hedge landscape
Another type of hedges cutting through the landscape around towns and villages are the so-called cattle hedges. Lining the pastures in place of barbed wire, they provide ideal protection to the animals when Eifel storms rage over the plains.
Höfen and its hedges
Höfen is one of the villages of Monschau. Original there had been only a few farms, and that's also where the name come from (Höfe = farms). The village is mostly known for its hedges, although you can see similar ones also in other villages nearby. There's a special "Heckenweg" (hedges path) through the village, where you can see many of these beechwood hedges which are all well maintainted. It's really interesting to see these high hedges, with their gates and windows! And you also will see some old houses - half-timbered houses or thatched houses.
There are two versions of the "Heckenweg", a short and a long one. The short one is pretty even and only goes through the village, so it's suitable for wheelchair users; the longer one is 5,2 km with a level difference of 51 m and will go through the field also. The "Heckenweg" is well signposted, if you want to take the short one follow the signs that say "Leichte Strecke".