FEBRUARY 2018
The Hautes fagnes ~ BELGIUM’s Winter Wonderland
Well hello there …
The Hautes Fagnes is not only the oldest nature reserve in Wallonia, it’s also the most famous one. This 5000 hectares area is one of the last stretches of wilderness in Belgium. It’s located in the Eastern part of Belgium, in and around the “Eupen-Monschau-Malmedy-Spa square.” The core of the area is a mountain ridge of old slate, with peaks up to 694 meters above sea level, the highest part of the entire Benelux. An area loved by hikers, nature lovers and cross-country skiers.
Almost every Belgian primary school visits Signal de Botrange and Baraque Michel. But to be honest, as a child, it did not leave a lasting impression. Until a beautiful winter day in February 2018…
I had often heard enthusiastic stories about the beautiful winter landscape of the Hautes Fagnes and I was convinced it was about time to go and see for myself. On a Saturday morning in February, I bought me some winter boots and around noon we decided to go for it. We arrived around 15h30 at Signal de Botrange, rather late I know, but we didn’t waste any time and started an amazing romantic 2 hours walk in the snow. Afterwards we enjoyed a typical Ardennes dinner at “Hostellerie Aux Vieux Hetre” and returned home.
The next day we had a family dinner, off course I began to tell how I truly appreciated our short visit and that we had to do it over again with the kids real soon. Christophe his brother, always into some quality time with the family, suggested to return the next weekend and to stay overnight. Having this said, we immediately booked a B&B in Herresbach. And returned the weekend after.
Herresbach is a very small, charming village, part of the German-speaking commune of Amel in the Belgian province of Liège. Next to the church, we found a sign with an explanation of 4 walking routes starting from the village square. The Dutch owners Hugo & Chris of “B&B Eifelhoeve” (https://www.deeifelhoeve.be), were we stayed, gave us a bit more information. The landscape of Herresbach consists of rolling meadows and immense forests. The walks are respectively 3,4,5 and 10km. So we tied our walking shoes for a challenging forest walk of 10 km. When we arrived in the forest there were signs everywhere of a hunting tournament, “Entering at your own risk”. So we were forced to deviate from our route and therefore got lost. A few hours later than foresee, and with an extra family member (a lost hunting dog), we arrived, tired and satisfied, back at our B&B. After a goodnight sleep and a delicious breakfast, we decided to go back to “Signal de Botrange”, for another morning walk of 2 to 3 hours, before heading home.
Practical Wisdom
At the tourist office, which is open 7/7, you will find brochures and maps of the area. During wintertime you can rent cross-country skis, outside the winter season you can rent e-bikes or book a covered wagon ride of 18km.
Natuurparkcentrum Hoge Venen-Eifel
Natuurcentrum Ternell / CRIE
Route de Botrange 131
4950 Waimes
www.botrange.be
If you’re looking for more detailed information on the walks in this area, visit following website:
https://www.ostbelgien.eu/nl/wandelen
Goodnight, sleep tight.
Hôtel l'Ecrin d'Ô http://www.lecrin-do.be, a 3* boutique hotel with only 7 rooms, close to Spa and the Francorchamps circuit.
Hotel Le Vieux Moulin http://www.levieuxmoulin.be, located in Weywertz, close to Bütgenbach, in an old watermill, this 4 * charm hotel counts 9 rooms.
L’auberge du Notaire https://www.aubergedunotaire.be, voted as Belgium’s best hotel in 2013, located in Vielsalm, a culinary top address in the Ardennes.
Hotel Chaumière du Lac http://www.chaumieredulac.be, located in Robertville, very close to Botrange, 10 contemporary rooms with beautiful lake view.
Hotel Maison Géron https://www.geron.be/ , 3* authentic hotel located in Malmédy, with 6 rooms, the historical decoration is a bit overwhelming but stylish.
Would you like a table?
Traditional dishes are part of the culinary image of the region between the Eifel and the Ardennes. The specialties are: delicious game pâté, sausage preparations, original Ardennes Ham, Rye bread from the Eifel, Belgian beer specialties, trout, etc …
The refined cooking style is often inspired by French Haute Cuisine, but besides Belgian and French influences, the influence of German cuisine is unmistakable.
During autumn, a gastronomic trip to the Hautes - Fagnes is popular. Most restaurants in the region offer fresh game on the menu: pheasant breast in chestnut cream, hare back with red cabbage or deer fillet with pumpkin puree. The dishes are usually offered in an autumn game menu at very attractive prices. The game dishes are combined with various mushrooms that can be found in the woods of this region. Also cranberries and applesauce should not be missed. Want to take something home? Fresh game pâté, terrines, ham and sausage are for sale at the local butcheries.
Au cheval Blanc http://www.auchevalblanc.be , located in Waimes, refined mountainous decor. Specialties are: grills, raclette and local cheese fondue.
Chez Gerty http://www.cyrano.be , also located in Waimes, modern interior with traditional cuisine and a wide and interesting wine list. Next door you have the more upmarket restaurant Le Cyrano.
Du Moulin https://www.hoteldumoulin.be/en , located in Ligneuville, intimate atmosphere, modern-classic kitchen based on local products.
A la Truite Argentée https://www.alatruiteargentee.be/ , known for its delicious trout.
La Menuiserie de Champagne http://www.lamenuiserie.eu, for the true gastronomes, this restaurant has 1 Michelin star. The dishes are quite creative and very tasteful, and softly priced for this category of restaurant.
One thing is sure, we will return on a regular basis to this part of Belgium. The region of Bütgenbach would also be wonderful to walk. So I will update this blog after our next stay.
If you know this region well, and you have some interesting tips you would like to share. Feel free to send an e-mail to sulit.travel@outlook.com
