The Vennbahn, a 125-kilometre-long cycle path along the border of Belgium and Germany. The High Fens, old railway stations and vast forests. And back through the hills of the Ardennes with small quiet hamlets, bocage landscape and impressive autumn forests.
Below is the most important information about our four-day cycling tour in Belgium, on the border with Germany. If you want to know more about our other cycling adventures in Norway, Scotland, England or France, read the weblogs about these trips. Closer to home? The six-day trip along the Meuse is also highly recommended!
The route and stages
We cycle most of the Vennbahn. The route starts in Aachen and ends in Troisvierges in Luxembourg. The path runs along an old railway line, which was once built for industry in 1889. At that time, coal and iron ore were transported quickly between Aachen and Troisvierges.
When the railway fell into disrepair, a cycle path was built about ten years ago, with good facilities. You will find perfect signage and many benches, lounge chairs and (covered) picnic areas. All information about the Vennbahn can be found on the website.
Along the route you will encouter a lot of old stationbuildings, trains and signposts.
We parked our car in Eupen, at the train station. You can park here for free. From Eupen we cycled to Monschau, about 40 km further. We end in Oudler (about 15 km before the end). The second day we cycled from Monschau to Oudler and then Braunlauf, 74 km. From Braunlauf we cycled to La Gleize, 66 km. This stage is a bit tougher, with more ascents and descents.
For a large part we follow the (not signposted) route of the Green Route to the Mediterranean Sea. You can find these at Europafietsers. This route follows quiet roads, but also goes along busy provincial roads a number of times.
The third night is after 66 km in La Gleize and after another 43 km we arrive back in Eupen. Nights
Overnachtingen
There are several options for overnight stays in Monschau: airbnb, bed & breakfasts and hotels. We slept in Manoir 1654, a B&B. A beautiful old building with great rooms. In the evening we had dinner at Zum Haller, a cozy café. At Hirsch, the bakery, you can have a nice breakfast. Monschau is a touristic city but has a lot to offer and has a chill ambiance.
In Braunlauf we spend the night in Claire and Ben’s B&B: Le Clos des Sottais. A spacious room, with an infrared sauna, super nice for the tired muscles. In the morning a delicious breakfast. They also have rooms without sauna and holiday homes. You can also eat there.
The accommodation in La Gleize is limited, we have booked an apartment at Hotel Aux Ecuries De La Reine. This is not recommended, too expensive for what you get. The rooms are dated. The breakfast was nice though.
Experiences while cycling
The Vennbahn is highly recommended and surprised us positively. This route is very pleasant to cycle, because you cycle free of other traffic, but also because the environment is always different.
You cycle a lot along forests, but also along the High Fens (a large nature park) and agricultural landscape. It’s varied. You can easily get off the route, you will pass through several villages and towns where there are shops, cafes and restaurants. There is plenty of accommodation nearby.
A big advantage of the route is that despite the fact that the area is hilly, you hardly climb or descend on the Vennbahn itself. It is therefore very relaxed cycling. You do have the advantage of a hilly environment that you look out on, but you don’t have to work up a sweat.
The fact that there is little other traffic, except for some fast speed pedelecs and racing cyclists, also makes it a nice experience. I’m very curious what this route is like in the summer. Is it super busy?
Through the Ardennes
Cycling through the Ardennes is a completely different experience. Here you regularly cycle along busy roads, where cyclists are less taken into account. We follow the route to the Mediterranean Sea (see Europe cyclists) and expected it to run more along quiet roads. This is not always the case. In addition, the hills are endless….Gradients of 7% to 10%…. Pretty spicy! That takes quite a bit of energy, but the satisfied feeling when you have conquered another hill is very pleasant.
The setting is beautiful. Even in the pouring rain (on our fourth day) we enjoy the beautifully colored autumn forests in the vicinity of Spa and the view of the misty hills (near Jalhay). You regularly cycle through a village or town. There are several museums about the Battle of the Bulge (1944). In addition, impressive buildings, churches and castles. There is plenty to discover along the route.
During the last stage, we deliberately chose to cycle through the forest. Here you can cycle on gravel paths and enjoy the surroundings even more. The forests southwest of Eupen are beau
Conclusion
Cycling along the Vennbahn in Autumn, is beautiful. Cycling through the Ardennes asks more of you but is very satisfying. I recommend to experience it yourself!