Han-sur-Lesse

{{Short description|Village and district in Belgium}}

Image:Han-sur-Lesse Riv1JPG.jpg

Han-sur-Lesse ({{IPA|fr|ɑ̃ syʁ lɛs}}, {{lit|Han on Lesse}}; {{langx|wa|Han-so-Lesse}}) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Rochefort, located in the province of Namur, Belgium. Han-sur-Lesse was called Ham from 1139, Ham Han Sur Lesche, from 1266, Han Sur Lece from 1465 and Ham sur lez from 1528,{{Cite web|title=FRAIPONT – BANNEUX – REMOUCHAMPS – AYWAILLE|url=https://www.visitardenne.com/sites/default/files/upload/Routes%20touristiques/Transcalestienne/7/Topo%20Jemelle%20-%20Han%20sur%20Lesse%20Marque%20Ardenne.pdf|website=Visit Ardenne}} by which time it had 14 families. The village then declined, with plague, epidemics and Franco-Spanish wars, but by 1766, there were 62 villagers.{{Cite web|date=2016|title=PRÉ-ACTES DES JOURNÉES D'ARCHÉOLOGIE EN WALLONIE, NAMUR|url=http://lampspw.wallonie.be/dgo4/site_colloques/JAW-2016/assets/documents/Rapports2016-JAW2016PreActes-ALL-web.pdf}} In 2021 the population was about 1,000.{{Cite web|title=Han-sur-Lesse (Rochefort, Namur Province (Sub-Municipalities), Belgium) - Population Statistics|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/belgium/places/namur/rochefort/91114D__han_sur_lesse/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=www.citypopulation.de}}

File:Tram_Han_1987_2.jpg

The place is famous for the Grottes de Han-sur-Lesse, a cave complex carved under a hill by the river Lesse, which tourists reach via a preserved remnant of the country's vicinal tramway system. The metre gauge line opened in 1906{{Cite web|title=Tram lines in Belgium (NMVB)|url=https://www.kusee.nl/tram/1108-lines-namen.php#cap112|access-date=2022-02-17|website=www.kusee.nl|archive-date=2021-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520140228/https://www.kusee.nl/tram/1108-lines-namen.php#cap112|url-status=dead}} as a branch off the Rochefort-Han-sur-Lesse-Wellin line,{{Cite web|date=15 May 1931|title=Chemin de fer Belges, Horaire des Trains|url=https://www.tassignon.be/trains/PDF/IO-OR-19310515-19311003.pdf|page=550}} which was open from 1904 to 1957. Between 1988{{Cite web|title=Han sur Lesse 1988: SNCV 5585 sur la ligne 29 / NMVB 5585 op lijn 29|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2743200329090055&set=gm.1520270821458175|access-date=2022-02-17|website=www.facebook.com}} and 1992{{Citation|title=Le voyage "spécial remorque" aux Grottes de Han (Belgique) du16 avril 1992|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y2JfKfo2VM|language=en|access-date=2022-02-17}} the village tram terminus was moved from a loop around the church of Saint-Hubert de Han-sur-Lesse to a loop on the other side of Rue Joseph Lamotte.{{Cite web|date=Jul 2009|title=5 Rue des Sarrasins, Rochefort, Wallonia|url=https://www.google.com/maps/@50.1251804,5.1859998,3a,75y,63.82h,91.66t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snqfDpO1W98Xsjprp7DHDuw!2e0!5s20090701T000000!7i13312!8i6656|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Google Maps|language=en}}

The church of Saint-Hubert, in the centre of the village, was rebuilt in 1905 in a Gothic revival style by Clément Léonard and Hubert Froment.{{Cite web|title=Horaires|url=https://www.egliseinfo.be/lieu/55%2Fhan-sur-lesse%2Fsaint-hubert|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Eglise info|language=fr-FR}}