The East Cantons form the German-speaking Community of Belgium — a unique slice of Europe where 75,000 inhabitants speak German as their main language, tucked between Wallonia and the German + Luxembourg border. For wheelchair tourists, the East Cantons are a fairly undiscovered part of Belgium — less visited than the Flemish or Walloon cities, but with unique cultural and natural attractions.
In this guide: practical info on the East Cantons, their 11 municipalities, and what we know about wheelchair accessibility in the region.
The 11 municipalities of the East Cantons
The German-speaking Community covers 11 municipalities spread over two parts:
Eupen region (North):
- Eupen — capital (~20,000 inhabitants), seat of the parliament of the German-speaking Community
- Kelmis (La Calamine, formerly "Four-Country Point")
- Lontzen
- Raeren — pottery village with an international reputation
Sankt Vith region (South):
- Sankt Vith (Saint-Vith)
- Amel (Amblève)
- Büllingen (Bullange)
- Burg Reuland
- Bütgenbach (Butgenbach)
- Malmedy (officially part of the German-speaking Community as a municipality with facilities)
- Waimes (Weismes)
🏛️ Tourist Agency & Tourist Info
East Belgium Tourist Agency (based in Sankt Vith) coordinates tourism in the East Cantons. For wheelchair visitors, we recommend getting in direct contact for up-to-date accessibility info:
- Tourist Info Eupen — Markt centre, barrier-free accessible, brochures and local tips
- Tourist Info Sankt Vith — in the heart of Sankt Vith with brochures
- Official website: ostbelgien.eu
🏞️ Top accessible accommodations and visits
Camping Hohenbusch (Sankt Vith region)
Officially marked "wheelchair friendly" by East Cantons Tourism. For those who want a camping holiday with adapted facilities. Adapted paths, accessible sanitary facilities and adapted mobile-home options.
Eupen town centre
The centre of Eupen is fairly flat and largely paved — a good base for a day of sightseeing. The Parliament of the German-speaking Community (on the Kaperberg) is barrier-free as a public institution.
Sankt Vith town centre
Sankt Vith has a modern town core (rebuilt after WWII) — wide paved roads, barrier-free shopping street. Combine with a visit to the Tourist Info for accessible tips.
High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) — nature reserve
The Belgian high moor in the East Cantons is a protected natural area of international importance. Certain paths in the nature park are adapted — ask at the visitor centre for the adapted route. Not all paths are wheelchair accessible due to the natural peat soil.
Reinhardstein Castle (Robertville)
Romantic castle in Robertville (Waimes municipality). Partially adapted — ask at the reception in advance for the adapted route.
🍻 Beer culture — East Belgian heritage
The East Cantons have their own beer culture with local breweries. Brouwerij Bellevue (Eupen) is accessible by prior arrangement — call to plan your visit. Otherwise, many local beer cafés in Eupen and Sankt Vith are barrier-free accessible.
Practical tips for East Cantons visits
Communication: German is the main language, but French is understood everywhere and English in tourist areas. For those who do not speak German, French is the bridge language.
Transport: TEC PMR (Wallonia bus) serves large parts of the East Cantons. For longer distances between Eupen and Sankt Vith, your own car or a taxi is usually more practical than public transport.
Accommodation: Camping Hohenbusch as the official adapted option. For hotels: call the Tourist Info centre in advance for current accessible-room info in local Pensions and small hotels.
Combine with Wallonia: the East Cantons border Spa-Francorchamps (15 min from Eupen via Verviers) and Bouillon (90 min) — combine with a Spa citytrip or a Bouillon visit.
Highlights for cultural tourists:
- Festival des Saveurs (annual): regional food festival
- International Potters' Market Raeren: annually in July
- Karneval Eupen: February (German-Belgian carnival, with its own traditions)
For German visitors: the East Cantons are a safe first Belgian experience for German-speaking wheelchair travellers — their mother tongue is spoken, and Belgian wheelchair culture is actively coordinated via the Tourist Info centre.
Finally
The East Cantons are one of the most undiscovered parts of Belgian tourism for wheelchair users — less developed in terms of accessible infrastructure than Flanders or the Brussels hotspots, but with unique cultural values (German-speaking Community), beautiful nature (High Fens) and a quiet atmosphere without mass tourism.
For those who want to discover new Belgian experiences with respect for the local bilingual German-French culture, the East Cantons are a refreshing exploration.
Have you visited an East Canton spot where you'd like to share a point of attention or a positive surprise? Let us know — first-hand info about accessible places helps enormously for the next visitors.