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Buetgenbach Hotel Buetgenbacher Hof 17(c)Christian Charlier

Safe in East Belgium:
The most important information

Safety during your holiday

1. Floods: Find here the information about the closed paths in East Belgium

2. Hunting season: Which areas are closed?

2. In this section we have compiled and updated the current Covid-19 regulations with the utmost care and with reservation. Please consult the federal page for more detailed information: www.info-coronavirus.be/en/

+++ UPDATE 01/10/2021 +++

 

Floods

Due to the floods in East Belgium and their consequences (landslides, damage to nature and infrastructure,...), some zones and trails have to be temporarily closed. The following places are affected: 

  • Auel (Burg Reuland): closure of the bridge over the Our. Please take the signposted bypass road through the village. Routes concerned: Vennbahn cycling route, Ovelo route 11, Velotour network: junction nodes 55-75, hiking network: junction nodes 5-47.
  • Trôs Marets (Malmedy): Pleasure tour 04: The Canyon of the Trôs Marets: Due to the collapse of a bridge in the Trôs Marets valley, the start of the hiking tour can only take place at the Ferme Libert.
  • Getztal (Eupen): closure of the trails in this valley. Routes concerned: Pleasure tour 26, Ovelo route 03, Velotour network: junction node 55, hiking network: junction nodes 36 - 96.
  • Hilltal (Eupen): closure of the trails in this valley. Routes concerned: Pleasure tour 26, Velotour network: junction nodes 57 - 68, hiking network: junction nodes 90 - 24 - 19 - 49 - 5 - 71 - 62.
  • Steinbach & Eschbach (Eupen): closure of the trails around these brooks. Routes concerned: Ovelo routes 02 & 03; hiking network: junctions nodes 38, 21, 87, 98, 93; Velotour network: junction nodes 46, 11, 28.
  • Malmedy: The hike MDY 17 "le beau val" : is not accessible
    (Hiking tour on the hiking map "Au pied des Fagnes")

These closures are also indicated in our hiking and cycling route planners.

Advice on the hunting season 

  • The battue hunting season in East Belgium starts on October 1st. This means that hikers and bikers will not be allowed to access specific areas and routes at certain times because of hunting. In order to support the recreational activities in route planning and to avoid conflict situations, the East Belgium Tourism Agency has equipped
     
  • the hiking route planner at www.ostbelgien.eu/en/walking/hiking-route-planer and
  • the cycle route planner www.ostbelgien.eu/en/cycling/cycle-tour-planer with up-to-date warnings.
     
  • It is very easy to use: With a click on the red button "Closures & occurencies" you can check which closures and conditions are reported on a certain day. The route management system then shows on the map whether and where a special event such as a hunt, another type of closure or a natural event is taking place.
     
  • On the map, these events are highlighted in colour and by clicking on the marked zone, you can find out whether, and if so, which event is taking place on that precise spot. Thus, hike or bicycle tours can be prepared accurately and the closed areas can be avoided to a large extent.
     
  • Caution: All available hunting areas and hunting seasons have been registered and encoded by the Tourism Agency East Belgium in cooperation with the responsible forestry offices. At the moment, some hunting areas are not yet digitally recorded. Therefore, the corresponding information on the hunts must be requested from the respective forestry offices as usual. In any case, the respective warnings (signposted) must always be followed on site.
     
  • Note: In the hunting grounds of Malmedy, Eupen and Elsenborn, there are no battue hunts on weekends and public holidays.

> Further information about the hunting season in East Belgium

Current Corona Regulations 

Four golden rules must always be respected:

  • Basic hygiene measures (e.g. washing hands, sneezing into the crook of the arm, etc.) remain essential.
  • Outdoor activities are to be preferred if possible. Where necessary, rooms must be ventilated sufficiently.
  • Additional precautions must be taken for persons belonging to a risk group.
  • A safety distance of 1.5 m is the norm. If the safety distance cannot be maintained, a mask must be worn.

General measures:

  • There are no restrictions on gatherings at home or in tourist accommodation.
  • There is currently no obligation to wear a mask in East Belgium on open public grounds, unless the distances cannot be respected and/or it is stated otherwise.
  • The regulations may differ between regions.   

