Hike the Valley of Bayehon – 24 km Loop via Reinhardstein Castle & Warche Valley

This hike in the valleys of the Bayehon and Warche river will take you along some of the most scenic views around Malmedy in The High Fens, East-Belgium. Most of the time you will be walking next to the river which flows through some beautiful valleys and hills. Passing by the Reinhardstein castle into the Warche Valley will make this hike even more epic!

Answer Summary

Epic 24 km loop hike near Malmedy, combining the Bayehon and Warche valleys in the Belgian High Fens. Expect forests, rivers, small waterfalls, the stunning Reinhardstein Castle, and scenic viewpoints like Nez de Napoléon. Trails are easy to follow with a GPX track. Bring snacks — there’s only one restaurant on the route.

Quick Facts

• Distance: 24.3 km (loop hike)
• Elevation gain: ~800 m
• Difficulty: Moderate to hard (long distance)
• Time: 5h25 (Strava)
• Start/Parking: Auberge de Jeunesse, Route d’Eupen 36, 4960 Malmedy
• Highlights: Bayehon Valley, Reinhardstein Castle, Warche Valley, Nez de Napoléon viewpoint
• GPX: Download
• Best season: April–October
• Tip: Bring food — restaurant availability is limited

Alternative title: How I survived a 25 kilometer hike on 2 chocolate waffles.

Hike Description

Distance: The total distance for this hike is 24,3 kilometers (loop hike)
Elevation gain: The total incline was 800 meters
Moving time: According to Strava my moving time was 5 hours and 25 minutes.
Difficulty: I would rate this as a medium hard hike. The trails are not very technical but because of the distance it might be a bit demanding, especially in hot weather.
Address parking: BEVERCE Auberge de Jeunesse, Route d’Eupen 36, 4960 Malmedy. This is not a public parking but I asked around and nobody seem to have a problem with me parking my car there. The parking is rather small but I’m sure you can find some other spots in the neighborhood. As you’re likely to start off pretty early it should be possible to find a spot.

Easier is to use the pinned location on the Google map below and navigate straight to the start. 

How to get to Bevercé in Malmedy?

The best way to get to Bevercé is by using your own car. This is a small town in the High Fens in Belgium so getting there with public transportation is rather difficult. You would have to take a train to Verviers station then get on a bus to Malmedy and then take another bus to Bevercé. If you come with public transportation I would recommend staying in the area for a few days so you have the whole day for this hike.

With the car it is about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get from Brussels to Bevercé in Malmedy.

To get to Bevercé from Brussels with the train and bus it takes about 2 hours and 47 minutes depending on the transfer times.

What is the easiest way to hike the Bayehon Valley in Malmedy?

Generally speaking for all hikes, the easiest way is to download a gpx file. You can view such a file on a gps device, a smartphone or smartwatch. It will tell you step-by-step how to walk. It also includes an elevation profile which can help you to decide if this hike is for you or not. All the hikes on this blog are being tracked on Strava (sports tracking smartphone application) and Wikiloc (community based hiking smartphone application).

For this route in particular I would definitely recommend to use a gpx viewer. It’s a mix of different routes so following signs only is impossible.

Download the GPX file right here: bayehon-valley-reinhardstein-castle.gpx

Another hike that is similar in length with many beautiful viewpoints is Best hike in Bouillon Belgium is the 14 Panorama route (28 km)

How was hiking in the valley of the Bayehon river?

I didn’t really know what to expect of the Malmedy region. The race track from Spa Francorchamps is somewhere here, that I knew. Also I did some smaller hikes like the hike around the Gileppe lake in the region. And I visited the Reinhardstein castle and Barrage de Robertville a few years back. Apart from these visits I never explored much of the area.

The hike starts at a chapel called Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bevercé…

FAQ

• Where does this hike start?
  At the Auberge de Jeunesse in Bevercé, near Malmedy. Use the pinned Google Maps location for easy navigation.
• How hard is this hike?
  Moderate to hard due to the 24 km distance and 800 m elevation gain. The terrain itself is manageable.
• Can I eat along the route?
  There’s only one restaurant halfway (Le Moulin du Bayehon), so bring snacks or lunch.
• Is Reinhardstein Castle worth visiting?
  Definitely — it’s a medieval castle above the Warche river with stunning views and activities like archery and dining.
• When is the best season?
  April through October for good weather and accessible trails.
• How long does it take?
  Expect around 6–7 hours total, including breaks and photo stops.