Here you are on the route of the Decauville railway. This narrow-gauge railway - named after the French inventor - formed a rail network in the Hertogenwald that was built by the German army during the First World War. The aim of the railway was to quickly transport the wood felled in the western Hertogenwald to the sawmill in Perkiets (Membach) and then to the Yser front. Thanks to this railway, the Hertogenwald was completely overexploited in just four years of war.

Russian and Italian prisoners of war provided most of the workers in the construction of the Decauville Railway.

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Jochen Vieß

March 23, 2022

Hiking

beautiful forest; after the flood in July there was a lot of rubbish here, thankfully a big clean-up operation has obviously taken place since then

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Erich + Margot Schins 👌🌲🍄🥾

January 2, 2022

Hiking

In the period between 1916 and 1918, the German military command had Russian and later Italian prisoners of war remove large quantities of hardwood (oak and beech) from the western, then Belgian, part of the Hertogenwald in order to fortify the trenches on the 700 km long Yser front. For this purpose, a narrow-gauge railway network with a total length of 60 km was created through the Hertogenwald, which was given the name "Trans-Hertogenwaldbahn". At the same time, a powerful sawmill was set up in the Weser Valley near Membach, where the wood was processed.

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Routes here

Best routes to Trans-Hertogenwald Narrow-Gauge Railway Route

4.5

(15)

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1. Parking and drinking water fountain – Lake Gileppe loop from Membach

13.8km

03:45

200m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

5.0

(4)

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2. View of the Gileppe Reservoir – Unique House in the Eifel loop from Unterstadt

17.2km

04:43

280m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.5

(12)

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3. Prussian Boundary Stone – Mining History in Hertogenwald loop from Unterstadt

6.35km

01:45

110m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

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Elevation 330 m

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Location: Baelen, Verviers, Liège, Wallonie, Wallonia, Belgium

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Trans-Hertogenwald Narrow-Gauge Railway Route

1. Parking and drinking water fountain – Lake Gileppe loop from Membach

2. View of the Gileppe Reservoir – Unique House in the Eifel loop from Unterstadt

3. Prussian Boundary Stone – Mining History in Hertogenwald loop from Unterstadt

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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