The Ardennes
Fronted by stubby twin towers, Malmédy's massive 1784 cathedral provides a dominating if slightly dour centrepiece to the town.
Founded as the church of a 10th-century abbey, the original was burnt down during French attacks in 1689 and the current structure had only recently been re-erected when the monasteries were swept away in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Afterwards it was used as a tannery workshop for a while before being reconsecrated in 1818.
24.18 MILES
It’s impossible to overestimate the significance of Aachen’s magnificent cathedral. The burial place of Charlemagne, it’s where more than 30 German kings…
22.44 MILES
For one of the best industrial-experience tours you'll find anywhere, don a hard hat, jump in the cage lift and descend through a pitch-black moment into…
13.83 MILES
Playing a 21st-century Willy Wonka, one of Belgium’s foremost chocolatiers has turned his modern factory into a superb interactive museum experience. Walk…
25.74 MILES
The standout attraction at Clervaux' reconstructed 12th-century castle is Edward Steichen's Unesco World Heritage-listed photography exhibition Family of…
24.82 MILES
Splendid Grand Curtius unites four disparate museum collections in the former mansion-warehouse of a 16th-century Liège arms dealer. The building's red…
24.2 MILES
Aachen's cathedral treasury is a veritable mother lode of gold, silver and jewels. Of particular importance are the silver-and-gold bust of Charlemagne…
24.87 MILES
Arguably Liège's most fascinating church, this architectural hotchpotch was founded in 1015 and retains a heavily patched-up 1170 west end whose…
Liège-Guillemins Train Station
24.5 MILES
Liège's main train station, around 2km south of the centre, is an incredible 2009 icon designed by Santiago Calatrava. Great for semi-abstract landscape…
0.04 MILES
In the covered former abbey cloisters beside Malmédy's cathedral, this cultural centre/museum hosts temporary exhibitions to pad out a city-history…
3.75 MILES
The very picturesque Château de Reinhardstein was built in 1354 and restored to archetypal fortress appearance in 1969. Entry is by 75-minute guided tours…
4.84 MILES
The once-gigantic church of the Stavelot-Malmédy prince-abbots was destroyed in the aftermath of the French Revolution. But behind the archaeological…
4.9 MILES
Behind a slightly shabby facade, this 1754 baroque church contains the truly magnificent sarcophagus of St-Remacle, a 1268 masterpiece of gilded metalwork…
5.58 MILES
A possible starting point for hikes, this impressive information centre 200m west of the Eupen–Bütenbach road has a big hooded fire hearth, a cafe serving…
5.94 MILES
Signal de Botrange, 5km north of Ovifat, is Belgium’s highest point, though at 694m that's not saying much. From the road, the only eye-catching feature…
8.42 MILES
The restored, octagonal-fronted stone building hosting the tourist office was the site of Spa’s original springs. It was renamed for Russian tsar Peter…
8.45 MILES
Spa had the 'world’s first’ casino in 1763, and the 19th-century incarnation here now forms part of a grand central trio of neoclassical buildings, along…