Monschau

Geography

The town is located in the hills of the North Eifel, within the Hohes Venn – Eifel Nature Park in the narrow valley of the Rur river.

The historic town center has many preserved half-timbered houses and narrow streets have remained nearly unchanged for 300 years, making the town a popular tourist attraction nowadays. An open-air, classical music festival is staged annually at Burg Monschau. Historically, the main industry of the town was cloth-mills.

History

On the heights above the city is Monschau castle, which dates back to the 13th century — the first mention of Monschau was made in 1198. Beginning in 1433, the castle was used as a seat of the dukes of Jülich. In 1543, Emperor Charles V besieged it as part of the Geldern Feud, captured it and plundered the town. However, the castle stayed with Jülich until 1609, when it became part of Palatinate-Neuburg.

In 1795, the French captured the area and, under the name Montjoie, made it the capital of a canton of the Roer département. After the area became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815, Monschau became the district capital of the Kreis Montjoie.

During World War I, some people argued that Monschau (or "Montjoie" as it was then still called) should be annexed to Belgium since they believed it historically to be a Walloon area that had been Germanized by the Prussians.

In 1918, William II, German Emperor, changed the name to Monschau. In 1972, the town was enlarged with the previous independent municipalities of Höfen, Imgenbroich, Kalterherberg, Konzen, Mützenich and Rohren. Mützenich, to the west of the town center, is an exclave of German territory surrounded by Belgium. It is separated from Germany by the Vennbahn railway line, which was assigned to Belgium by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

During World War II the town of Monschau, sitting on a vital road network, was a point of great tactical importance in the opening phase of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 as the northernmost point of the battlefront.

Things

Museums

Buildings

Monschau has over 330 listed buildings, so that only a selection can be called.

Regular events

Known far beyond the environment are the Monschau Klassik on the Monschauer castle, and the Monschau Christmas market , which is visited every year by tens of thousands of guests.

Supraregional Sport

At two meetings in the spring meet canoeists for about 50 years in Monschau international events, and a whitewater races. Nationally known is the Monschau Marathon more than 760 meters of altitude, which takes place in August.

Traffic

Monschau is connected by various regional bus routes of Regionaverkehr Euregio Maas-Rhein inter alia to Simmerath, Aachen and Eupen. It is the collective tarif of the Aachener Verkehrsverbund. All lines meet at the central station Imgenbroich Bushof. Since March 2016 runs in Monschau an additional responsive demand transport system of the Aachener Straßenbahn und Energieversorgung under the name NetLiner.

The former important Vennbahn, which was used until 2001 as a Heritage railway, had stations in Monschau, Konzen and Kaltenherberg, now it is closed. It was remodeled 2010 for the establishment of the Vennbahn (bike path ). Through the village runs the Bundesstraße 258 from north to south.

Tourism

Monschau, which is allowed to call health resort Luftkurort since 1996, attracts with its picturesque view especially in the warm months many visitors. Set in the medieval town facility that is traversed by the river Rur, dominate slate paneled houses and truss with cafes, restaurants or craft and souvenir shops. Parking places are placed around the city core.

Part of driving and physical chase scenes in the 2016 film: "Collide" were filmed in and around the centre of Monschau.

Biking trails

Through the town lead the cycle paths:

Notable residents

Literature