Kids on Tour - Boundary hedges and dragon's teeth - East Belgium Go to content

Kids on Tour - Boundary hedges and dragon's teeth

Hiking Trail recommended route

Kids on Tour - Boundary hedges and dragon's teeth

Hiking Trail · Raeren
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  • Kids on Tour - Auf den Spuren alter Grenzen
    Kids on Tour - Auf den Spuren alter Grenzen
    Photo: Benno Hermes, CC BY-SA, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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    Borderlands where smugglers played cat and mouse

    easy
    Distance 6.3 km
    1:35 h
    61 m
    60 m
    296 m
    246 m

    This walk begins at the border crossing at Köpfchen. Here you can stand with one foot in Belgium and the other in Germany. The former customs house is where travellers used to have to show their passports before they were allowed to cross the border. Cars were often searched by the border police, because a lot of smuggling was going on. Now the customs house is a centre for art and culture.

    The walk around the Köpfchen border crossing is hilly and for the most part passes through woods. You cross borders several times, often without realizing. One of these is the Aachener Landgraben, an earth rampart lined with ditches that once marked the boundary of the city of Aachen. You can still see the remains of the old beech hedge that crowned the top of the ramparts. In the past, the few openings through the hedge were controlled by border guards and blocked off with wooden beams at night. In the last third of the walk, which takes you back to the German border, you will come across a mass of stones called “dragon’s teeth” – because that’s what they look like. They were designed to stop tanks from passing through here during the Second World War. Today they have become a refuge for plants and animals – and they are a good place for children to hide as well!

    Author’s recommendation

    More information under: www.ostbelgien.eu/en/walking/walking-with-kids 

    The brochure is only available in German, French and Dutch.

    Profile picture of Tourismusagenturagentur Ostbelgien
    Author
    Tourismusagenturagentur Ostbelgien
    Update: August 03, 2023
    Difficulty
    easy
    Overall difficulty
    easy

    Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

    Experience
    Landscape
    Highest point
    296 m
    Lowest point
    246 m
    Best time of year
    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
    Jun
    Jul
    Aug
    Sep
    Oct
    Nov
    Dec

    Track types

    Dirt road 7.59%Forested/wild trail 4.22%Unknown 88.16%
    Dirt road
    0.5 km
    Forested/wild trail
    0.3 km
    Unknown
    5.6 km
    Show elevation profile

    Safety information

    Somewhat suited for prams

    Tips and suggestions

    East Belgium Tourist Agency

    Hauptstraße 54

    4780 St.Vith

    Tel. +32 80 22 76 64

    info@ostbelgien.eu 

    www.ostbelgien.eu 

    Start

    N68 Eynatten > Aachen | Parking at the border crossing "Köpfchen" GPS: 50.724594, 6.089911
    Coordinates:
    DD
    50.724595, 6.089769
    DMS
    50°43'28.5"N 6°05'23.2"E
    UTM
    32U 294601 5623239
    w3w 
    ///kingpin.bared.discouraged

    Destination

    N68 Eynatten > Aachen | Parking at the border crossing "Köpfchen" GPS: 50.724594, 6.089911

    Public transport

    Public-transport-friendly

    By train: www.belgiantrain.be

    By bus:  www.letec.be

    Parking

    Parking at the border crossing "Köpfchen"

    Coordinates

    DD
    50.724595, 6.089769
    DMS
    50°43'28.5"N 6°05'23.2"E
    UTM
    32U 294601 5623239
    w3w 
    ///kingpin.bared.discouraged
    Get there by train, car, bike, or on foot!

    Equipment

    Make sure to wear hiking shoes and clothes according to the weather. 

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    • Pleasure tour 19 – Meadow trails
    • Industrial Heritage Trail Kelmis
     These suggestions were generated by our system
    Difficulty
    easy
    Overall difficulty
    easy

    Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

    Distance
    6.3 km
    Duration
    1:35 h
    Ascent
    61 m
    Descent
    60 m
    Highest point
    296 m
    Lowest point
    246 m
    Public-transport-friendly Round trip Family-friendly Cultural/historical interest Suitable for strollers

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