Flowy trails around Bütgenbach Dam

The most direct trail from Kalterherberg to the Bütgenbach Lake ist via the 'Krummer Ast' (literally: the crooked branch), and through the military training ground of the Elsenborn Camp.

This requires a permit from the military command in Elsenborn. Those who will be riding their bike frequently in this area (and this would apply to most of those living or vacationing in Kalterherberg) to apply for an annual permit is a worthwhile proposition. Because it considerably extends the reach of a daytrip from Kalterherberg to the areas of Bütgenbach, Büllingen and beyond. And because the area of camp Elsenborn is - against all intuition - a very beautiful part of the Hohe Venn (Hautes Fagnes).

The permit comes with a short briefing of what to do and what not to do: Many parts of the camp are always strictly off limits, but there are plenty of trails that can be enjoyed. Very importantly, the trails may not be used under any circumstances when the 'red drum is up'. A red drum on a post is positioned next to each trail that enters the camp from any direction. When the red drum is down you may enter (provided you have a permit).

Having gone through the camp, we follow tiny country roads to the descent to Lake Bütgenbach. The circumnavigation of the Lake is very beautiful - a truly 'flowy' single trail. On a hot summer weekend there might be many hikers who walk to the many beaches particularly on the northern shore of the lake - bikers should consider instead a weekday or a weekend in spring or fall when it is too cold to swim.

On the south shore we pass Bütgenbach and a lakeshore Hotel; it is almost mandatory to stop for refreshments here.

The trail continues along the lakeshore (you have the option to take the RAVeL or the dirt track along the shore - we recommend the flowy dirt trail). If you found it too early to stop at the lakeshore Hotel, the next and last stop is in Wirtzfeld, at the Drossen Pub, also frequently visited by bikers.

From Wirtzfeld it is steep uphill back to the camp. Zoom into your GPS track, to find the trails into the grounds of the camp. From here it continues very beautiful (especially in the evening sun) along the edge of the Venn into the Perlbach valley.

You still have one more climb to the Hohe Mark. From here it is all downhill to Kalterherberg.