Verviers
Where Limberg, the district of Herve and the foothills of the Ardennes meet extends the industrial town of Verviers, on the slopes of the valley of the Vesdre which flows through it, about half way between Liège and Aachen. Fine civic buildings testify to the prosperity of the town when the woolen industry was flourishing; even today Verviers still has a textile technical school.
|
Must-see attractions nearby:
|
As well as the textile industry the production of leather goods, agriculture, paper and building materials are of importance. In addition tourism is playing an increasing role, for the town is the gateway to the scenically charming Herve region and to the Ardennes.
Verviers goes back to a Roman settlement called "Virovirus", but the settlement only acquired importance from 1651 when a charter was given to the town by the prince-bishop of Liège, and the increasing thriving of the woolen industry because of favorable conditions provided by water from the Vesdre and the proximity of sheep rearing areas in the Ardennes and the Eifel. The industrial revolution brought an unexpected impetus and the population rose from 20,000 in 1830 to 53,000 in 1900. Verviers was once the most important place in Europe for wool processing, but the world economic crisis in the 1930s put a stop to its prosperity.
Verviers goes back to a Roman settlement called "Virovirus", but the settlement only acquired importance from 1651 when a charter was given to the town by the prince-bishop of Liège, and the increasing thriving of the woolen industry because of favorable conditions provided by water from the Vesdre and the proximity of sheep rearing areas in the Ardennes and the Eifel. The industrial revolution brought an unexpected impetus and the population rose from 20,000 in 1830 to 53,000 in 1900. Verviers was once the most important place in Europe for wool processing, but the world economic crisis in the 1930s put a stop to its prosperity.
Related Attractions
Read More
Abbaye de Val-Dieu
Nestling picturesquely in the valley of the Berwinne is the Abbaye de Val-Dieu which is reached on a 15km/9.5mi drive via Thimister and Aubel north of Verviers. The abbey was founded around the year 1215 and was very prosperous. Of special interest in the present buildings, which are inhabited by Cistercians, are the refectory, the guest house of 1732 and the Renaissance choirstalls in the abbey church.
Town Hall
The traffic junction in the heart of Verviers on the left bank of the river is the Place Verte, from which the Crapaurue, the principal street, leads to the Hôtel de Ville in the Place du Marché which is flanked by beautiful Baroque and Roccoco houses. This freestanding building in the Classical style dates from the 18th C. and is one of the most elegant of its kind in Belgium. In front of the Town Hall is a perron (raised platform) dating from 1732.
