Wallonie

Verviers

Spa

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

Wallonie

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

Highlight • Natural Monument

Palsas, pingos, and thufur:

Hiking

4.8

(47)

Gravel riding

5.0

(1)

This Highlight is in a protected area

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Location: Spa, Verviers, Liège, Wallonie, Wallonia, Belgium

Tips

May 18, 2022

Hiking

Palsas are reminiscent of pingos in their shape, but are significantly smaller. They usually reach a height of about 1 to 10 meters and can extend over a length of around 15 to 150 meters.

This striking landform is a so-called palsen. The characteristic hills were formed in the High Fens towards the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 to 11,000 years ago. During the cold periods at that time, the moist subsoil froze deeply. Due to the freezing and the associated expansion of the soil, the surface gradually bulged into a frost mound.

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Bernd 🌲🦌🍄🥾

September 29, 2023

Hiking

At first glance, they look like small, inconspicuous hills in the terrain: Thufure are rounded to oval elevations covered with plants, made of fine-grained soil. Mostly, these soil humps have a diameter of about 0.5 to 2 meters and reach a height of approximately 0.5 to 1 meter. Their formation is not dependent on permanent permafrost. Even the seasonal frost that recurs during the year can contribute to the formation of these characteristic soil forms.

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Peter 🥾🐾🌲

October 23, 2025

Hiking

Palsas are small, rounded mounds in peat bogs with a core of frozen soil, formed by frost action in permafrost-like conditions. They are typically found in colder climates and in …

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