The area has much to offer...
The area has much to offer...
Nature
as well as culture
Of course, you come here to hike, cycle or ski in the beautiful rugged nature.
Or you may come to spot (nocturnal) butterflies or birds, discover special plant species or enjoy the overwhelming starry sky with milky way at night.
But if all that nature gets too much for you for a while, you can also easily visit a town or city in between, or visit a museum, for example.
Nature
as well as culture
Of course, you come here to hike, cycle or ski in the beautiful rugged nature.
Or you may come to spot (nocturnal) butterflies or birds, discover special plant species or enjoy the overwhelming starry sky with milky way at night.
But if all that nature gets too much for you for a while, you can also easily visit a town or city in between, or visit a museum, for example.
zowel
Natuur als cultuur
Of je komt om (nacht)vlinders of vogels te spotten, bijzondere plantensoorten te ontdekken of om 's nachts van de overweldigende sterrenhemel met melkweg te genieten.
Maar als al dat natuurgeweld je even te veel wordt, kan je tussendoor ook makkelijk een stad of stadje bezoeken, of bijvoorbeeld een museum aan doen.
Endless walking
The High Fens are the perfect setting for walks at all levels.
Directly from La Petite Roer, you can make several beautiful walks.
You can choose a short, but very beautiful and varied round trip of around an hour between meadows and through woods and moors. But you can also start here for a day hike of 30 or more kilometres.Some routes lead over the familiar board walks, constructed to avoid getting wet feet on the soggy peat soil.
Websites with hiking routes can be found on our links page, although not all of them are in english. You can borrow a hiking map and/or good directions.
In April and May, you can walk past the famous wild daffodils. You will encounter them in Sourbrodt and in many other places in the German and Belgian Eifel, where special daffodil walks have been laid out, such as in Nidrum and Kalterherberg. We will be happy to help you on your way!
Cycling:
e-bike on the Vennbahn, mountain biking or gravel biking?
Cycling in the Hautes Fagnes and the Ardennes seems only for the experienced athlete, but you can also do great cycling on former railway tracks (RAVeL). This results in flat, safe and easy-to-cycle routes. The popular and much awarded Vennbahn Cycle Path (among others European Cycle Route of the Year) is by far the best known and also the most beautiful!
And it's a great way to explore the beautiful surroundings here.
From Sourbrodt, there are RAVeL routes to Luxembourg, Monschau, Aachen, Stavelot, Malmedy and Sankt Vith, with a starting point 10 minutes' cycling from La Petite Roer.
There are also no less than 850 kilometres of cycling junction routes in the High Fens and the neighbouring Eifel.
Furthermore, there are many beautiful and sometimes very challenging mountain bike routes in the immediate vicinity. And in the village of Kalterherberg, the first across the border in Germany, there is an MTB/BMX training track. Besides, this area is also Belgium's best gravel-biking area, with lots of gravel-bike trails.
For those who want to cycle in a completely different way, there is the Railbike, which takes you on trolleys over the old railway tracks on part of the Monschau-Sourbrodt route.
You can rent good bikes and e-bikes at AT-Bike in Waimes, the Botrange nature park centre also has e-bikes (remember to make a reservation).
Wintersports
Located near the most elevated point in Belgium, Signal de Botrange, and near Baraque Michel, Sourbrodt is ideal for skiing and cross-country skiing.
Are you also dreaming of crackling trails? Information on ski rentals, snow heights and opened ski centres can be found via our links page.
Watersports
There are several reservoirs in the area, such as the Lac de Robertville just over 5 minutes away and the Bütgenbacher See, a 15-minute drive from La Petite Roer. These lakes offer all kinds of water sports possibilities, including kayaking, sailing, surfing and swimming.
Both carry the Blue Flag seal of approval, meaning they meet annually monitored strict international requirements for bathing water quality, safety and sustainability.
Cities and towns
At half an hour to an hour and a half from Sourbrodt, you will find several interesting cities and towns, for example for shopping, museum or theatre visits, for scouring the famous Liège flea market or just to soak up the atmosphere. For example, Maastricht, Liège, Aachen, Cologne, Trier and Luxembourg offer good opportunities for a day of sightseeing.
Besides a trip to these big cities, you can visit nearby towns like Malmedy, Monschau (pictured here), Eupen, Spa and Stavelot, great destinations for a (mid)day out. Throughout the summer, the towns and villages in the area host brocantes, street markets and other festivities.
Museums
Want to learn more about the natural environment? Then don't miss the Botrange Nature Park Centre. Here you can learn more about the history and nature of the High Fens and the Eifel. And you will find a shop with hiking and cycling books and maps, photo books, nature guides and gift items.
The sturdy and dramatically located Reinhardtstein Castle in Robertville, which has its origins in the 14th century, is also worth a visit.
Furthermore, there is a host of museums in the area, from the Malmendarium in Malmedy, the F1 museum in Stavelot, the pottery museum in Raeren to das Rote Haus, the lavish home of a textile baron in Monschau.
The Ordensburg Vogelsang, where the future middle management of the Nazi party was trained in the second half of the 1930s, also deserves a special mention. It is now a meeting and reflection place, where you can take a guided tour or visit one of the long-term exhibitions. You can also take a nice walk there!
From the links page, you can visit the websites of a number of museums and visitor centres.