Le Cheslé is a Celtic hillfort just southwest of the village of Bérismenil in the commune of La Roche-en-Ardenne in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The site is difficult to access and is situated on a rocky promontory that rises 80 meters above the river Ourthe in the valley of the stream like a kind of peninsula. In the east, south and west, the rock is surrounded by the Ourthe that winds around the high plateau. On the north side is the only entrance, originally accessible only by a narrow path over a ledge. The site of the fortress covers 14 hectares. The fortress is largely protected by steep walls and on the less steep parts a double fence of earth, slate and wood has been built over 1750 meters long.
No permanent habitation has been found in the hill fort from the time it was used (800 B.C.- 650 B.C.). However, it has been used as a shelter for nearby villages, farms and smaller tribes.
There is also a local legend about a golden goat that emerges at night at the hillfort once a year on Christmas Eve. To catch it one must be silent. Once three farmers tried this on the night in question, the goat came out and they were able to catch it. Out of enthusiasm one farmer exclaimed with joy, after which the three farmers were never seen again.
Other places in Belgium
