Through the canyon of the Trôs Marèts in the Fagnes de Setai

King Winter is finally in the countryside... With 20 cm of snow on the High Fens, there was still time to look for the real winter feeling and we headed to Liège & the beautiful Fagnes. One problem: too few peat bogs for many Belgians, with a few Dutch also added to it... Overcrowded car parks, wild car parks and our arm of law that supervises this by issuing PVs to hoists...

So we don't start from the crowded Signal de Botrange or the Baraque Michel, but opt for a quiet base near the city center of Malmedy. A small public car park at Camping du Moulin is the starting point for a rather unique walk through one of the few gorges in Belgium. Trôs Marèts - A mountain river coming from the peat bogs, which is less known than the Hoëgne or the Ninlingspo, but at least as beautiful. We cross this narrow gorge by rocky paths with chains and pretty bridges covered with ice. Even outside the current winter conditions, you can allow enough time for this challenging trail, towards the roof of Belgium.

Gradually, the forest and the wilder mountain stream give way to an open bog with babbling streams. A walk takes us further to the source of the Trôs Marèts - the marshy bogs of Setai (Fagnes du Setay and Neûr Lowé). This bog of 248.05 ha is part of the plateau of the High Fens and is located in the commune of Malmedy. Once again, several walks take us through these magnificent peat bogs, where we can almost only enjoy this beautiful winter postcard. Especially when it starts snowing harder again.

We are slowly approaching the Signal de Botrange ... Not because we see this 6 m high staircase towards the highest point in Belgium , but because it is getting busier and busier. So today we stand in front of the highest point in Belgium and are certainly planning another walk through these beautiful peat bogs of Weismes, when there is no snow and there are also much less people.

So no 'Signal de Botrange' for us today, but some other gems that offer this region. We cross the N68 - Route de la Baraque Michel and take the Fagne Tîrifaye towards Bayehon. Bayehon Creek - a second beautiful mountain stream on our way, culminating in a 9m high waterfall - 'Bayehon Waterfall' or Bayehon Waterfall. Located near Longfaye and according to 'Wiki' the highest navigable waterfall in Belgium! Although it seems like a bad idea today...

We continue to follow this quite spectacular river with only beautiful waterfalls downstream. The small spring gradually becomes a wild mountain stream, which gets bigger and stronger as we flow. The rivers Ruisseau Des Tailles, the Ghaster and the Pouhon also flow with us and the Bayehon towards La Warche. Many bridges take you from one side of the shore to the other, with a few trout ponds and beautiful "pootjebaad" places along the way, which make you dream of spring and summer.

Arriving at La Warche, a river that has just passed the Robertville dam, is the last part of our 22km loop walk in this beautiful region of the Ardennes or Eifel. We end this beautiful day with fries and a 'Chouffeke' in the atmospheric café of Camping du Moulin. After warming up at the fireplace and enjoying this beautiful sweet yet adventurous day trip, he is back home in the center of our country.