The High Fens, upland bog

The High Fens aren't a forest but an open plateau. You walk on wooden boardwalks because the ground beneath is peat, and it takes years for a footstep to disappear. On a clear day you can see for miles, and half an hour later a fog can roll in where you can just barely make out the next marker post. The highest point in Belgium is right here, at 694 meters, and nothing stops the wind.

For a group, that's what this destination is all about. You never walk here without agreeing on who stays at the back. The boardwalks are wide enough for two people side by side, so a group of twenty stretches out over a hundred meters. At the Botrange visitor center, groups of ten or more can get a guided tour, and it's worth it, because a guide sees things in the bog that you won't. In spring, parts of the Fagne Wallonne are closed off for nesting birds, so check the closures before you leave. Always bring rain gear, because the weather on the bog turns quickly. In winter you can cross-country ski here when there's enough snow, and in summer you walk through purple heather.