Sint-Martens-Voeren: Viaduct, Streams and Cultural Heritage

Sint-Martens-Voeren is surprising in its combination of distinctive architectural history, valuable waterways and protected landscape features. At the heart of the village, a 23-metre-high railway viaduct shapes the local scenery. Those looking for a mixture of nature, history and tangible discoveries for their holiday will find several different focal points here to consider when planning their trip.

Viaduct and Local History

The railway viaduct of Sint-Martens-Voeren is part of the Tongeren–Aachen railway line. During the First World War, Russian prisoners of war worked on the structure. The viaduct therefore represents not only the technical history of the railway, but also a chapter of local history that can be consciously placed in context during a visit.

Another important building is the Sint-Martinus Church. It is a protected monument and has two distinctly different historical references: the church building itself is a Neoclassical structure dating from 1728 to 1730, while the tower dates from the 12th century and is Romanesque. Several RAF pilots who crashed in the municipality during the Second World War are buried beside one of the exterior walls. The old cemetery also contains a 16th-century grave cross.

Waterways and Protected Landscape

The Veurs and Voer streams meet in Sint-Martens-Voeren. Both are particularly valuable from a biological perspective. The landscape on the slopes of Veurs and Martelberg also has a distinctive character: numerous graften, usually called “taluds” in Flanders, as well as small landscape features stretching from the Veltmanshuis to Ulvend, are protected as landscape.

Old half-timbered houses have been preserved in the hamlet of Veurs. Most date from the 18th or early 19th century. Together with Sint-Pieters-Voeren, Sint-Martens-Voeren is also one of the two central Voer villages with the highest concentration in Flanders of buildings constructed wholly or partly from flint, also known as silex. For families, this interplay between waterways, architectural styles and historical traces can inspire interesting conversations and shared discoveries.

A Specific Hiking Idea

Those who would like to include a named route in their plans alongside the local history can use the Bronnenwandeling as a guide. It begins at VCCV Het Veltmanshuis, Kwinten 3, 3790 Sint-Martens-Voeren. This makes it easy to include the starting point in your travel plans. The Veltmanshuis itself is a former chapter house dating from the first half of the 18th century and served as a presbytery until 1971. Its history adds another perspective on the development of the village to a visit to the church and older buildings.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Travel Plans?

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Sint-Martens-Voeren, it is worth deciding on your preferred focus in advance. Those particularly interested in the viaduct, church and historical evidence will plan differently from visitors who want to focus on the Bronnenwandeling, the streams or the protected landscape features.

If you would like to compare other destinations, you can also consider Teuven alongside Sint-Martens-Voeren. For Sint-Martens-Voeren itself, the special appeal lies in the interplay of railway viaduct, church architecture, half-timbered buildings, water and landscape protection – a versatile basis for searching for accommodation with a cultural and landscape focus.

For the overview of the wider region: Voeren.