SPA

Tourist Tips:

Belgium is at the crossroads of Europe, both geographically and culturally; for 2,000 years it has been a pathway for the vast cultural shifts that have moved across the continent. Consequently, Belgium is one of Europe's true melting pots. Politically, during its history, Belgium has been part of the Low Countries, which also comprises the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Due to its varied terrain it is a great place for mountain biking, hiking and outdoor pursuits.

Hautes Fagnes:

An upland area in the province of Liège (Belgium) and nearby parts of Germany, between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. Its highest point, at 694 m above sea level, is the Signal de Botrange near Eupen, which is also the highest point in Belgium. A large part of the Hautes Fagnes lies within the German-Belgian natural park Hohes Venn-Eifel.

The Hautes Fagnes consist mainly of moorland and forest, and stretch between Eupen in the north, Monschau in the east, Spa in the west and Malmedy in the south. It is a very rainy (1500-1700 mm per year) and swampy region.

Ardennes:

Much of the Ardennes is covered in dense forests, with hills averaging around 350-500 m (1148-1640 ft) in height but rising to over 650 m (2132 ft) in the boggy moors of the Hautes Fagnes (Hohes Venn) region of north-eastern Belgium. The region is typified by steep-sided valleys carved by fast-flowing rivers, the most prominent of which is the Meuse. Its principal cities, Liège and Namur, are both in the Meuse valley. The Ardennes is otherwise relatively sparsely populated.

The region took its name from the ancient Arduenna Silva, a vast forest in Roman times that stretched from the Sambre river in Belgium to the Rhine in Germany. The modern Ardennes covers a much smaller area.

To really enjoy the Ardennes you should choose the small roads, and discover its wonderful castles, monasteries and country inns where you can stop for a treat of trout fresh out of the stream, or for the adventurous, a piece of juicy wild boar. To sample all the cheeses and beers of the region is serious work.

Liege:

Liège is one of the oldest cities in Belgium, settled in Roman times and first recorded in writing in 558. It was a major intellectual and ecclesiastical centre during the Middle Ages and was renowned for its many churches (the oldest of which, St Martin's, dates from 682). The city, and the surrounding province, was ruled by a prince-bishop. Although nominally subject to the King of France, in practice it possessed a large degree of independence.

Malmady Monastery:

It dates from 1708 and the west wing was highly damaged during the disaster in December 1944.  It was there that a great number of inhabitants of Malmedy and American soldiers were killed.  In front of the monastery three monuments are erected in the memory of the military victims of the two world wars.  In the garden next to the ancient parsonage on a trunk is the medallion of the landscape-painter Jan Nicolas Ponsart, a friend of Madou.

Malmady Cathedral:

Built as an abbey from 1775 on, it was dedicated to the saints Peter, Paul and Quirin on the 5th September 1784.  After becoming parish in 1819 it was raised to the rank of a cathedral between 1920 and 1925 and diocese of Eupen-Malmedy, during the short government of Baltia.  The main altar is made of marble and dates from 1877.  The marble altar of the holy virgin dates from 1773.  The pulpit and the four confessionals date from 1770.  The cathedral contains relics from saint Quirin.  The church-windows are also worth having a look at, they were replaced after the bombing of December 1944.  The bell-tower dates from 1786 and is composed of 35 bells founded by Martin Legros from Malmedy.

On the right of the cathedral in the abbey park, there is a memorial dedicated to the civil victims of the bombings of December 1944 during the Battle of the bulge.  On five columns there are 219 names.

Stavelot Abbaye:

Stavelot is situated in the midst of protected natural surroundings, not far from the Hautes-Fagnes nature reserve, on the edge of the Amblève river, close to the famous Coo waterfall and the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack. The town is renowned for its local traditions and its celebrated folk group, the Blancs Moussis, and enchants its visitors with the charm of its picturesque lanes, Saint-Remacle square and its outstanding heritage.

The key building period corresponds to the reign of the abbot Poppon. The plan of that period essentially continued to serve its dual purpose as a monastic church and a church of pilgrimage until the end of C18th. Preceded by an imposing tower restored in 1534, but of which only the ground floor, measuring 15 m high, remains, the nave (partly excavated) leads to the monks chancel and to the chancel reconstructed through archaeological research.

After having visited the Museum of the Principality and having virtually entered the abbey church using the latest 3-D technologies, the visitor can really stroll from the transept to the chancel, from the nave to the crypt to feel the imposing presence of the walls, which disappeared after the French Revolution.

The Abbey was completely renovated by the Walloon Region between 1999 and 2002 for a sum of 16,000,000. The architects restored its cloister to the monastery by building a new wing made of glass and stainless steel on the foundations and within the same proportions of the fourth wing destroyed after the French Revolution.

Chateau de Jehay:

The Castle of Jehay-Bodegnée, 11,5 km from Huy, is striking for its colourful checkerboard pattern. This architectural motif is unique in Belgium and is carried through even in the cellars. The light-coloured large blocks alternate with the smaller, darker blocks of the walls.

This castle is a typical example of a fortified residence of a Mosan Lord. It is built in a large pond on piles of old Roman foundations. The beautifully preserved entrance pavilion is from the 16th century. On the outside, the checkerboard facades with two round corner towers have kept their 15th century Gothic appearance. The interior facades, however, were rebuilt in the Mosan renaissance style of the 16th century, the period from which the sturdy tower dates. The manor, with its rich collection of art and furniture can be visited during the summer months. Count Guy van den Steen de Jehay was a speleologist and an archaeologist. His discoveries and excavations are displayed in the Gothic cellars.

Other sightseeing suggestions:

• Spa
• Citadel of Namur
• American memorial at Baugnez
• Atomium Brussels
• Grand Place Brussels
• Menin Gate Ypres
• Medieval Bruges
• Bastogne
• Waterloo
• Liege Curtis Museum
• Tournai tapestry & fine art museum 

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