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Starting from the last car park before the Belgian-German border, the walk begins in the undergrowth, partly on wooden walkways, to reach the entrance to the Fagnarde area north-east of the Hertogenwald.
A slalom on duckboards takes walkers through bogs, marshes, ponds and heathland to a wide (asphalt) path, which they follow for more than two kilometres towards the Helle Valley (Hilltal).
At km 4.5, the route leaves the asphalt and takes a narrow path that leads to the bottom of the Spohrbach valley. In summer, blueberry bushes and ferns delight in hiding the path as much as possible.
After joining a wider path, the route continues towards the confluence of the Spohrbach and Helle rivers, where a picnic table awaits hikers.
The path then climbs towards Herzogenhügel and Hargard in the direction of Küchelscheid.
At km 7.4, the route leaves the path to Küchelscheid and turns north-east, then north, to reach the border and return to the starting point.
The last 4 km are so little used (there are no marked trails here) that it is not uncommon to encounter wildlife, even in the middle of the day.
Do not underestimate the difficulty of this relatively short walk. Some sections can be very wet and others, depending on the season, are not always as easy as they may seem.
A short walk between Brackvenn and Herzogenhügel
This hike will delight lovers of the Hautes-Fagnes and wetlands. The highlights include the boardwalks in the southern part of Brackvenn, the trail in the Spohrbach valley, the confluence of the Spohrbach and the Helle (Hill in German) and the border marker trail (at the end of the route).
Details
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 7.54 mi -
Average duration: 3h 55 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 505 ft -
Descent: - 505 ft -
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Highest point: 2,103 ft -
Lowest point: 1,703 ft
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,044 ft - Grenzweg car park
- 1 : mi 0.83 - alt. 2,021 ft - Pond
- 2 : mi 1.34 - alt. 2,024 ft - Ponds
- 3 : mi 2.24 - alt. 2,024 ft - Crossroads
- 4 : mi 2.66 - alt. 1,880 ft - Bridge over the Spohrbach
- 5 : mi 3.23 - alt. 1,742 ft - Crossing the Spohrbach
- 6 : mi 3.83 - alt. 1,880 ft - Herzogenhügel
- 7 : mi 4.69 - alt. 2,083 ft - Crossroads
- 8 : mi 5.21 - alt. 2,021 ft - Fourche
- 9 : mi 6.03 - alt. 1,982 ft - Bend
- S/E : mi 7.54 - alt. 2,044 ft - Grenzweg car park
Worth a visit
Monschau
Reviews and comments
4.7 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
4.3 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
5 / 5
viscoglut
Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Jul 24, 2026
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A lovely route – varied and easy to follow (be careful on the last section, as there are lots of paths, not all of which are marked on the map). The little path after point 4 is lovely; you’re surrounded by ferns as tall as you are. Best avoided in summer if it’s rained, otherwise you’ll end up soaking wet from head to toe!
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