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Natural Monuments

Wallonie

Section with Vennwacken, witnesses of the last Ice Age

Natural Monuments

Wallonie

Section with Vennwacken, witnesses of the last Ice Age

Highlight (Segment) • Natural Monument

Section with Vennwacken, witnesses of the last Ice Age

Name: Section with Vennwacken, witnesses of the last Ice Age
Rating: 2

Recommended by 46 hikers

This Highlight goes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Parc naturel des Hautes-Fagnes – Eifel

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

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Best Hiking Routes to Section with Vennwacken, witnesses of the last Ice Age

4.9

(123)

350

hikers

1. Rapids of the Warche – Bridge Over the Bayehon Stream loop from Robertville

19.3km

05:29

400m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

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Expert

4.7

(33)

301

hikers

2. Great panoramic view – Peat Path loop from Longfaye

5.52km

01:28

60m

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

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Easy

4.6

(16)

160

hikers

3. Peat Path – Great panoramic view loop from Sourbrodt

10.7km

02:58

180m

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

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Intermediate

Tips

Bernd 🌲🦌🍄🥾

July 27, 2022

The boulders that protrude here and there from the grass and appear lost and strange in the marshy surroundings raise the question of their origin. The colors of the stones vary from gray-blue to black and are often crossed by white veins. They come from the first geological era of the Cambrian and are marine deposits from 500 million years ago that have undergone a transformation process over the course of Earth's history and finally form today's very hard so-called Vennwacke. They came to the surface during the ice ages. At that time, the ground of the High Fens was permanently frozen to a depth of 10m and only in summer did the ground on the surface thaw. However, as soon as the condensation water in the upper clay layers reached a certain degree of saturation, flowing earth developed even at low slopes, which also carried away the blasted quartzite blocks from the existing rock formations. Due to the frequent alternating periods of frost and thaw, more and more Vennwackes accumulated in the upper layers of the earth and finally emerged to the surface of the earth. Depending on their size and shape, the Vennwacken were carried by the flowing earth to different distances. While rubble-like accumulations of smaller Vennwackes reached the valleys, the larger ones remained on the ridges of the High Fens.

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R.Bungartz

April 30, 2023

On this section of the path you can see these large boulders on both sides again and again. These quartzite sandstone blocks were formed 500 million years ago, exposed by erosion and displaced by glacial soil movement. One of the most well-known Vennwacken is Kaiser Karl's bedstead near Mutzenich.

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Peter 🥾🐾🌲

October 25, 2025

The trail passes through a landscape that still clearly bears the marks of the last ice age. The Vennwacken are large, rounded boulders of quartzite and other rocks, transported and deposited in the region by ice and meltwater. Along the trail, you can see these boulders, witnesses to the cold climate that prevailed here thousands of years ago. Today, they form a striking contrast with the soft shapes of the current peat and forest landscape of the High Fens. The trail combines geological history with natural beauty and offers a fascinating view of the landscape.

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Details

Informations

Distance 359 m

Downhill 20 m

Weather

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Wednesday 5 November

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Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

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

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Section with Vennwacken, witnesses of the last Ice Age

1. Rapids of the Warche – Bridge Over the Bayehon Stream loop from Robertville

2. Great panoramic view – Peat Path loop from Longfaye

3. Peat Path – Great panoramic view loop from Sourbrodt

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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