Eupen-High Fens-Botrange-Solwaster-Gileppe reservoir-Eupen 117 km

Nice tour on and around the High Fens (Hoge Venen – Hautes Fagnes – Hohes Venn). The tour is largely on quiet forest roads and cycling paths, but there are some busier roads near Botrange and Solwaster. In the center of picturesque Monschau you will encounter tourists and cobblestones, and some of the forest roads have mediocre paving, but the tour is suited for the road bike if you slow down a bit on these stretches. You will find something to eat and drink e.g. at Ternell, Monschau, Kalterherberg, near and at Botrange and at the La Gileppe reservoir dam. There is free parking at the start.
You ride out of Eupen towards the Weser reservoir dam. You take the minor road which takes you to the foot of the dam and then the mediocre asphalt road to the dam which you cross. You then start the slow climb through the forest towards Ternell. From there you descend a bit and then continue climbing. After a short descent to the Spohrbach you do the ascent to Pannensterzkopf. The total climb from Eupen is the longest in Belgium. Near the ‘summit’ of Pannensterzkopf is a short stretch of unpaved forest road, but no problem for a road bike. You descend to Küchelscheid and then take the Vennbahn cycling path towards Monschau station. Here you leave the cycling path to descend to the center of Monschau, a picturesque but touristic town, with cobblestones. From here you ascend to Höfen, descend to the Perlenbach reservoir, and then ascend along the quite busy road to Kalterherberg. You descend back to the Vennbahn and then take the other direction towards Sourbrodt, through the Rur valley. You leave the cycling path to climb Rurbusch and then continue to Sourbrodt on forest roads, crossing the Rur near Sourbrodt. Here you take the main road N676 to Botrange, the highest point of Belgium. You continue to Mont Rigi and then descend towards Malmedy on the N68 with nice views across fens and forests. At Mont you take the Route de L'Ancienne Douane to Hockai. Here you access the RAVeL cycling path 44A to Cokaifagne. You follow roads to Solwaster and here you climb a dead-end forest road to Bois domanial de la Hoëgne. This forest road is deteriorated in places, which is mainly something to watch out for during the descent back. You also have to pass a barrier. A beautiful and quiet road through the forest. Back at Solwaster you take the road to Jalhay with some short climbs and descents. You continue to the Lac de la Gileppe. You cross the reservoir dam with the tower and the big statue of a lion, and then follow the asphalt road along the north shore of the lake. A climb through the forest brings you to Hestreux on the road Eupen-Baraque Michel. Here you descend into the Soor valley. The forest road through the Soor valley is beautiful but has mediocre asphalt and especially the last stretch to Eupen is quite bad. In Eupen you take a minor road to the old center. Here waits the second steepest climb of Belgium, the Edelstrasse (average 17.7%). It is short and through built-up area. You descend back to the start passing the Eupen football stadium.