Signal de Botrange

Signal de Botrange is the highest point in Belgium and in the entire Ardennes mountain range, located on the broad plateau of the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) in the eastern part of the country, near the village of Ovifat. It holds a special place among European hiking destinations: it's part of the Seven Summits of Europe-style "Country High Points" lists, which draws peak-baggers and casual walkers alike who want to tick off the highest spot in each European country.

Why is the summit's height partly artificial?

The natural elevation of the terrain here falls just short of the symbolic 700-metre mark. To close that gap, a six-metre observation tower was built on the summit in 1923, effectively raising the highest point of Belgium to an even 700 metres above sea level. It's an unusual solution: instead of nature providing the round number, engineering did — and visitors can literally climb a short staircase to stand at that symbolic elevation.

A second structure followed in 1934, when a communications tower was erected at the site. Its top reaches 718 metres above sea level, making it the tallest structure in this part of Belgium. The tower still serves a telecommunications function today, but it has also become a landmark visible from a considerable distance across the open plateau, helping hikers orient themselves in the surrounding moorland.

What does the High Fens plateau actually look like?

Signal de Botrange isn't a dramatic, sharply rising peak in the classic mountain sense — it's the highest point of a wide, open plateau covered in heathland and peat bogs. A road actually crosses the summit, and next to it sits a café, a natural stopping point for hikers and cyclists exploring the surrounding trails. The stark, open landscape of the High Fens is quite different from typical alpine scenery: instead of rocky ridgelines, visitors find sweeping moorland that can turn foggy and challenging in autumn and winter, despite the relatively modest absolute altitude.

The area belongs to the Ardennes, a range stretching across eastern Belgium, Luxembourg, and northern France, known for dense forests and rolling terrain. Signal de Botrange is also the highest point in the European part of the Benelux countries, underlining just how significant this single spot is on the regional map, despite its unassuming height compared to true alpine mountains.

Frequently asked questions

What is the exact height of Signal de Botrange? The natural terrain elevation is 694 metres. Thanks to the six-metre observation tower built in 1923, the symbolic summit point reaches an even 700 metres above sea level, while the communications tower built in 1934 tops out at 718 metres.

Where exactly is Signal de Botrange located? It sits in the High Fens range in eastern Belgium, near the village of Ovifat, at coordinates 50.5017 N, 6.0931 E.

Is Signal de Botrange really the highest point in Belgium? Yes — it is the highest point in both Belgium as a whole and the region of Wallonia, as well as the highest summit in the Ardennes and the highest point in the European part of the Benelux countries.

Can you drive to the summit? Yes, a road crosses directly over the summit, making the site easy to reach without a long climb, unlike many other country high points around Europe.