The treeless uplands of the Eifel 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. The laying of protective hedges made of beech in the Monschau Land is recorded from the late 17th century. They grow to a size of 0.7 to 1 metre thick and 6 to 10 metres high and are thus higher than the houses in places; they can be over 40 metres long. The hedges are given stability by a careful interweaving of stems and branches and regularly trimming. The hedges retain their withered leaves from the preceding year until the following spring and thus provide wind protection throughout the winter; in summer by contrast they provide shade and have a cooling effect. Openings in the shape of archways give access to the houses. Many hedges also have "window openings"; there is thus a variety of shapes among the roughly 1,000 examples. In the 21st century the historic hedges also have an aesthetic significance and on contemporary houses there are many imitations of the hedges. Annually in October there are awards by an evaluation commission in the region of Aachen for the most creative hedge gardeners in the municipalities of Monschau, Simmerath and Roetgen.
Field hedges
Field hedges instead of fences or barbed wire to protect fields from damage from nearby grazing cattle are widespread across the whole of the Monschau Land. They are typically made from beech. At regular intervals individual stems are allowed to stand, that grow into large trees. As well as their protective enclosure function they act as windbreaks. By reducing the wind speed, soil erosion is minimised and the fields protected from drying out. The hedges also provide habitats for rodents and resting sites for migrating birds. The wood of the pleached trees is still widely used today for firewood.
Tourism
The Eifel Club, together with the German-Belgian Nature Park and the town of Monschau issues the flyer "Das Monschauer Heckenland". Around Höfen, a circular walk, the ca. 5-kilometre long Höfen Hedge Way has been laid out, with 10 information stations. Between the Eifelsteig trail and the village of Eicherscheid runs the so-called Hedgeland Route, a premium trail that gives an insight into the hedge landscape in and around Eicherscheid.
