Behind the row of houses: the former station
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Behind the row of buildings across the Semois (just before Restaurant Méandre), you can see a roof with two red chimneys. This is Bouillon’s former train station, built in 1890.
That year, Bouillon was connected to the outside world via the tram vicinal line to Paliseul—16 km and 45 minutes long.
Initially, the station was the depot and terminus of the isolated Bouillon–Paliseul line. In 1903, it was linked to a broader network via Poix-Saint-Hubert. Bouillon's tram system expanded further with lines to Corbion and, by 1910, all the way to Sedan in France.
The opening of the Sedan line was a major event, marked by festivals: Sedan on July 17, Corbion on August 7, and Bouillon on September 11, 1910.
The tram brought huge benefits to tourism, the economy, and daily life. However, by the late 1950s, buses and cars had taken over. Passenger service stopped in July 1955; freight lasted until June 1960.
