Cap Ardennes Events · since 2013
A story from the field. A passion for the Ardennes.
Since 2013, Cap Ardennes Events has been introducing visitors to the Ardennes through outdoor activities, encounters and shared experiences.
- 15th season in 2027Of outdoor leisure activities in the Ardennes, since May 2013
- 100+ boatsCanoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats on a 150-hectare lake
- 3 recognitionsArdennes Tourism Prize 2015, a portrait by the Département in 2025 and the bronze tourism medal 2026
Our story
It all began in 2013, in the Ardennes.
A business born in 2013 from the wish of three partners to show our region's natural riches in a different way.
Season after season, Cap Ardennes Events has grown its water activities, its forest experiences and its services for individuals and groups alike.
Lac des Vieilles-Forges, in Les Mazures, has become the heart of our business, a natural site that our story is deeply tied to.
Key dates
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May 2013
Cap Ardennes Events is founded
Simon Schwartz creates the business with two partners, with the aim of developing outdoor leisure in the Ardennes.
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2014
Stand up paddle launches
Stand up paddle joins the water activities at Lac des Vieilles-Forges.
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2015 Recognition
Ardennes Tourism Prize
The business is recognised in the Image and communication category.
See the official publication (in French) (opens in a new tab) -
2016
Pedal boats and the giant paddle arrive
The first pedal boats and the giant paddle board arrive on the lake, for outings with family and friends.
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2020
Mountain bike rental launches
Mountain bike rides through the forest around the lake.
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2021
All-terrain electric scooter launches
A new way to explore the lake surroundings.
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2023
Moving upmarket: new pedal boats
The pedal boat fleet is renewed for more comfort.
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2025 Recognition
A portrait by the Département
The Ardennes Département dedicates a feature to Cap Ardennes Events.
Read the feature (in French) (opens in a new tab) -
2026 Recognition
Bronze Tourism Medal
Simon Schwartz is rewarded for his commitment to the tourism sector.
Read the article in L'Ardennais (in French) (opens in a new tab) -
2026
A record season
Nearly 18,000 entries at Cap Ardennes Events, and a workshop that now repairs the canoes and kayaks itself.
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2027
Electric assistance arrives
The first electric-assist bikes join the fleet. The season opens on 10 April.
The co-founder
Running a business in the Ardennes without losing touch with the field.
I am Simon Schwartz, co-founder and manager of Cap Ardennes Events. We started the business in May 2013, with two partners, to show the Ardennes in a different way: from the water and from the forest.
Season after season, the business has grown: pedal boats, paddle boards, mountain bikes, scooters, and a team of qualified instructors.
My daily life is still that of a hands-on business owner: preparing the seasons, maintaining and repairing the equipment, organising the teams and imagining new experiences.
My experience in professional integration taught me to pass on skills, to trust people and to adapt activities to every kind of audience. That is what I try to do every summer by the lake.
A collective adventure
A business is never built alone.
Each season, our team welcomes visitors, prepares the equipment and makes sure activities run smoothly. The story of Cap Ardennes Events is also that of the people who have been part of it over the years.
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SimonFounder and Manager
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Noé
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NémineWebmaster
Our commitments
Safety
Life jacket provided and compulsory on the water, a briefing before every departure, and guided activities led by qualified instructors holding a professional card.
Repair rather than replace
Since 2026, we repair our rotomoulded polyethylene canoes and kayaks ourselves, rather than replacing them.
Accessibility
An adapted OPair bike for accompanied rides, and adapted equipment we are developing step by step.
Open to everyone, dogs included
Dogs are welcome on all our boats and paddle boards, on a leash on land.
Sharing the Ardennes also means bringing people together.
We help families, groups of friends, associations and companies organise their outdoor experiences.
Find us, write to us
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How about sharing your next adventure?
With family, friends or your company, come and discover Cap Ardennes Events activities at Lac des Vieilles-Forges: opening on 10 April 2027.