De Cuesmes (Mons) à Quiévrain (stage 1)

The route:
You start off on the Line 98 RAVeL in Cuesmes (Mons), rue de Ciply, along the railway track. You head towards Flénu across the new Clara footbridge.
After going under the motorway and passing by the Saint-Joseph slag heap, the Line 98 RAVeL is briefly joined by the Line 98C RAVeL. After Flénu railway station, you fork left towards Paturâges, whose name harks back to its farming origins. As you cross through places like Colfontaine, Wasmes, Boussu-Bois, Bois Saint-Antoine and Dour, your path alternates between a dense urban fabric, slag heaps literally drawn out of the ground by industry and surprising countryside.
You may be tempted to follow lines 98B and 98C, but that will be for later…
After Dour, you carry on towards Elouges and end your journey in Quiévrain, a border town well known to our French friends from the traditional expression: “Outre-Quiévrain” (Beyond Quiévrain) used by Belgians to refer to the French and vice versa.
 
Surface: 
Smooth, alternately concrete and asphalt.
 
Height difference: 
Flat.
 
Signs: 
Full directional signs are in place along the entire route.
 
Connections:

• Line 98C RAVeL in Flénu.
• Line 98B RAVeL in Boussu-Bois.
• Line 98A RAVeL in Elouges, part of the W1 regional route.
• Between Elouges and the entrance to Quiévrain, path shared with the W1 regional route.

Start:
Rue de Ciply, Cuesmes.

Coordinates Lambert 72 : X : 119126 m - Y : 124334 m

GPS coordinates: Latitude: 50°25'44.65" N - Longitude: 3°56'03.15'' E

Finish:
Place de la Gare, Quiévrain.

Coordinates Lambert 72 : X : 101555 m - Y : 122378 m

GPS coordinates: Latitude: 50°24'37.07'' N - Longitude: 3°41'13.81'' E

Guides/maps:

• RAVeL map of the Province of Hainaut published by the SPW. This map, called ‘More RAVeL, more pleasure’, can be ordered free of charge by clicking here.

 
Around the route by bike:

• Hainaut by bike – Hainaut Rando routes.