Bévercé-Warche-Botrange-Mont Rigi-Trôs Marèts-Bévercé 26 km

Beautiful hike in the High Fens/Hautes Fagnes/Hohes Venn nature reserve between Bévercé, Botrange and Mont Rigi. The hike offers fens, woods, waterfalls, streams, boardwalks, a ‘canyon’, wide views, rocks, a stone quarry and much more. The hike is on mostly unpaved forest tracks, paths, and boardwalks. The paths can be on rocky uneven terrain with tree roots, and sometimes muddy underground, and waterproof hiking shoes are highly recommended. You can find something to eat or drink at the start, at Moulin de Bayehon, near (Peak Beer brewery) and on Botrange, and at Mont Rigi. At the start there is parking across from a camping/restaurant.
From the start you follow the valley of the Warche along the Route de la Vallée. This initially paved road takes you past the stone quarry ‘Carrières de la Warche’. The road then continues as a unpaved road along the Warche. Originally I wanted to cross the Warche at a ford but my shoes were not as waterproof as I hoped… You continue along the Warche until the Bayehon river flows into the Warche. Here you follow a forest road upstream along the Bayehon. The forest road crosses the river at fords a few times, but you can then take a pedestrian bridge. The forest road ends up with the Route du Bayehon road, which you cross. You continue to follow the Bayehon until a small path diverts to the right, following the valley of the Ghaster stream. This is a rougher track. You pass below the Ovifat downhill ski track and continue along the path all the way up until you get to the Rue de la Botrange. You cross this busy road and follow a forest track through the Bois de Sourbrodt past Grande Croix de Sourbrodt. The track ends near the Fagne Wallonne, a large fen in which the Rur River has its source. You follow a track along the edge of the fen to a viewpoint near Botrange, the highest point of Belgium. You have great views all the way across the fens and woods in the distance towards the German border. Past Botrange you keep following the track along the edge of the fen and the forest north towards Baraque Michel. You follow paths through Petite Hesse and along the Les Wez fen to Mont Rigi. A new restaurant is here. You then continue onto the Fagne de la Polleur, a fen in which the Polleur river finds its source. You follow a boardwalk track which ends up following the Polleur river, and then ascends as a rough track into a forest on a slope along the Polleur valley. Along this path some ropes are provided to prevent falling from the slope. At the end of the path you take another path along the forest and a large fen overlooking the Polleur valley. This path ends up with a semi-paved forest road taking you to Lonlou forest. Just past the highest point you take a path down to the Fagne de Fraineu. This fen you cross on a boardwalk with nice views in the direction of Stavelot. You then follow the Trôs Marets stream downstream. First on a minor track along the river towards the Route de l’Ancienne Douane road, and then on a larger forest path. Then the stream goes down into a canyon and a smaller track takes you close to the river on a track assisted with bridges and ropes. Past the canyon the track continues, partly on a large path towards the N68 road. From this road you descend along the river on a track back to the start.