Water EcoTourism in Belgium's High Fenland
Ski, HIke in 10,000 Year Old Bogland Nature Preserve, Haute Fagnes
Oct 13, 2009
Water tourism is gaining in popularity. Water promises to be a huge environmental challenge in the years ahead. Smack in the middle of Northern Europe, just an hour away from sophisticated Brussels, Belgium's Hautes Fagnes (meaning High Fens) is a fragile 10,000-year old ecosystem comprised of bogs and peat dating to the last glacial era. This unusual—and tightly protected—area has millennia-old geological formations which in turn gives rise to multiple thermal springs. It is known for ecologically important raised sphagnum bogs, which retain water and form peat, providing habitats for rare ferns and flowering plants.
One of the wettest areas of Belgium, it’s often misty, with beautiful, low, cloud cover.
Tour National Nature Reserve: Rare Fens, Bird Watching, Hikes
The preserve is a 17-square mile wide, unpopulated area protecting a rare landscape of bogs, rare ferns, heath land and low wooded hills. There are about 160 bird species in the Nature Preserve, created in 1957.
Book ahead for guided walks explaining the peat, moors, carnivorous sundew plants and wildlife of the Hautes Fagnes. Tours depart from the Nature Centre Botrange. Some walks are on wooden pathways through the soggy bog; boots are recommended.
According to experts at the Nature Centre Botrange, “Wetlands and raised sphagnum bogs still cover large areas of the Hautes Fagnes plateau and the bottoms of easily flooded valleys.” The bogs help regulate local water reserves in this very wet ecosystem, and are also a “haven for rare examples of the natural vegetation of the region and a number of species of both mountain plants and animals.”
This is a year-round tourist destination. There’s spectacular cross-country skiing here in the winter.
Climb Summit Overlooking Ecologically Fragile, Protected Terrain
For a memorable view, hike up to one of Belgium’s highest summits, called the "Signal de Botrange.” Over 2000 feet, it sits atop a broad plateau in the Hautes Fagnes. Visitors can climb a viewing tower (700 meters high), which provides a marvelous overview of this unusual landscape. On a clear day, you might see as far as the town of Liège.
Nordeifel Nature Park
The larger Hautes Fagnes-Eifel Nature Park, which includes the Nature Preserve, is a joint project of the German and Belgian governments. The Belgian section is bounded by Eupen in the north to border of Belgian Luxembourg in the south. The larger German section is called the Nordeifel Nature Park. Covering a plateau area that extends into Germany, the Park includes 300 miles of hiking and cross-country trails. Within the park you can visit Reinhardtein, a restored medieval fortress built by Metternich’s ancestors, in the village of Robertville.
- When to Go: It's often damp in this area of course. The best times to go are summer (when there's a better chance of a dry day), or, for cross-country skiers, in January to February.
- Where to Stay: Visitors can do a day trip from Brussels, stay in Spa, or nearby in Liege.
- Renting Equipment: Bikes can be rented in Spa. Skis and a limited number of boots can be rented at the Nature Center.
Information on guided tours, hiking trails and the background of the Hautes Fagnes is available at Centre Nature de Botrange, info@centrenaturebotrange.be.
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