“Border routes - On the trail of a political artefact”
Nature Trail
· Verviers
Responsible for this content East Belgium Tourist Agency
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Burgunderstein Kelmis
Photo: Grenzrouten, CC BY-SA, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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Explanation
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Neutral Moresnet was the fourth state in the border region for more than a hundred years.
easy
Distance 18.4 km
Duration4:15 h
Ascent243 m
Descent243 m
Highest point334 m
Lowest point163 m
Kelmis, Moresnet, Dreiländerpunkt (the border triangle), Preuswald and Hergenrath - these coordinates trace the course of the hiking route, which more or less circles the area of the former mini-state of Neutral Moresnet. The second theme of the route is religion: The route follows a long section of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela, which leads through Preuswald Forest and is also the historic processional route between Aachen and Moresnet. While the trails in the northern part of the route run mainly through wooded areas, the paths in the southern part more often cross open meadows and skirt the built-up areas of towns and villages.
Author’s recommendation
"VIEILLE MONTAGNE" MUSEUM IN KELMIS
The museum subtly illustrates the political and historical peculiarities of the "neutral territory of Moresnet", the history of the zinc industry and the "Vieille Montagne". It also has an extensive collection of minerals from the surrounding area. Photographs are on display to show the characteristic and rare flora of a zinc-bearing soil. Details of the utopian transformation of the neutral territory into an Esperanto-speaking state and regional folklore are also presented.
Author
Tourismusagentur Ostbelgien
Update: January 24, 2024
Difficulty
easy
Overall difficulty
easy
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Experience
Highest point
334 m
Lowest point
163 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Track types
Forested/wild trail 3.49%Unknown 96.50%
Forested/wild trail
642 m
Unknown
17.7 km
Show elevation profile
Safety information
18.4 km. Long hike along roads and paths, not difficult.
