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De Montjoie/Monschau (D) à Sankt-Vith/Saint-Vith (stage 2)
On the Line 48 RAVeL
Family
44 km
Starting from the old Montjoie/Monschau railway station, the way leads you towards the Rur valley in Belgium. A unique area of heath heralds the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve. This fascinating region of raised peat bogs is a huge water reservoir that forces visitors to cross many streams and rivers. Between Kalterherberg (D) and Sourbrodt (B), you will be accompanied by budding railway workers firmly seated on railbikes.
The Line 48 RAVeL – Vennbahn then goes slightly downhill to the south and crosses an open rural landscape. After Waimes, your route follows the wood known as Wolfsbusch. At Montenau, your nostrils will be assailed by a delicious smell of smoked fresh Ardennes ham, inviting you to linger here. Running partly alongside the Amblève river, the end of your stage leads you down a gentle slope to Saint-Vith/Sankt-Vith, a small but very lively town. At the museum of local life of Saint-Vith, visitors can find out about the eventful past of the Vennbahn.
Details
The route:
From the start at the site of the old Montjoie/Monschau railway station (D), the entire stage runs along its own path on Line 48 RAVeL – Vennbahn, apart from a short connecting stretch at the entrance St-Vith to reach the end of the stage.
Between Kalterherberg and Sourbrodt, the RAVeL crosses one of the loveliest parts of the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve. It runs parallel to a railbike path.
Surface:
Smooth (asphalt).
Height difference:
Flat. On the RAVeL, the uphill and downhill slopes do not exceed a gradient of 1.5%.
Signs:
The entire route is marked by specific directional signs (‘Line 48 RAVeL - Vennbahn’).
Warnings
Useful info
Start:
Site of the former train station of Montjoie/Monschau.
Coordinates Lambert 72 : X : 282147 m - Y : 141023 m
GPS coordinates: Latitude: 50°33'54 '' E - Longitude: 06°14'02 '' N
Access by car: Via the L214, Eupener Straße, turn into Steindrich which leads to the railway station.
Arrival point :
Vennbahnstraße 2 in 780 St. Vith.
Coordinates Lambert 72: X: 275463 m - Y: 109230 m
GPS coordinates: Latitude: 50°16'51'' E - Longitude: 06°07'45'' N
Rest areas:
Reichenstein, Kalterherberg, Sourbrodt, Weywertz, Faymonville, Waimes, Born, Wallerode.
Guides/maps:
- RAVeL map of the Province of Liège published by the SPW. This map, called ‘More RAVeL, more pleasure’, can be ordered free of charge by clicking here.
- All documentation can be obtained via the ATEB website (http://www.eastbelgium.com/fr/). In particular, a map to a scale of 1/100,000 is available which gives details of the path followed by the Vennbahn and indicates the connections with other RAVeL routes as well as other connections to the German cycling route and greenways network (Radweg).
Around the route by bike:
- VeloTour – Hautes Fagnes – Eifel nodal-points cycling route network: https://www.ostbelgien.eu/fr
- A number of loops use part of the route. These loops are included in a box set called ‘Vennbahn Plus’ which contains an illustrated map of the Vennbahn and a leaflet for each loop with a detailed map and tourist information. See https://www.ostbelgien.eu/fr
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