Monschau Hedge Land

Also within the region are parts of the municipalities of Simmerath - for example, the villages of Eicherscheid and Kesternich - as well as Roetgen.

The treeless uplands of the Eifel (at around 500 metres) east of the High Fens in Germany's border region with Belgium are exposed to strong - and in winter, ice-cold - west winds; this is even reflected in the name of Kalterherberg (kalt = "cold").

The laying of protective hedges made of beech in the Monschau Land is recorded from the late 17th century.

There are annual awards in October, made by an evaluation commission in the region of Aachen, for the most creative hedge gardeners in the municipalities of Monschau, Simmerath and Roetgen.

The Eifel Club, together with the German-Belgian Nature Park and the town of Monschau issues the flyer "Das Monschauer Heckenland".

Typical beech hedge in Höfen
Typical field boundary of beech hedging (Fagus sylvatica) in the North Eifel. At regular distances upright stems are left standing.