East Belgium offers a great range of tourist attractions and museums for the young and the not so young. Both nature-lovers and those who are more interested in culture and history will find what they're looking for here.
The slate gallery in Recht has developed to become a veritable magnet to the public. In the Herba Sana health garden in Elsenborn, at the foot of the High Fens nature reserve, visitors can find out everything they need to know about the mysterious world of medicinal plants. 3 km in length, the planets walk in St. Vith aims to make the vastness of the solar system easier to comprehend. As well as the treasure chamber with numerous sacred art treasures, the former monastery of Malmedy is home to three other museums, which are dedicated to carnival and to the manufacture of paper and leather.
On the German-Belgian border, the Ardennes Culture Boulevard with the largest exhibition of church cribs and staged antique dolls provides an interesting cultural and entertainment amenity. The exhibition Ars Tecnica, also housed there, one of Europe's first model railway layouts under complete digital control, makes not only children's eyes light up.
For visitors who wish to gain a comprehensive insight into the history of East Belgium, there is the Museum of Regional History in St. Vith, the Municipal Museum and the IKOB Art Museum in Eupen, the Göhl valley museum in Kelmis, the historical collection of Lontzen and Herbesthal and the Military Museum in Baugnez/Malmedy ... whilst anyone wanting to obtain an overview of Belgian beers is spot on at the beer museum in Rodt. It's not just a matter of being able to admire the numerous bottles and beers there; a large number of them can also be tasted, while the children have a good romp in the neighbouring playground.
The number of small and large museums in the region and their diversity reflect history, industry, manual skills and crafts. The IKOB Museum (International Art Centre of East Belgium) in Eupen is sure to appeal to fans of contemporary art.
A visit to architectural patrimony is an experience in itself. Guided and signposted tours bring the past of these locations steeped in history back to life.
At the end of the 17th century, the first clothmaking facilities in Eupen went into operation. The economic boom of that industry was to leave its mark on the urban landscape in the long term. Uptown, the marketplace and the church of St. Nicholas are surrounded by baroque and classicist patrician houses, most of which date from the 18th century. In Malmedy and St. Vith too, industrial facilities for cloth, leather and paper manufacture were established as from the 16th century. Traces of these can still be seen today.
Many monuments, memorials, landmarks and museums are there to remind us. The 'Historical Center Baugnez 44', not far from Malmedy, is principally dedicated to the massacre of Baugnez on 17 December 1944. With its novel museography, it shows scenes of breathtaking reality.