Lesse River

Lesse River, river in southeastern Belgium. The Lesse River rises west of Libramont in the Ardennes and follows a short (52-mile [84-km]), meandering northwesterly course to the Meuse River at Anseremme, a few miles south of Dinant. The river’s early northward course lies in a shallow valley of the Ardennes, where it receives the Lomme tributary. Reaching the less-resistant rocks (limestone and shale) of the Famenne depression, it abruptly turns westward toward the Meuse. Disappearing underground for about a mile at Han-sur-Lesse, the river has created the celebrated Grottoes of Han, which are renowned for their stalactites and stalagmites. One of the grottoes measures 505 feet (154 metres) long and 450 feet (137 metres) wide. In its lowest section, from Houyet to Anseremme, the Lesse River flows in a deep, winding valley between steep limestone cliffs. In the cavern of Naulette, situated on the left bank, some prehistoric remains, which have been assigned to the Mousterian industry period, were discovered in 1866. The Lesse is subject to periodic flooding; substantial flooding in 1993 led the government to adopt a comprehensive flood-control plan.