Ruud Streefkerk

Hautes Fagnes means High Fens. A large part of this plateau consists of deposits of moor-peat. A part of it is still active, which means that peat-formation is still occurring. The plateau lies largely in the Ardennes and to a smaller extent in the Eifel and is bordered by Eupen in the north, Monschau in the east, Malmedy in the south and Spa in the west. With peaks just under 700 meters, it is the highest region in Belgium. Apart from peat bogs, the landscape consists of heath-land, sparse grasslands, meadows and lots of forest. In and around the scattered villages are characteristic farms, sometimes surrounded by meter-high beech hedges, which offer protection from wind and rain. For the amount of precipitation is high, rainfall here is the highest of the whole of Belgium, with an average of about 1500 mm per year.