Entry into Belgium:

  • It is possible to enter Belgium.

Arrival from a green or orange zone:

  • No obligation to quarantine or test.

Arriving from a red zone:

  • Those with a digital corona certificate with full vaccination (+ 2 weeks), a recent negative PCR test (< 72 hours) or recovery certificate do not need to be quarantined.
  • Those who get tested immediately upon arrival (day 1 or day 2) do not have to go into quarantine. A negative PCR test is required for individuals 12 years of age and older. Children under the age of 12 are exempt from testing requirements.

Arrival from outside the European Union:

  • Those coming from outside the European Union must be fully vaccinated (+ 2 weeks) with a vaccine recognised by Europe and take a PCR test on the day of arrival. If the test is negative, this person does not have to be quarantined.

Arrival after staying in a very high risk area (“variants of concern”):

  • There is a ban on entry for non-Belgians who do not reside in Belgium and who have been in a very high-risk area at any time during the past 14 days. An exception is made for essential travel by transport staff and diplomats. They must undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine with PCR testing on day 1 and day 7. 

48H - Exception:

  • If you stay in Belgium for less than 48 hours, you do not have to be tested negative and do not have to fill in a PLF. However, some countries with mutant versions, e.g. England, India, ..., are exceptions.

Further important information on entry:

  • You must complete the Public Health Passenger Locator Form in the 48 hours before your arrival in Belgium. This form has to be completed by: all persons travelling to Belgium, except: If you stay in Belgium for less than 48 hours ; If you were abroad for less than 48 hours

Link electronic form PLF | Link paper version PLF

  • Once arrived, you'll receive instructions via SMS on further measures, i.e. quarantine and/or further testing. 
  • Some tour operators/travel agencies require a negative PCR test when travelling (e.g. by plane), so please check with them beforehand.
     
  • Detailed information can be found at: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/
  • The overview of the currently valid zoning by country (colour codes) can be found here.

Accommodation:

  • All types of accommodation are allowed to open.
  • Tthere are no restrictions on gatherings at home or in tourist accommodation.
     
  • Exceptions > Municipalities Malmedy & Waimes: COVID Safe Ticket compulsory in hotels.

Further information on the COVID Safe Ticket can be found here.

Horeca:

  • There are no more restrictions on opening and closing hours, on the number of people per table, on the distance between table groups, on terraces, on noise levels and on bar service. The requirement to seat each customer at a table will also be dropped.
  • When moving around within a catering establishment, wearing a face mask will remain mandatory.
     
  • Exceptions > Municipalities Malmedy & Waimes: COVID Safe Ticket compulsory in Restaurants & Cafés  
    (This does not apply to terraces, where the regulations above are to be respected) 

Further information on the COVID Safe Ticket can be found here.   

Culture & Leisure:

  • Cultural, festive and recreational facilities (indoor and outdoor) are allowed to open.
  • Masks are compulsory in shops, supermarkets and public administrations.  
  • Night clubs and dance halls can open given they respect strict protocols on air quality, ventilation and a maximum capacity in relation to the surface area, dancing in pubs is thus also allowed again. The COVID Safe Ticket is compulsory for this kind of venues.  
  • Swimming pools are open. It is nonetheless to leave your contact data at arrival in order to allow contact tracing if needed. The number of people allowed to swimming pools is restricted. Masks are compulsory in changing rooms, waiting rooms and the cashier area.  
     
  • Exceptions > Municipalities Malmedy & Waimes: A COVID Safe Ticket is compulsory in cultural, festive and leisure areas as well as sports and fitness centres.  
    (This does not apply if there are less than 50 people inside or less than 200 people outside. Some operators/organizers may nonetheless require the COVID Safe Ticket, we would thus advise you to contact them beforehand.)  

Further information on the COVID Safe Ticket can be found here. 

Events:

  • Events with more than 50 spectators inside or more than 200 spectators outside must use the COVID Safe Ticket from September 1st. Only under these circumstances can the regulations regarding masks, social distancing and CIRM/CERM be lifted.  

Further information on the COVID Safe Ticket can be found here. 

Information on Corona Tests: 

> Details of the decisions: 

> Latest information on travel advice are available here:  

> All information about restrictions on entry and exit at:

> See the official information at: