is not wheelchair accessible. Things that I really disliked is that they asked for tips, I have never seen that in Europe before, either they are not getting paid enough or they are greedy, if they are not paid enough then management should rather raise the ticket prices to make things more fair, this is the reason why I gave them three stars because I only like giving tips when I want to, if someone asks for tips then it discourages me from giving tips. Three stars for the cave.

About the wildlife park: You can do this journey either on foot or on Safari park car (it is also possible to do with a tram and a personal car, but I didn't use those two). We did this with the Safari park car. We waited for around ten minutes to get into the Safari park car. We saw many different kinds of deers, cows, wild pigs, lynx, horses, donkey, bears and owls. The journey took around 1.5-2h. They made two stops, first stop was where the Lesse river flows and the second stop was near the bears, there is also a tiny cafe to get drinks and ice creams near the second stop and also a toilet. If you do this on feet, it will take you around 3h and the park has a lot of uphill and downhill, so I wouldn't recommend doing it on feet if you don't like hiking. This is also good for people of all ages. About accessibility, the car itself is not wheelchair accessible as far as I could see. Five stars for the wildlife park.

About the museum: The museum is quite small, we finished it in around 1h. It has a lot of history about the caves and a film about the wildlife park. The museum is well maintained. It also has a souvenir shop. Information inside the museum is in English, Dutch, French and German. You need to take stairs to go to the museum so it is not wheelchair accessible. Five stars for the museum.

Restaurant inside this area: There is a restaurant outside the caves and near the place where the Safari car leaves, the restaurant has only one vegetarian option and no vegan option. We had the only vegetarian option, it was a pasta with plenty of cheese, the pasta was edible, but not that great. Most staff don't speak English or Dutch here. Two stars because of lack of vegetarian/vegan options and...

The wildlife park is nothing out of the ordinary, it's a nice three hour walk and you get to see some unique animals. You can also take a bus tour which gets you round the park in 1h 30 minutes. It's not very comfortable though. Pick the right side of the bus to see most of the animals. Only the lynx and arctic wolf are on the left side. There are a few stops, but they are very short.

The caves are what this place is about though, and it does not disappoint. You leave the ticket office with an open tram/train. Keep your hands free to cover your ears because the sound the wheels on the track make gets very loud from time to time, i hope they fix that. You can only visit in group with a guide and are divided at the cave entrance in Dutch and French speaking groups. I suggest doing some research beforehand because the guide's, even though they try hard, are hard to hear, definitely when your group has young kids that have a hard time being quiet. We hung round the back of the group and took our time to take in our surroundings. If the group's around the corner it's alot more quiet. The caves are hugely impressive. It is truly unlike anything else on earth. They are very well lit, the guides can even control the lighting and focus light on what they are talking about. The trail never feels claustrophobic, some passages are narrow but you never need to squeeze yourself through anything. Some of the rooms are enormous, others are filled with unique structures and both are mind boggling. The Origins show is a very nice addition to the tour, it compliments the experience. The tour takes about an hour and a half and isn't strenuous. It's basically a descent inside the hill, the train gets you to the highest point and from there you go through the caves back down back to the village. The path does feature some stairs and an occasional slippery section, but are generally in very good condition. It might be a bit of a challenge for some elderly people, but is generally accessible for everyone, although I don't think wheelchair access is possible. You exit the cave near the village, it's a short walk back to where you left with the train. This is absolutely a worthwhile experience. Fascinating to...

Short bottom line: go there! It's amazing experience for anyone to watch.

Long version: Overview: A truly amazing experience. The town of Han-sur-lesse gives you a kind of historic feeling with the stone houses and brick roads. At the edge of the town you could find the Caves of Han, a system of underground spaces carved in the earth throughout millions of years. You feel as you walk through time when you see the mostly preserved tunnels, and witness the beauty of nature. From small to few meters tall stalactites and stalagmites different in color, and with some back lightning, you could find a lot of pretty sights. You really feel as if you stepped into a foreign world.

Tour: The tour is about 2 hours long in a small portion of the cave systems. Most of it is kept for research, and for reservation. There is a tour guide that explains about each space you walk into, but it is offered in french and Flemish only. As far as I understood you can take an English booklet guide, but it is best to have someone whom understand the language (as I did).

In its prime, you'll be escorted into a big hall where you can have a sit and watch a short video of Earth's natural history, from creation to the finding of the cave. A truly mesmerizing experience.

Pay attention: The cave is chilly, and I was there while 30° C outside. It is really insulated from the outside weather.

There are some steps to walk through, but the real danger is wet floor and potential quicksand. Be careful when touring.

IMPORTANT: to the cave you'll be taken by light train. Once you finish, you have to WALK back to town. All in all, it's quite a walk for the elderly (including the tour). There is parking and resting near the exit of the cave, so it is possible to bring a car.

you can also visit a safari-like park with guidance in French or Flemish, yet in the park there are informative posts with intuitive images and some English.

Attached some images from the cave, and short videos. Highly...