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Natural Monuments

Wallonie

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

Natural Monuments

Wallonie

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

Highlight • Natural Monument

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

Recommended by 44 hikers out of 46

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Parc naturel des Sources

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

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Best Hikes to Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

4.7

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1. Bérinzenne Parking Area – Berinzenne Observation Tower loop from Creppe

4.39km

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

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4.6

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2. Berinzenne Observation Tower – Pouhon Pia loop from Spa

10.4km

03:01

280m

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

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Intermediate

4.9

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3. Berinzenne Observation Tower – Étang de Bérinzenne loop from Creppe

7.64km

02:07

140m

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

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Intermediate

Tips

Bernd 🌲🦌🍄🥾

May 18, 2022

Palsas are very similar to pingos in their morphology and formation, but are significantly smaller than pingos, with heights between around 1 and 10 meters and lengths between around 15 and 150 meters.
This picture shows a so-called Palsen.
The palsen or pingos in the High Fens emerged around 10,000 to 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. When the ground froze deep in the cold winters of the Ice Age, the wet ground expanded and frost hills developed. Over the years these mounds grew and the soil material on top slid to the side of the mounds, over time forming a ring-shaped wall around the frost mound. With the end of the Ice Age, the ice melted, the frost hill sank and the wall remained intact. The water in the middle is called bog scour or bog eye.
Source: euchio-im-bild.de/fotos/palsen-im-brackvenn-bei-m-tzenich.html

Translated by Google •

Bernd 🌲🦌🍄🥾

September 29, 2023

Thufure is the name given to “rounded to oval, vegetation-covered peaks with a core rich in fine material.” (Baumhauer et. al. 2017, p. 122)
They can be seen in the landscape as humps of fine earth with a diameter of 0.5 to 2 meters and a height of 0.5 to 1 meter. Unlike pingos and palsas, their appearance is not tied to permafrost, as they can already form during seasonal frost.
Source: geohilfe.de/physische-geographie/geomorphologie/periglaziale-formung/periglaziale- Formen-eiskeile-pingos-palsas-und-thufure

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Peter 🥾🐾🌲

October 23, 2025

Palsas are small, rounded mounds in peat bogs with a core of frozen soil, formed by frost action in permafrost-like conditions. They are typically found in colder climates and in peatlands with varying freeze-thaw cycles.
Pingos resemble palsas but are usually larger and are formed when water freezes beneath the surface, forming an ice lens that pushes upward, creating a cone-shaped mound. Pingos can reach tens of meters in height.
Thufurs are water-filled pits or depressions formed in the ground by the melting or collapse of ice. They are characteristic of periglacial regions and can occur in bogs.
The Fagne de Malchamps, located at an altitude of approximately 575 meters, is a raised bog-like natural area where these landforms sometimes occur, shaped by the unique cold climate and peaty soil. The Fagne de Malchamps is also protected as a nature reserve of great biological importance and is characterized by wet heathlands and peat bogs. This area contributes to the water system where Spa's famous mineral water is extracted.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 550 m

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Wednesday 5 November

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

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Fagne de Malchamps

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

1. Bérinzenne Parking Area – Berinzenne Observation Tower loop from Creppe

2. Berinzenne Observation Tower – Pouhon Pia loop from Spa

3. Berinzenne Observation Tower – Étang de Bérinzenne loop from Creppe

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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