Signal de Botrange

Signal de Botrange is the highest point in Wallonia and all of Belgium. It stands at 694 metres or 2,277 feet tall and is part of the High Fens area, known by different names such as Hautes Fagnes in French, Hohes Venn in German, and Hoge Venen in Dutch. This special place sits on a wide plateau, and a road goes right over the top, with a nearby café for visitors.

Signal de Botrange is also the tallest spot in the Ardennes mountains and in the European part of the Benelux countries. For many years, scientists had a weather station there to watch the climate. But since 1999, this work moved to a new automatic station on Mount Rigi, operated by the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium and the University of Liège.

At the summit, you can find a tall observation tower that is 6 metres or 20 feet high. There is also a big data relay station, 50 metres or 160 feet tall, helping to send information across the area. This high point is where several rivers begin their journey through the beautiful Ardennes region.

Climate

Signal de Botrange has stronger winds and colder temperatures than most places in Belgium. It is very rainy, with more than 200 days of rain each year. Snow can fall in late September and sometimes stays until mid-May. In winter, the area is a great spot to start cross-country skiing trips.

Towers and Transmitters

In 1923, a 6-metre (20-foot) tower called Baltia was built on the top of Signal de Botrange. This let visitors reach a height of 700 m (2,300 ft). Later, in 1933/34, a stone tower was built by François Fagnoul from Ovifat. It had a steel weather vane with the name SICCO CAMPO until World War II. Today, the tower also helps send out signals for Radio Contact, making its height about 718 m (2,356 ft).

In November 2013, a new 50-metre-high (160-foot) tower was added. It has parabolic antennas and helps London Stock Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange share information quickly using Microwave transmission. This is faster than sending data through Communications satellite or fibre optic cables, which can slow things down. The new tower was built right next to the old one, and it sends information in real time.

Hydrography

The area around the highest point in Belgium has several rivers that begin nearby. These rivers flow into a larger area called the Mosan basin. Some of these rivers include the Helle, Roer, and Schwarzbach to the north, Bayehon to the south, and Trôs Marets to the west.

Even though the Signal de Botrange is not a border between countries, it marks a place where language changes. To the south and west, people speak Romance languages, while to the north and east, people speak Germanic languages.