Verviers-Weserquellen along the Vesdre-Weser 83 km

This cycling trip takes you along the Vesdre River (Weser in German) from the eastern side of Verviers to its source in the Natural Park Hohes Venn/Hautes Fagnes. At the starting point, this trip connects to another cycling trip along the Vesdre River (https://nl.wikiloc.com/routes-fietsen/chenee-verviers-chenee-along-the-vesdre-85-km-42739496), from Chênée, where the Vesdre river flows into the Ourthe River, to the starting point of this trip and back. The total distance of these two trips together is about 164 km. This trip includes quiet and green countryside with rolling hills, forests and moors, as well as generally quiet villages, meandering rivers, mostly gradual climbs, and the Weser reservoir near Eupen. The trip is suited for the road bike, but be prepared for some stretches which are less than ideally paved. The route includes several short stretches of badly paved roads, two stretches of gravel/semi-paved forest roads (total 850 m) in the Hohes Venn, and a 900 m stretch of badly semi-paved road between Membach and Baelen (see waypoints for more information). In Baelen I took another road indicated on Opencyclemap.org as a cycling route, but this only proved suited for a mountain bike, so I included an alternative stretch on the main route between Baelen and Dolhain in this track. You can find something to eat and drink in e.g. Limbourg, Dolhain, Eupen and Roetgen.
The trip starts near the Jean Mobers roundabout, where there is ample parking along the street. From the starting point you cycle up the badly paved and steep Rue Bronde (you are immediately warm). After Stembert you take several quiet roads in quiet countryside until you get to the fortified town of Limbourg. You take the cobblestoned square and then cycle down towards Dolhain. A shortcut along the Vesdre brings you to the N620 road. You follow the road through the valley with a short detour at Goé. At the turn-off to the Lac de la Gileppe you continue straight on the N629 towards Eupen. Just before Membach you turn right on a forest road with a gate at the entrance (accessible for cyclists), and slowly climb into the forest along a stream. At a junction of five roads you choose another forest road with a gated entrance and continue through the forest to the N68, the Baraque Michel-Eupen road. You descend this road into Eupen, and climb via a series of minor roads towards the road to Monschau. You descend again in the Weser valley and follow the road to the reservoir dam of the Weser reservoir (Wesertalsperre, Eupen Stausee). Here you take the minor forest road (again a barrier) on the south side of the lake. You cross the Getzbach bridge and follow the minor roads on the east side of the lake. At the bridge across the Weser you continue straight on a forest road. You encounter a stretch of gravel road (500 m) before continuing to the bridge across the Steinbach. Here you follow the road uphill along the Steinbach. You almost directly pass the Weser-Umflutkanal, a canal diverting water from the Weser to the Steinbach. You climb all the way to the Imgenbroicher Venn via the Pilgerweg. Here you pass two minor water streams which both could be the source of the Weser. One of them actually has a sign claiming it to be the source (Weserquellen). The actual sources are probably a bit higher up towards the Belgian-German border, inside the forest. You cycle further around the Imgenbroicher Venn and then start your descend. You pass a 350 m semi-paved stretch on the way. When you near Roetgen, the young Weser river shows up on your left side. You cycle along it and then cross the border into Germany. Here you cycle a short stretch on the Vennbahn, and then take a route close to the border in which you pass the Weser twice, and 1 km of badly asphalted road. The second time you pass the Weser, the river flows back into Belgium. You stay in Roetgen a bit longer, and then cross back into Belgium. Through the moors and the forest you cycle back to the Westertalsperre, now approaching it from the northern side. You take a badly paved road to the foot of the reservoir dam and then continue back to Eupen. You cycle through the old center on the river, and then continue on the N629 through the Vesdre valley to Membach. Here, you cycle out of the valley to the center of the village. Here you take the Rue des Fusillés, which turns into a stretch of semi-paved road, once outside of town. You continue across the hill to Baelen. Here, I took the Chemin des Passeurs and Belle Vue roads to Dolhain, as they were indicated as cycling routes on Opencyclemap.org, but these roads were really not suited for a road bike. So I included the main road to Dolhain in the track. In Dolhain you follow the N61 towards Verviers. Once out of town, you pass a particularly picturesque stretch of the Vesdre river before you return to your starting point.