Along the Rur into the High Fens

Whoever visits the source of the Rur in the Belgian High Fens at first does not believe that this enchanted place is only a few kilometers away from Aachen, Eupen, or Liège. The seemingly endless expanse of the high moor far from any human settlement, combined with the rugged originality of this ancient landscape, captivates every visitor. If you want to learn more about the "High Fens", you can do so in the "Fania" exhibition at the Botrange Nature Park Center or at the Nature Center Ternell located directly along the route. By the way, you can get a unique overview of the moorland of the High Fens on the highest point of Belgium, the Signal de Botrange.
There is also much to discover outside the high moor area, such as at the beginning of the tour, the idyllic Osthertogenwald, where conservationists are slowly but steadily restoring and converting it back into a mixed forest, as well as the idyllic Rur Valley near Monschau. For historically interested cyclists, the route also has a lot to offer, such as the old cloth-making town of Monschau. Once you have strolled through the old town of Monschau, you will understand why Monschau is also called "the pearl of the Eifel" or "Rhenish Rothenburg". The cityscape has hardly changed in almost 300 years. Timber-framed idyll and rubble stone construction, as unique as it is today.
The former smuggler village of Mützenich also looks back on an exciting and thrilling past, and is home to some curious stories. After World War II, the village became a German exclave on Belgian territory through the Vennbahn, thriving in coffee smuggling due to its location at the center of smuggling routes. It is estimated that up to 1000 tons were smuggled across the border by 1953.
The Reichenstein Monastery completes the list of highlights along the route. The complex, which includes over 32 hectares of forest and a fish pond, is located on a rocky plateau at the confluence of the Rur, meandering through the valley between Kalterherberg and Eschweide.

Sights along the route:
Signal de Botrange
High Fens
Haus Ternell
Osthertogenwald
Historic Old Town of Monschau
Smuggler Statue Mützenich
Reichenstein Monastery
Rur Valley
Reichenstein Viaduct