Viewpoint from Hat Rock in Chiny

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The rock of "Le hat" emerges upon the forest and overhangs the Semois with more than 60 meters, and offers a wonderful viewpoint. The "Bois du Hat" was probably the game-park of the Counts of Chiny. "Le Hat" offers nowadays to the walkers: forest-versants with brooks, a wild and luxuriant vegetation with heath, bilberry and moss. (Text source by MT du Pays de Semois entre Ardenne et Gaume)Peaking at a height of 365m between Chiny and Florenville, Hat Rock is the highest rocky outcrop of the Semois.From this rock you can take in a breath-taking view over a wide meander of the Semois flanked by the wooded valley. Hat Rock is also known as ‘Master Rock’. Long ago ‘Hat’ would have been spelt ‘Hap’, the stem of the verb ‘happer’ meaning ‘to catch’. A ‘hap’ was a park surrounded by huge hedges, a type of big net where game was caught in the trap during the counts of Chiny’s hunting parties.‘Hat’ could also simply mean ‘the woods’, thus understood by the Chiny bourgeoisie. Another theory, more anecdotal, for the name of Hat Rock is that when discovering this incredible viewpoint, many people would have simply let out a cry of “Ah!”.

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