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Botrange's great fen loop

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Botrange's great fen loop

Moderate

4.7

(1545)

6,669

hikers

Botrange's great fen loop

02:17

8.59km

80m

Hiking

Welcome to the enchanting landscape of the High Fens, on the roof of Belgium! Starting from the Signal de Botrange, the highest point in Belgium, you hike to the viewing platform of the Walloon Fens, from where you can enjoy an incredible view of the heath and moor landscape.

You follow the path on the left that winds along the Fens plain and use the wooden walkways that float on stilts above the moor: a legacy of a construction technique that was already used in the early Middle Ages on a path through the Fens.

At Les Wez you are in the middle of nowhere, in the heart of the nature reserve. What immense expanses! A place where travelers certainly shuddered and later were overjoyed to discover the Baraque-Michel inn.

The way back is via the Poleur Fens, where traces of human activities from a hundred years ago are still visible today. The discovery tour continues at Neur Lowé, a microcosm in itself that is home to all the plant species from the plateau of the High Fens.

by VISITWallonia

Last updated: March 19, 2025

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Parc naturel des Hautes-Fagnes – Eifel

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

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2.24 km

Wooden boardwalks through the High Fens

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Purely geologically, the High Fens is neither part of the Northern Eifel nor the Ardennes, even if both are said again and again. It forms the core of a large, vault-like arch with the oldest layers. Geologists have coined the term “Stavelot massif” for the area.

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4.37 km

Baraque Michel

Highlight • Mountain Hut

Baraque Michel (the German name Michelshütte is no longer used today) is a hostel (674 metres) in the High Fens belonging to Jalhay in Belgium, which was founded in 1811/1812 by Michel Henri Schmitz, a stonemason from the Rhineland. In 1812, a Michel Schmitz built a hut here. According to legend, he was keeping a promise after he once got lost in the Fens and, in his distress, vowed to build a hut if he was rescued. After his death in 1819, his family converted it into a hostel for travellers. Every evening they rang a bell to show lost people the way. It can still be seen on the side of the road today.

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7.49 km

Peat Path

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Here you can particularly well experience the typical springy feeling of the moorland soil. Due to the water-saturated peat layers, the ground gives way slightly in many places and feels soft and elastic when walking – a characteristic feature of the high moor landscape in the Hohes Venn.

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8.50 km

Baltia Hill – Highest Point of Belgium

Highlight • Summit

Built in 1923, this hill marks the highest point in Belgium (Botrange signal - 694 meters). At six meters high, it also allows visitors to reach the symbolic altitude of 700 meters.

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8.59 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

4.79 km

3.70 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

4.87 km

2.25 km

1.23 km

128 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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Weather

Thursday 4 June

14°C

8°C

78 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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Comments

October 16, 2025,Die große Vennrunde von Botrange

The tour started out very well, with beautiful views of the High Fens, but then it took me too much time through the forest and overgrown paths, and I no longer had a view of the High Fens. There are more beautiful paths.

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September 11, 2025,Die große Vennrunde von Baraque Michel

Cool and sunny, Baraque Michel is permanently closed

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July 2, 2023,🇧🇪BEL - À travers les Fagnes

An all time classic at any season of the year. The high Venn is a place to disconnect and enjoy tranquility in pure nature. A place which is quite unique from its topography in Europe.

July 19, 2025,Photohike Mont Rigi 🇧🇪 • Hohes Venn • Sommer • Morgenrot

📖 More about the tour in the blog:
photohikers.de/post/photohike-mont-rigi-stege-ins-hohe-venn

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March 6, 2025,Die große Vennrunde von Botrange

A beautiful, easy hike with fantastic views! Nature is still in hibernation, of course! That's why I'll be happy to come back in late summer/autumn!

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April 17, 2022,Rond de Venen - The big fen loop, Signal de Botrange (8,4 km)

ostbelgien.eu/en/fiche/hiking/genusstour-12-die-grosse-vennrunde

June 19, 2024,Rond de Venen - Signal de Botrange

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September 20, 2023,Die große Vennrunde Genusstour 12 🇧🇪 Ostbelgien 🔁 Rundtour ✅️geologische Highlights 🍀Flora 🦗Fauna und 👨‍👩‍👧Familienfreundlich 🚫Hunde

It's a shame that the weather changed again this morning and we were missing the sun, then the round would have been so nice again. But we still really enjoyed it.

Starting from the Signal de Botrange, we hiked to the viewing platform of the Walloon Fens, from where you can enjoy an incredible panoramic view of the heath and …

Showing Translation

April 6, 2022

Welcome to the enchanting landscape of the High Fens, on the roof of Belgium! Starting from the Signal de Botrange, the highest point in Belgium, you hike to the viewing platform of the Walloon Fens, from where you can enjoy an incredible view of the heath and moor landscape. 
﻿
You follow the path on the

Translated by Google •

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Botrange's great fen loop

Wooden boardwalks through the High Fens

Baraque Michel

Peat Path

Baltia Hill – Highest Point of Belgium

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