The High Fens, the Hautes Fagnes, are the great wet moorland of eastern Belgium, a high plateau of peat bogs, heather and stunted spruce that stretches toward Germany. It has a feeling unlike anywhere else in the Benelux, empty, windswept and slightly lunar. The highest point in Belgium, Signal de Botrange, stands here at 694 metres, which is not very high, but on a cold day with the wind blowing it feels more like the Scottish Highlands.
The fens themselves are a nature reserve, and the rules are strict. In many parts, walkers have to stay on boardwalks to protect the fragile peat, and the wooden planks wind out across the bog toward distant stands of birch. The area is home to black grouse, curlews and rare plants, including sundews, which catch insects, and cotton grass, which turns whole patches white in early summer. The bogs hold water like a sponge and, in a dry spell, they can burn, as they did in 2011, when a large fire swept across the plateau.
The roads that cross the fens are some of the best in the region. They run over the open plateau and down into river valleys through spruce forest, with long curves, short climbs, and views across the empty moor. The surface is mostly good, though frost heaves and potholes appear after winter. Wind is a constant, and can be strong on the open stretches. The weather changes quickly, with fog common in autumn and winter, and snow on the plateau well into spring.
Nearby is the world-famous racing circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts Formula One and motorbike races, and the old town of Spa, which gave its name to all spas, is only a short ride away. Malmedy, with its Carnival and its old abbey, lies to the south, and Eupen, with a German-speaking community, to the north. Language signs can switch from French to German in a few kilometres, which adds to the sense of crossing a border.
Malmedy and Jalhay both have stations, and the larger centres are Eupen and Verviers. Cafes and small restaurants in the villages offer waffles, hot chocolate and hearty Ardennes food, and on a cold day, they are very welcome.