The High Fens
Where the Silence becomes Music
When we think of the High Fens (les Hautes Fagnes), we imagine a vast open landscape, mysterious peat bogs, and a mist that floats like a veil across the moors. But what we sometimes forget is that this unparalleled setting also has its own unique voice. A voice that emerges from the silence: the rustling of wings, the creaking of wood, and the breath of the wind. A voice worth taking time to listen to.
Text: Garance Wauthier, Hungry Minds | Pictures: Hungry Minds | Translation: Antony Mason
Composing with nature
To bring this experience to life, the composer and producer Nicolas Allard, a.k.a. Olvo, has turned himself into a veritable hunter of sounds. Equipped with his microphone and headphones, he headed off along some of the most secluded trails in the High Fens to capture those fleeting moments that often escape our notice: the rustle of a bird taking flight, the whisper of the wind across heather, the soft crack of a twig beneath a deer’s hoof.
These first-hand recordings then served as the basis for the creation of several original musical pieces, also inspired by the stories and legends that form the backdrop to these lesser-known walks. Mixing electronic and instrumental music with these organic samples, Olvo has created a set of musical portraits of the High Fens. His compositions capture the unique atmosphere of this region: sometimes mysterious, sometimes contemplative, always spellbinding.
Listening to these pieces feels like extending the boundaries of the walk. It's an invitation to slow down, to stop and to prick up one’s ears.
Two walks to experience in this novel way
Among the hiking routes chosen for this initiative, two in particular stand out for their unusual qualities and rich rewards.
The Fens of Sourbrodt:
where history and nature meet
In Sourbrodt, everything conspires to remind you that you are at the junction of several worlds. This village, which bears signs of both Walloon and German influences, long lived to the rhythm of the Vennbahn trains, whose old station is still there to see. Its walls speak of the time when steam trains puffed across the fens, leaving a thick trail of smoke behind them.
It’s here that the walk begins, in front of this building steeped in history, before launching into the mysterious moors. The path soon follows the Rur, a river stained dark with peat. Along the way, information panels reveal the secrets of the landscape, while a few monuments serve as reminders of the grim days of the Second World War.
As the seasons turn, so the fen changes: in winter, frost covers it with an immaculate veil; in spring, the cottongrasses wave their white pom-poms in the breeze. Every visit reveals a different mood.
This circular walk taps into the very soul of the High Fens, where history and nature intertwine at every point along the way – wild and deeply marked by the footprints of time.
© Chris Eyre-Walker
The land of "Négus":
raging torrents and the forests of legend
From the very first steps, this trail enters a quicksilver landscape where the Fraineu fen spreads out before you, vast and luminous. Here, old spruce plantations have now given ground to over 300 hectares of restored moors and peat bogs, forming a veritable sea of wild vegetation. It is from here that the Trôs Maret springs forth: a mere trickle at its source, it quickly becomes a rushing stream that will be your companion for the entirety of this walk.
After the boardwalks come the ruins of a hut, once home to the mysterious "Négus", a hermit from the 1950s who chose to live in this challenging natural environment. Further on, the path plunges into a dark forest where the imposing "Six Beeches" stand, once a refuge for shepherds seeking shelter from the wind and the cold.
The walk then leads to the Chôdires wetland, colonised by alder, birch and aspen. Here the landscape changes once again, a reminder of the infinite richness of peat-bog ecosystems.
This long and demanding circular walk reveals the sheer diversity and power of the landscape in the High Fens. Wild and mysterious, it presents an open invitation to fit and experienced hikers in search of the real deal.
Discover all our silent tracks
A made-to-measure experience thanks to "Plan your experience"
Discovering the High Fens through sound is a good start, but nothing beats a tailor-made hike. That's precisely what the "Plan your experience" tool offers: you indicate your preferences (mode of transport, distance, accessibility requirements, etc.), and it suggests the itineraries that best suit you.
Each route description includes the distance, duration, the difficulty and type of trail, the starting point, trail markings, plus other practical information such as parking, cafés and restaurants, and whether dogs are allowed. It also indicates the natural and cultural attractions that will be encountered along the way (peat bogs, forests, rivers, viewpoints, heritage sites), as well as providing an interactive map and a downloadable route plan. Clear, simple and inspirational – everything you need to prepare your expedition.
La promesse : une immersion totale
Les Hautes Fagnes ne sont pas seulement un paysage à contempler, mais une expérience sensorielle à part entière. Plus qu’une simple randonnée, c’est une invitation à ralentir, à se laisser envelopper par la beauté brute et mystérieuse du plateau. Ceux qui se plongent dans cette nature, découvrent un autre visage des Fagnes : plus sauvage, plus intime, presque secret. Un visage qui ne se dévoile qu’à ceux qui prennent le temps de tendre l’oreille.
