Weg des Gedenkens
PlaceBütgenbach
“Memorial Loop”
East Belgium Tourist Agency Verified partner Explorers Choice
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/ Weg des Gendenkens BeschilderungPhoto: ostbelgien.eu, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency -
/ Büllingen PfarrkirchePhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Bütgenbach BrückePhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ See BütgenbachPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Hohes VennPhoto: Hike & Trekking Magazine - Lex van den Bosch, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Staumauer am See von BütgenbachPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ WarchetalPhoto: ostbelgien.eu, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ See RobertvillePhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Haelen Brücke RobertvillePhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ See von RobertvillePhoto: ostbelgien.eu, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Schildtafel Baltia HügelPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Baltia HügelPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Hohes VennPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Kreuz im VennPhoto: Heike Becker, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Signal de BotrangePhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Bayehon WasserfallPhoto: Dominik Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Burg ReinhardsteinPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Rocherath amerikanisches KriegerdenkmalPhoto: ostbelgien.eu, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Rocherath HasselpathPhoto: ostbelgien.eu, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Pfarrkirche RocherathPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Stadtansicht Monschau FachwerkhäuserPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Reichensteiner ViaduktPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Wirtzfeld LandschaftsrahmenPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
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/ Luftansicht WirtzfeldPhoto: D. Ketz, CC BY, East Belgium Tourist Agency
The Memorial Loop is a 96-km hiking loop that was opened in 2015. It passes many important battlefield and points of historical interest along the German-Belgian border, and joins up with other hiking trails in the municipalities of Büllingen, Bütgenbach und Waimes on the Belgian side of the border and Hellenthal and Monschau on the German side.
Along the way, you will find a total of 30 information signs providing information in four languages about the war history of this area, like the Battle of the Bulge, Schmuggel, the Siegfried Line and many other topics. The picture that emerges is that for centuries, this region has been a flashpoint of history, and a place where borders have come and gone. And of course, it has also been the site of some of the bloodiest battles in the history of war. The boundary stones, bunkers and memorials all bear witness to this.
But this hike will also introduce you to the fascinating and varied landscape of the Eifel-Ardennes region. Although these border towns do belong to one country or the other, the hiker comes away from the Memorial Loop having seen the close cultural connections and brotherhood that unites these people to this day.
Author’s recommendation
Obviously, for most hikers 96 km would be an ambitious effort for a single day. Officially, the loop is broken up into six stages. With a little planning, however, one can break it up into several day hikes of 10-25 km each. The whole loop is marked (look for the “dove of peace” icon), so it is easy to find your way back to it at any point.
Tourismusagentur Ostbelgien
Rest Stop
Hotel Restaurant La Chaumière du LacHotel-Restaurant Vier Jahreszeiten
Hotel-Restaurant Bütgenbacher Hof
Hotel-Restaurant des Bains and NUXE Wellness Spa
Restaurant Brüls
Safety information
There is some danger of slipping as you hike on the steeper passages along the lakeside.
Tips, hints and links
A visit to the Natural History Museum at the Botrange Nature Park Centre or the castle at Robertville is well worth it.
Tourist Agency Eastbelgium
Hauptstraße 54
4780 St.Vith
+32 80 22 76 64
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
The loop takes hikers from Monschau via Küchelscheid, Botrange, Sourbrodt, Ovifat, Robertville, Bütgenbach, Krinkelt, Rocherath and Hellenthal, through the Eifel National Park via Höfen, and then back to Monschau. It can easily be broken up into six stages.
Note
Public transport
Public transport friendly
Can be reached by train and bus.
By train to Eupen, and from there the bus to Monschau and Kalterherberg.
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
Author’s map recommendations
A 1:40,000-scale hiking map with elevations, printed in four languages, is available from the East Belgium Tourist Office webshop or from the regional tourist information offices for a price of €2.50.
Equipment
Sturdy footwear and normal hiking clothes should be entirely adequate.
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