It is a right tributary to the river
Meuse. The Ourthe is formed at the confluence of the
Ourthe Occidentale (Western Ourthe) and the
Ourthe Orientale (Eastern Ourthe), west of
Houffalize. The source of the
Ourthe Occidentale is near
Libramont-Chevigny, in the Belgian province
Luxembourg. The source of the
Ourthe Orientale is near
Gouvy, also in the Belgian province Luxembourg, close to the border with
Luxembourg. After the confluence of the two Ourthes at
Lake Nisramont, the Ourthe flows roughly in north-west and later in northern direction. Near
Noiseux it flows for a short distance through the province of
Namur. After the municipality of
Durbuy it flows into
Liège Province. Eventually it flows into the river Meuse in the city of
Liège. The most important tributaries of the river Ourthe are the
Amblève and the
Vesdre. Towns along the Ourthe are
Houffalize (Ourthe Orientale),
La Roche-en-Ardenne,
Hotton,
Durbuy,
Hamoir and
Esneux. Near
Hotton, the
caves of Hotton are located. In these caves runs a
subterranean river which flows in the Ourthe. Near
Esneux lies the Roche aux Faucons. This is a vantage point located on a high cliff, above a meander of the Ourthe. In the south, near Marcourt, there is another high cliff where the
Hermitage and chapel of Saint-Thibaut is located. Around 1820,
William I of the Netherlands demanded the creation of the Ourthe channel. Via the Ourthe, this channel would have connected the Meuse basin with the
Moselle basin. Belgium's independence in 1830 put an end to these plans. The main remnant of these works is the unfinished channel tunnel in Bernistap (province of Luxembourg). ==See also==