Discover Eupen: Culture, Forests and Family Experiences

Eupen combines a diverse cultural offering with extensive forest landscapes and a variety of experiences for families. In summer, since 1995, the Eupen Lower Town has been transformed into a lively open-air stage by the HAASte Töne?! street and circus theatre festival. At the same time, nature experiences range from a short family trail to more extensive hiking and cycling opportunities on the edge of the High Fens. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Eupen can therefore choose between cultural discoveries, events, forests and active days.

Culture between urban history and the present day

The Eupen City Museum focuses on the cloth industry and shows how people in Eupen lived, worshipped, celebrated and maintained their customs. The museum is housed in the old merchant’s house “De Ru’s”, with a modern extension. This provides an engaging introduction to the city’s history without restricting the visit to individual historical dates.

IKOB also sets its own distinctive tone. Its exhibition programme presents current and emerging trends in visual art. Exhibitions and events address socially relevant topics, including the theme of the border. For travel planning, this creates an interesting contrast between regional history and contemporary art.

Anyone wishing to discover Eupen with historical explanations can take advantage of themed guided tours of the city centre offered by the Tourist Info. The Tourist Info at the town hall also provides brochures, maps and event suggestions to help with orientation. Notable buildings include St Nicholas Church and the Protestant Peace Church. St Nicholas Church was built from 1721 to 1729 in the Renaissance style and has a Baroque high altar created from 1740 to 1744 according to plans by Johann Joseph Couven. The lower part of its south tower comes from a predecessor church dating back to the 12th century. The Peace Church was built in the second half of the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style according to plans by Aachen architect Stein and has a metal-made tower spire.

Forests, trails and experiences for different day plans

Eupen has around 6,000 ha of forest and 1,212 ha of nature reserve on the edge of the High Fens. South of the city, the Hertogenwald is considered a gateway to the High Fens nature reserve. Covering 12,300 ha, it is one of the largest contiguous high-forest areas in the Ardennes. These dimensions make the natural area an important part of travel planning: you can focus your stay more strongly on forests and landscapes or combine cultural activities with days in nature.

For a shorter outing, the FOXY family trail is a good option. It is 2.5 km long, marked with small signposts and leads through beech, oak and spruce forests as well as along the bank of a small stream. Those wishing to plan a longer route can find the panorama board on the 15 km “EUPEN RUNDHERUM” hiking trail. From a viewpoint on Limburger Weg near the “In den Ettersten” hiking trail, the view extends over seven church towers in Eupen and Kettenis.

There is also clear guidance for cyclists: the connection to the Vennbahn starts at Eupen railway station and follows the “RAVeL L48 Vennbahn” signs towards Raeren. The visitor centre at the Wesre dam is located directly at the dam, offers views of the dam and the surrounding forests, and welcomes hikers and cyclists using the nearby trails. A large playground is aimed at younger visitors. For a more relaxed part of a family day, Minigolf Eupen offers a leisurely activity for children and adults after a walk or family outing.

Events as a special reason to travel

HAASte Töne?! presents street and circus theatre, acrobatics, music and performances in the public spaces of Eupen’s Lower Town over two days. Anyone wishing to coordinate their trip with a cultural event will find a special occasion here that is closely connected to the cityscape. The Eupen Music Marathon opens the festival season in the Meuse-Rhine Euregio every year at the end of May. Both events have different focuses and may influence the choice of travel period.

Which accommodation suits your plans?

When searching for a holiday apartment in Eupen, it is worth deciding first what you would like to focus on. Those interested in culture can prioritise the City Museum, IKOB, historic buildings and guided tours. Anyone who mainly wants to spend time outdoors can focus their planning on forests, hiking trails, the Vennbahn or the visitor centre at the Wesre dam. Families can include the FOXY trail, the playground and mini-golf in their considerations. Eupen’s Intercity railway station is the easternmost Intercity station in Belgium and connects the city with international railway lines. For guests wishing to travel by train, this connection is therefore an important part of choosing the location.

You can find further destinations to choose from at Kelmis, Trois-Ponts, Pepinster, Amel, Raeren, Sankt Vith and Sougné-Remouchamps.

To the main travel overview: Liège.