Stage 3: Venntrilogie - From Eupen to Botrange

Don't forget to take enough provisions for this stage. You now enter the mystical and deserted High Fens. On the entire third stage, you will find no human settlement. The landscape is too harsh and inhospitable for people to settle here permanently. However, it is precisely this peace and solitude that make the High Fens so special and unique. On foggy days, this silence is even stronger, and you feel like you are in another world. On sunny days, you enjoy wide views over a surreal-looking landscape. Both have their own charm.

The focus of the third stage is initially the Hill. Today you hike up to its source area, right in the middle of the High Fens. It is also called the Black River for good reason, as it carries quite a bit of peat along its path through the moorland. The higher you climb, the more the vegetation around you changes. In the second part of the stage, the forest thins out and you find yourself in the open moorland. The vastness is overwhelmingly beautiful. Within sight of the ghost forest of Noir Flohay, you walk over wooden boardwalks that keep you dry-footed through the moor. Do not leave the paths here under any circumstances, as the moor can be not only dangerous but also extremely sensitive.

As you can see from the elevation profile, the entire stage goes uphill. At its end, you will stand at the highest point in Belgium. The so-called Signal de Botrange lies at 694 meters above sea level. You can even climb up to 700 meters, as a small hill was built up for prestige reasons, accessible via a steep staircase. Shortly before crossing the road, you can once again let your gaze wander over the part of the Venn you have crossed today from a wooden viewing platform. You can stay overnight, for example, in Sourbrodt or at Mont Rigi. Alternatively, you can take the bus back to Eupen and have yourself brought back up the mountain the next morning.