Located at the confluence of the Vesdre and Hill rivers, Eupen is a commercial and industrial town. Its heyday came in the 17th and 18th centuries, thanks to the cloth industry. After being annexed to Prussia and then Germany, Eupen became Belgian in 1920 under the Treaty of Versailles. A welcoming city, the capital of Ostbelgien, the German-speaking Community of Belgium, boasts a rich historical heritage, magnificent natural surroundings and excellent gastronomy.
At an altitude of between 250 and 350 meters, Eupen is made up of two parts: the upper town (Oberstadt), where the historic center and shops are located, and the lower town (Understadt), on the banks of the Vesdre river. Its sumptuous Baroque mansions, churches and fountains make it one of the region's main tourist attractions.
East Belgium
The capital of Belgium's German-speaking Community, Eupen is one of Belgium's nine German-speaking communes. It lies just a few kilometers from Aachen in Germany, to which it belonged before the First World War.
Today, East Belgium is a federated entity of the Belgian state, with its own government, its own parliament, based in Eupen, and even its own public media. Don't miss a visit to the IKOB, the only art museum in the German-speaking Community of Belgium, whose collection is devoted to contemporary art.
Industrial heritage
At the end of the 17th century, Eupen enjoyed international renown for its high-quality fabrics and sheets. Ultra-modern dyeing, spinning and weaving companies, grouped together in an industrial district, flourished. This major economic boom led to the creation of new roads, necessary for the trade of products, and the construction of numerous infrastructures.
In the 18th century, wealthy merchant families from the textile industry built magnificent mansions. Take advantage of your run to discover these splendid Mosan-style residences in the streets of the lower and upper towns.
The garden city
The town of Eupen is in the immediate vicinity of two exceptional nature reserves: the Hertogenwald (Duke's Forest) and the Hautes Fagnes-Eifel Nature Park. These unspoilt natural areas offer a wealth of walking opportunities and varied, sublime landscapes. The town is also just a few kilometers from Belgium's largest man-made lake, which supplies the town with drinking water thanks to the impressive Vesdre dam.
The downtown area also abounds in parks and green spaces, ideal for strolling. Your stroll will take you to Parc de l'Est, an "edible" forest of fruit trees and berry bushes, and Parc Loten, which forms the boundary between the Upper and Lower Towns.
Run, walk or cycle with JOOKS, from St. Nicholas Church to Moorenhöhe Park!
Find all the routes in the city of Eupen and over 1300 others on the JOOKS application.
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