We follow the white-red hiking signs of the GR 56 – Amblève variant.
Near the Engelsbrücke at the large intersection with the gas station, we start our hike today. We turn into Büllinger Straße, the N658 towards
Eupen, Bütgenbach and Büllingen. After about 400 meters, we leave the street shortly after passing a bakery (House 18a). Here we turn right into Mühlenweg. This is a narrow alley that will now follow the Amel valley for some time. We now hike eastward through meadows and narrow stretches of forest. The small village to our right in the valley is Valender. After just over two kilometers, we reach the first houses of Valender. Here we have to cross the road coming from Mirfeld on the left and leading to Valender. We keep our basic direction and continue straight ahead into the narrow "Heerstraße" which soon leads us through a meadow landscape.
The brook on the right in the valley is the Allerbach, which flows into the Amel near Valender. At a large farm, we reach a country road again, which, like the brook on the right, is also called Allerbach. We cross the road and go left opposite the farm. The initially paved path slopes downhill and after crossing the Allerbach it becomes an unpaved farm road. We now climb slightly uphill through a meadow landscape until we reach the outskirts of Heppenbach. To our right, we already see the church tower of the village. Here on the country road, we turn right downhill past the football field. We also stay right at the next corner on the sidewalk and after about 100 meters come to the church of Heppenbach.
4.9 km HEPPENBACH
We continue to follow the white-red hiking signs of the GR 56 – Amblève variant.
We walk past the church which stands to our right on the hill, cross the next street, pass a community hall (Saal Müller), and continue a short way downhill. Just before the village exit sign, we have to cross the street and turn opposite into a farm driveway, only to immediately turn right again into a narrow paved path.
We follow the path slightly downhill and cross the Amel again, which here is only a narrow brook. At the end of the lane, we turn sharply left into Bachstraße, cross the Amel once more, and continue following the road towards the village center. The second street on the right, called "Sonnenhang," we must enter and at the next junction keep right and, passing a large farm, leave Heppenbach behind.
Down in the very beautiful valley, the Amel meanders again; we are slowly approaching its source. We soon reach the forest edge and, after crossing the Amel, turn left. We walk along the forest edge. To our left in the meadows, we still see the course of the Amel. Soon the path leads us through the forest until we reach a road again. On the right at the junction, there is a pleasant picnic area. The signs explaining the local birds, which have accompanied us since Heppenbach, are also nice. We go left uphill on the country road until it leads us to the outskirts of Hepscheid.
3.4 km HEPSCHEID
We continue to follow the white-red hiking signs of the GR 56 – Amblève variant.
At the first houses of Hepscheid, our GR56 sharply turns right into the street "Zum Dorfbrunnen" that leads us past farms out of the village again. Where we cross another tributary of the Amel, we go straight ahead and continue to follow the Amel valley. After about a kilometer, our path turns right into a spruce forest. At the next junction (with a hunting lodge), we take the broad clearing in front of us and continue straight ahead, slightly uphill. The trickle coming towards us here is one of the Amel's source streams.
At the end of this clearing, we reach a forest path. Here we turn right and walk between the forest edge and pastureland until we reach a narrow street. First, we turn right into it and then at the next corner (after 100 meters) left into the lane opposite to continue. At first, it is meadows through which the path now leads us, but soon we see the forest edge again to our right. We now walk about 1700 meters straight ahead.
The open pasture to our left is called the Honsfelder Venn. We now have to circle it. Therefore, at the next junction, we first turn left and at the fork, which we reach shortly after, go right. We now follow this path for about one kilometer, crossing a narrow street on the way, and then turn left into the first path behind it. This lane now slowly leads us slightly downhill to Honsfeld.
Just before reaching Honsfeld's football field, we turn right again and follow the lane until we reach the first houses of the village. The street now leads us left into the town. At the next junction, we also reach a GR crossing point. The hiking route of the GR56 Warche variant reaches this junction from opposite.
8.5 km HONSFELD
We continue to follow the white-red hiking signs of the GR 56 – Warche variant.
Since the Amel variant ends here, we will now follow the Warche variant. Therefore, we turn right and continue towards Holzheim, Hünningen, and Buchholz. At the next junction, we turn left again (straight ahead leads to Holzheim). Also, at the next fork, we continue straight towards Hünningen and soon pass under the old railway line (RAVeL) again. After about 400 meters, we leave the road leading to Hünningen and turn right into a lane. We ignore side roads and continue straight ahead.
First slightly uphill, then slightly downhill again. Near a holiday farm, we reach the forest edge. We choose the path to the right, which leads us southward. Woodcutters have recently worked here. To the right of our path, the railway embankment is visible again. We continue straight on this path until at the end we meet a paved forest road. Here, we reach the main path of the GR 56. It is located at junction 68.
If you go right under the underpass, you will come after 100 meters to the small hamlet of Buchholz.
3.1 km BUCHHOLZ
However, we first turn left onto the main path of the GR 56 before the underpass. You now first follow the direction from junction 69 and then from KP77, where Hotel Schröder is located.
2.4 km LOSHEIMERGRABEN
End of the stage in Losheimergraben.
