In the eastern cantons, it is still wonderfully green. Walk along narrow forest paths and through meadows, and let yourself be surprised by the pottery museum in the castle of Raeren after your walk.

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The municipality of Raeren is located in the far east of Belgium and is part of the German-speaking community. The area geographically continues the land of Herve (where we went hiking last month), with its meadows surrounded by hedges that are dotted with countless flowers in spring.

The most important historical building in the municipality is Raeren Castle, where our walk begins. This castle was originally built in the mid-fourteenth century and contains a pottery museum. Since May 2007, the whole complex has been part of the European cultural heritage. The municipality is well connected by public transport (bus from Eupen). One more tip: From Raeren, you can reach German Aachen in less than half an hour. So, you can perfectly turn it into a weekend trip!

The Route
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Start parking lot Burgstraße (opposite the castle). Leave the parking lot to the left. 1st street on the right (blue diamond), merges into a path. At the old little bridge, turn left along the wall to the meadow. At the residential complex, enter the meadow on the right. Pass the Calvary on the right over the bridge. Go right around the residential and nursing home Marienheim. At the T-junction, turn right. After 150 meters, in front of the house number 46, take the path on the left. Go through the meadows near the big tree on the right. Cross the road. Next road on the right. At the T-junction, turn left. You will come to the site of the former railway station Raeren (Point A). You can shorten the hike by 2 km by following the blue diamond to Point B on the right. Otherwise, turn left. Between the information sign and the bus stop, take a narrow path with stairs to the (abandoned) railway, which you cross. Tile path on the right. Stairs up to the road. Turn left, and at the intersection, take the road to the right. You will enter the Raeren forest. Y-junction to the right. Cross a cycle path and 100 meters later, take a narrow forest path on the right (yellow signs). At the intersection, continue straight on the narrow forest path. Cross the railway to Point B. Turn left. At the fork, take the narrow path on the right. Cross a bridge at the ponds – go straight. At the main road, turn right. At the T-junction, turn left and at the next T, turn right briefly to immediately take a path to the left between the houses. Intersection of the main road – continue straight. Before the last house at the T, turn right. Cross the road and go straight over the gravel path. Follow the pine clearing on the right to the road. Cross this and go straight. Behind the houses, follow right towards the church. You go from meadow to meadow. At the main road, turn left.

Before the first house, there is a cycle path on the right. Go straight past the church along the school to Burgstraße. Shortening by 4 km: turn right and after 100 meters you reach the parking lot. Otherwise, turn left. At the intersection, continue straight uphill. Passing house number 13c, go left through the meadows from gate to gate (follow GR signs). Cross a field path straight ahead. After a bridge, you come to a nice field path with a picnic bench - right (leave GR). Cross an asphalt path and continue straight. At the fork, take the narrow path on the right. You will enter the forest. Where the main path turns left, follow the narrower forest path diagonally to the right. At a fork with a bench, take the right branch. At the T, briefly turn right and you will come onto asphalt. Right (follow white-red signs of border route 1). After 300 meters, turn left through a gate into the meadow (border route 1), initially along a high hedge, then always in the same direction straight through gates and narrow passages. At the main road, turn right until you reach Burgstraße - left 100 meters to the parking lot.

Text and photo Mark Dedapper