Discover Sourbrodt: Vennbahn, nature trails and places of remembrance

Sourbrodt combines the history of a former railway line with trails through the Fagne and unusual places of remembrance. The Vennbahn is a 125-kilometre cycle route along a former railway line that crosses Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg and passes Sourbrodt station. This gives you a clear choice when planning your trip: would you like to explore the area by bike, take a walking tour or discover traces of railway, cultural and wartime history? A holiday apartment or holiday home in Sourbrodt may be an interesting base if these different experiences suit your holiday.

Vennbahn, station and railbike experiences

The Vennbahn was transformed into a green trail for walks and cycle tours along the former railway line. This makes Sourbrodt the focal point of a route that combines physical activity with railway history. The “Between the Vennbahn and the Rur” cycle tour follows the Vennbahn to Sourbrodt. Another tour with the same name leaves the Vennbahn behind Sourbrodt’s well-preserved station building and continues towards the Rur.

Those who would like to try an unusual way of getting around can ride railbike draisines between Kalterherberg and Sourbrodt. This option complements classic walks and cycle tours with an experience on the former railway line. When choosing your accommodation, it is therefore worth considering whether your trip will be shaped mainly by days spent cycling, walks or the station’s historic character.

Walking trails through the Fagne

The “Dans la Fagne de Sourbrodt” walking trail explores the flora and fauna around the Rour. The route also leads to a former peat extraction site and to remnants of the war from 1940 to 1945. It can begin at Sourbrodt station or at the de la Rour car park. This allows you to consider two different starting points when planning your day without losing sight of the trail’s thematic variety.

The “Vers la Fagne Wallonne” walking trail offers a different perspective. It begins at the de la Rour car park in Sourbrodt and leads to the Maison du Parc in Botrange. Along the way, the trail passes through woodland to the entrance of a state nature reserve with extensive heathland and ling-heath areas. Families who would like to combine observing nature with an outing can therefore focus on specific landscape impressions: woodland, heathland and the flora and fauna around the Rour.

Culture and places of remembrance in the village

Sourbrodt can also be discovered through its monuments and historical traces. In the centre, a memorial stele commemorates the comic artist Didier Comès (1942–2013). The Nicolas Pietkin Monument is a seven-metre-high stele made of bluestone, topped by a group in greenish bronze depicting the Capitoline Wolf. In the Rue de Botrange, the monument commemorates Sourbrodt’s parish priest and his commitment to Romance culture during the Prussian Kulturkampf.

The railway heritage includes the two signal boxes next to the former station. They feature architecture typical of the Prussian era and are considered the two oldest signal boxes in Belgium. Other places of remembrance include the aviator memorial for the crew of a British bomber shot down in 1943 and the Kimmer Monument. It commemorates the first Belgian civilian victim of the Second World War, on 10 May 1940.

Which accommodation suits your plans

When looking for accommodation in Sourbrodt, you can use the focus of your holiday as a guide. The Vennbahn and the railbike draisines are ideal for days centred on the former railway line. The two walking trails offer different focuses, with nature, woodland, heathland and ling-heath areas, as well as historical traces. Those who also wish to include cultural destinations will find several monuments in the village and railway heritage around the former station. Your choice of holiday apartment or holiday home can therefore be guided by the experiences you would like to combine during your stay.

If you would like to compare other places for your trip planning, you can also find Robertville, Faymonville and Ovifat here.

For the overarching travel overview: Waimes.