Konzen-Malmedy-Konzen 95 km

Cycling trip for the racing bike from Konzen to Malmedy and back. For the first 39 km, the route follows two cycling paths on former railway tracks: the Vennbahn and Ravel Ligne 45 Waimes-Malmedy. These cycling tracks are void of any steep ascents or descents. From Malmedy you follow roads through the Hautes Fagnes/Hohes Venn nature reserve and surroundings back to Konzen. In this stretch, there are some steeper roads, notably the Côte de la Ferme Libert in Bevercé. The route offers beautiful and quiet scenery in the Hautes Fagnes and surrounding countryside with moors, river valleys, hills, pasture and woods, as well as a stretch near the Francorchamps racing circuit, abandoned railway stations and villages. See www.vennbahn.eu and www.ravel.wallonie.be for more information on the cycling tracks. The cycling trip is completely paved, apart from 200 m of semi-paved road in the Hautes Fagnes (see waypoint), which can easily be negotiated on the racing bike. There are also 23 km on quiet forest roads in the Hautes Fagnes area, which are ideal for their quietness, nature experience and absence of cars, but do have stretches with loose gravel on or weeds coming through the asphalt.
The trip starts in Konzen, where there is a large parking lot next to the Vennbahn (see waypoint). You follow the Vennbahn cycling path via among others Monschau, Kalterherberg, and Sourbrodt stations to Waimes. Here, you follow another cycling path (Ravel Ligne 45, see waypoint) to Malmedy. In Malmedy you leave the former railway track and cycle to Bevercé on the N68 Malmedy-Eupen road (during my trip part there were road works here, but the road was not closed). Here you climb the steep Côte de la Ferme Libert (see waypoint) to the top station of the drag lift: in summer you will find cyclists here in the Bike Park descending the VTT-piste and ascending with the lift. From the top of the Ferme Libert you go towards Francorchamps where you cycle parallel to the Formula-1 circuit on the N62 for 2 km. You only see glimpses of the circuit as well as the camping place at the entrance. From here you ascend slowly to Hockai, and then on to the Route de l’Ancienne Douane in the direction of Mont on the N68. From here the route takes you through wood and rural scenery to Ovifat, with one climb from the Ruisseau de Bayehon valley. From Ovifat, you take forest roads through the Haute Fagnes nature area (see waypoints) back to Konzen. You first cross the Rur/Roer river (see waypoint) and then follow 23 km of forest roads through moors and woods with great view towards Botrange and Baraque Michel. On approximately the highest point, there is 200 meter semi-paved road, which is difficult to avoid, but not a big problem for a racing bike. There is about 2 km of N69 Eupen-Monschau road in this part of the route as well.
There are several opportunities along the Vennbahn and Ravel cycling paths and in Malmedy to eat or drink something, but between Malmedy and Konzen, you will find it hard to find something. Your best bet on that stretch are two restaurants in Hockai: you then need to deviate from the route and cycle to the junction in the center of the village (e.g. Le Randonneur tavern).
The cycling paths are great: smooth asphalt, beautiful surroundings and no cars, apart from the road crossings. The route: Konzen/ Monschau/ Kalterherberg- Küchelscheid/ Sourbrodt- Bôsfagne/ Weywertz/ Faymonville/ Waimes/ Malmedy/ Bevercé/ Bernister/ Burnenville/ Ster/ Hockai/ Mont/ Xhoffraix/ Longfaye/ Ovifat/ Sourbrodt/ Küchelscheid/ Konzen.