The municipality of Hürtgenwald (an officially recognized spa resort) is situated in the German-Belgian Hohes Venn-Eifel Nature Reserve. It was formed on July 1, 1969 following the voluntary amalgamation of seven previously independent administrative entities (Bergstein, Brandenberg, Gey, Großhau, Hürtgen, Kleinhau, and Straß). Hürtgenwald achieved its current size on January 1, 1972. As part of the municipal boundary reform it amalgamated with Vossenack (formerly part of the county of Monschau).