The Brackvenn with the old pingou ruins

A child-friendly loop walk of 8 km - which can be split into 2 smaller loops of 4 km - through this beautiful peat area surrounded by the immense Hertogenwoud. A journey with kilometers of boardwalks crossing through this elevated marshy Belgium with peat marshes, lithalsen, and wet pants forests between Eupen and the German border.

Brackvenn North - Puzen Fagne: 1 km - 4 km

The High Fens, the roof of Belgium or better known by many Belgians as the large peat area near Signal de Botrange with the Fagne Wallonne (Walloon Fens - Zone C). This peat area extends via other fens further to Baraque Michel, with the surrounding fens of Brochepierre (Zone C) and Grand Fagne (Large Fens - Zone C).

But our High Fens have much more to offer than this huge peat area between these two well-known Belgian hotspots. Especially when the first snowflakes fall and it can quickly become busier around this highest point of Belgium... A beautiful alternative where it is considerably quieter is the Brackvenn or 'Untamed fens' which are also part of the nature reserve High Fens or the European Natura 2000 area 'Plateau des Hautes-Fagnes', on the edge of this Eifel massif.

FACTS ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE HIGH FENS NATIONAL PARK - EIFEL:

red flag = no access to the nature reserve, usually preventively against forest fires, but also during floods or to protect breeding areas.

access prohibition for the protection of breeding birds (e.g., grouse) = certain Fagnes or Fens are closed from mid-March to the end of July (Brackvenn normally always accessible)

4 zones that determine the accessibility of the peat areas:
- Zone A = freely accessible to walkers (no longer exists to my knowledge)
- Zone B = walking allowed only on marked paths and trails - dogs or cyclists not allowed
- Zone C = accessible only with a recognized guide

- Zone D = completely inaccessible

Botrange: accessibility nature reserve High Fens - Eifel

Ternell: accessibility nature reserve High Fens - Eifel

Located on the N67 between Eupen and Monschau, two parking areas - parking Nahtsief and parking Grenzweg - provide the opportunity to park close to this beautiful Brackvenn, or you can reach it by bus from Eupen or Monschau.

If you choose to shorten the loop to 4 km through Brackvenn - South (or hesitate about the full 8 km), it's best to opt for parking Nahtsief. We also depart from Nahtsief and aim to complete the full 8 km. We start with the wilder northern Brackvenn heading towards the source of the Getzbach or a 9 km long tributary of the Vesder, which springs in this part of our Belgian fens.

This Brackvenn-Nord or the fens of Nahtsief (Zone D) and Puzen (Zone B) cover about 181.66 ha and fully belong to the territory of the city of Eupen. The nice thing about this part of the fens is the narrower boardwalks, some of which are loose and thus provide the necessary adventure. Moreover, there are still parts that are not equipped with boardwalks, making these narrow paths in turn cause for slipping.

What makes this Brack fen unique is the rich presence of lithalsen or pingo ruins. The name pingo comes from Inuktitut (or the language of the Eskimos) and means 'the hill that grows'. These old frost hills formed about 12,000 years ago, when during the last Ice Age, tundra climate prevailed in our regions. Due to the ice-cold permafrost (permanently frozen ground), cracks formed which caused rising groundwater to create ice lenses, lifting the ground. As a result, we still see the remnants of these hills, filled with peat or marsh in this predominantly flat area.

Not only does this peat area have various lithalsen, but you can also find wetlands of willows and birches - which apparently are inhabited by a family of beavers. A mild winter, but no beaver to spot in this marshy and beautiful peat area. We hear the sound of passing vehicles in the distance - which marks the end of this beautiful Puzen peat area, to reach the N67 again.

Brackvenn South - in Platten Venn, the Misten or Königliches Torf: 4 km - 8 km

After crossing the N67 - Monschauerstrasse we arrive in the municipality of Weismes (in German) or Waimes (in French). This German-speaking service municipality offers a second parking space on our route or parking Grenzweg, right by the German border. A parking lot that you can use as a starting point for the full 8 km of this Brackvenn or the smaller variant of 4 km through the northern Brackvenn. If you only want to explore the southern Brackvenn, it's best to follow us in choosing parking Nahtsief.

Right next to this border parking, a nice boardwalk, with little bridges over bubbling streams takes you further through the wooded Hahnheister. This path parallel to the N67 is our connection to the Hellenketel or the access to the southern Brackvenn. This hell's kettle is located about at the level of parking Nahtsief - about 200m from this parking - and you can notice this by the busier occupancy around this first dark peat pond on our route. Luckily, we find some peace and calm a bit further again when you continue along the wider boardwalk through this southern peat area of another 172.40 ha - which brings the total size of the Brackvenn to 354.06 ha.

The Brackvenn - South - consisting of the fens of 'Im Platten Venn' (Zone B) and 'Königliches Torfmoor' (Zone D) - contains larger marshes or wetlands that form the source area of several rivers - from this high plateau of 620 meters above sea level. Just like this high peat area and all other fens, they have an important influence on our existence and you can view this peat area as large sponges, which continuously provide us with water during extended dry periods. It goes without saying that we must cherish these fagnes and peat marshes and also pass on the importance of these fens to our descendants. For this, this walk is ideal to explore with your children and teach them through some information boards about the historical peat extraction, the beaver and its habitat, as well as the significance of these peat marshes and how they formed.

A recommendation is an extra detour towards the marsh of Königliches Torfmoor, where the boardwalk runs through an enormous peat marsh and can provide some nice photos.

A peat area owes its origin to peat mosses, where there are still various species abundantly present in this Brackvenn today. Not only various peat and lichen mosses, but other rare flora can also be found on this open plain, including bone-break, cotton grass, heather, common crowberry, seven-star, and the small cranberry.

Not only is the special flora here important, but the beaver also plays an important role in preserving this continuously flooded and marshy area - which is furthermore essential for maintaining this peat, without human intervention.

Where humans had to intervene, is in increasing the population of grouse or the endangered heath hen. This iconic species - which also forms the logo for the High Fens nature reserve - was on the verge of disappearing forever from the High Fens (and our country). Fortunately, since 2017 a collaboration has been established to introduce a population from Sweden, which hopefully will strengthen our grouse population again. This has also been evident since the last counts where about ten males could be observed again.

The last kilometers of boardwalks are in sight after a longer straight stretch, which forms the separation between left - Eupen's Königliches Torfmoor and right - Weismes' 'Im Platten Venn'. An additional piece of boardwalk and unpaved alternating Dry Heath or 'Dry Heath' (which is particularly wet) brings you back towards the Hellenketel located 200m from parking Nahtsief.

To summarize: really enjoyed this day (even with light precipitation), beautiful views along the way and kilometers of boardwalks through this beautiful piece of marshy Belgium, between Eupen and the German border.