In the High Fens (Eupen-Monschau)

Head to the large car park of the Natuurcentrum Haus Ternell, on the N67 from Eupen to Monschau. Anyone who thought that the High Fens Nature Reserve consisted only of beautiful, flat, open peat landscapes will have to reconsider their opinion after this trip. You travel through the Osthertogenwald for a long time and it sometimes goes up and down steeply. Carefully cross the N67 and pedal to exit 54. After a short climb, turn right and get off until exit 54. Here you can see your visit for the first time on a cycling network information board. Turn left, direction 55 and Talsperre. Without pedaling, you can now descend 3 km at more than 40 km per hour. At exit 55 you have to brake, because here you choose right, direction 46. You pedal on the bridge over the Getzbach and start a difficult climb. On the left, in the depths, is the Eupen reservoir, which you can see between the trees. At the fork, where there is a road coming from the right, you continue straight, still in the direction of the 46 and the 'Rund um den See'. You can go down a bit, enjoying a wonderful view of the reservoir and a view of the Wesertalsperre. Then it continues hilly to shelter Bellesfort. On the left is a bridge over the Weser and there is also a picnic area next to the river. To go around the lake or towards the Vennkreuz, you have to turn left here. However, our tour continues straight, towards Reinhartzhof and junction 28. You can immediately start a long climb. Do not worry about the secondary roads and after climbing you descend to the Eschbach. Cross it and you can go up through the Osthertogenwald. You arrive at a crossroads with a picnic area across the street. On the right, it goes to Reinhartzhof. You choose the left here. After some time, you descend to the Steinbach. Cross it, ignore the road to the right of the creek and start a steep climb. After a left turn and a little further to the right, you go further up to the Belgian-German border. You have now reached exit 28 and continue cycling towards exit 49. After a right-angled turn, cross the channeled Weser. Then continue by bike until exit 49. At this intersection, turn right, direction 52. You cross the Steinbach again and continue cycling to a crossroads with the Renerthött hunter's hut. Note! There is no signage here. You have to turn left and get out of the forest. Then you pedal along the Pilgerweg, an ancient pilgrimage route between the Allgemeines Venn (right) and the Steinleyvenn (left). The Allgemeines Venn is a D zone of 262 ha, in which you are not allowed, except on this narrow paved road. You will pass the Arnolds and Bilfingerkreuz. At the next crossroads, at Steling Hütte (exit 52), turn right onto 53, Hattlich and Ternell. Things are now slowly descending, always through the Allgemeines Venn. At the beginning of a walk, you arrive at a crossroads with exit 53. Pedal left, around 69, and enjoy the open landscape, as most people know the High Fens. Cross the Getzbach one last time and pass the Nahtsief car park until you reach the Eupen-Monschau road. Follow this road for more than 500 m on the left, direction Monschau, until the Grenzweg car park with exit 69. Leave the car park on the right, direction 85, away from traffic. After a forest strip, you pedal through the open landscape. Just according to the sign the Brackvenn, according to the staff map Im platten Venn. You drive on a wide gravel road and pass the beginning of a platform or bat path. After crossing the Eupener Graben, you return to the forest by bike. It continues hilly to a crossroads with a picnic area. On the right, it goes to Ternell, but you choose left, direction Herzogenhugel and Hilltal. A road sign warns you in three languages that this is a dangerous descent. Keep your hands on the brakes, as you will immediately notice that the warning is not excessive. It descends steeply and there are a few corners. On the straight line to junction 85, you can let yourself inflate and thus you zoom in at about 50 km per hour until this junction. Here you choose diagonally to the right, direction 84. You can reach it after only 1.5 km. Turn left towards Sourbrodt and Herzogenhugel. Our turn goes straight, to 54 and Ternell. You cross a stream and ignore the road to the Hilltal on the left, cross another stream and then continue through the beautiful Osthertogenwald. You arrive on a different road and follow it on the right. Cross the Ternellbach and pedal left along a Forsthütte and climb gently to Haus Ternell on the Eupen-Monschau road. Turn right for a while and you're back in the parking lot.