Visiting the Tour du Millénaire, Gedinne | ArdenNest

*18 May 2026 — by Bieke & Christophe*

The Tour du Millénaire is a 47.5-metre-high lookout tower on the Croix-Scaille plateau in Gedinne, in the Belgian Ardennes. After renovation works, the tower reopened this past weekend (16–17 May 2026) — and we climbed straight back up. From now on, everyone can go up again.

We also stopped by the Gedinne tourist office, where an exhibition is running on 25 years of the Tour du Millénaire (2001–2026). The dates and figures below come straight from that exhibition.

In short

• What: an hourglass-shaped lookout tower, 47.5 m high
• Where: the Croix-Scaille plateau, Gedinne (province of Namur)
• Plateau altitude: 503 m — the highest point in the province of Namur, the 4th highest summit in Belgium
• Steps: 234, via a spiral staircase
• Platforms: 3, at 15, 30 and 45 m
• View: up to 30 km — the Croix-Scaille, the Meuse valley, the Hargnies forest
• Open: every day, from sunrise to sunset
• Entry: free
• Also on site: a free playground, the Chalet de la Tour (drinks & snacks), picnic tables
• Reopened: May 2026, after renovation

Building the tower (1999–2001)

• The idea was born in the early 1990s: a belvedere to make the most of the Croix-Scaille plateau and to look out above the treetops.
• 28 October 1999: Gedinne's municipal council approves the project. It is part of a European Interreg II project for cross-border cooperation between Belgium and France.
• Designed by Dethier Architectures (Liège), structural engineering by Ney & Partners (Brussels), built by the firm Macors (Hamois).
• The shape: an hourglass — a symbol of passing time, and a futuristic touch for the turn of the millennium.
• November 1999: six Douglas firs, over 90 years old, are felled in the forests around Gedinne — the tower's original frame.
• 3 February 2000: construction begins. The tower is built lying down.
• 28 August 2001: the tower is raised upright — the culmination of the build.
• 13 October 2001: official inauguration.

Dismantling and rebuilding (2008–2026)

• 2007–2008: the wood is attacked by fungi and insects. On 7 July 2008, the tower is dismantled.
• 2012: the tower is rebuilt with a metal load-bearing structure clad in wood. The original platforms are kept.
• August 2024: closed again — the support beams of the first platform are worn.
• September 2025: renovation works begin. A galvanised steel structure clad in tropical wood is chosen (more resistant to moisture). The three levels are dismantled and rebuilt.
• May 2026: the tower reopens — just in time for its 25th anniversary.

Good to know: before the Tour du Millénaire, four towers already stood here, mostly military observation posts — in 1914, 1926, 1937 and 1944.

The tower in numbers

• Total height of the stairwell: 47.5 m
• 234 steps — a spiral staircase made of 19 galvanised steel modules of 2.50 m each
• 3 platforms at 15, 30 and 45 m
• Central mast: 18.8 m, painted red and white (the tower sits in a military air corridor)
• Base: 3 anchor points forming an equilateral triangle with 15 m sides
• Platform roofs: in stretched fabric
• Around 35,000 visitors a year

Practical: opening hours, access and the playground

• Opening hours: every day, from sunrise to sunset. Exceptional closures are possible during the hunting season.
• Access: completely free.
• Playground: right next to the tower is a free playground for children.
• Chalet de la Tour: local drinks and snacks.
• Picnic tables on site.
• Starting point for walks: including walks 41 (La Fange de l'Abîme), 42 (Le Maquis de la Croix-Scaille) and 46 (La Croix-Scaille).
• From ArdenNest: the tower is in our own municipality of Gedinne — a short drive from the holiday home.
• More information on the Gedinne tourist office website.

Why this is a perfect family outing

• Free — both the tower and the playground, so no barrier for a large group.
• No time slot, no booking — you go whenever it suits you.
• Three generations at once: those who want to go up climb the 234 steps; those who prefer to stay below have the playground, the chalet and the picnic tables.
• Short or long: a half-hour climb, or a whole afternoon with a walk — your choice.
• The view as a reward: on a clear day you can see up to 30 km.
• Easy to combine: start one of the walks around the Croix-Scaille right from the site.

Looking for more outings for a group of mixed ages? Read our journal on three generations at Symbiosa too, discover the surroundings of ArdenNest, or take a look at the house itself.