scenic viewpoint
Gileppe Dam
A 19th-century dam near Spa crowned by a 13-ton stone lion, with a 78 m panorama tower and forested Ardennes reservoir views a short detour off the Verviers road.
7 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeBelgiumWallonia
Eupen
Wallonia, Belgium · Europe
About Eupen
Eupen works well as a base: 10 minutes from Baelen, 14km from Hautes Fagnes.
Eupen is in Wallonia, Belgium, with about 18,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Baelen, about 4 km away.
Eupen (German: [ˈɔʏpn̩] , French: [øpɛn] , Dutch: [ˈøːpə(n)] ; Ripuarian: Ööpe [ˈøːpə]; Walloon: Neyåw [nɛjɑːw]; former French: Néau [neo]) is the capital of the German-speaking Community of Belgium and is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of Liège, 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the German borderRead more
(Aachen), from the Dutch border (Maastricht) and from the "High Fens" nature reserve (Ardennes). The town is also the capital of the Euroregion Meuse-Rhine.
First mentioned in 1213 as belonging to the Duchy of Limburg, possession of Eupen passed to Brabant, Burgundy, the Holy Roman Empire, and France before being given in 1815 to Prussia, which became part of the new German Empire in 1871. In 1919, after the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles transferred Eupen and the nearby municipality of Malmedy from Germany to Belgium.
German remains the official language in Eupen (also spoken in the form of the Eupen dialect), and the city serves as the capital for Belgium's German-speaking Community. The city has a small university, the Autonome Hochschule Ostbelgien, offering bachelor's degrees in Education and Nursing. In 2010, Eupen's association football team, K.A.S. Eupen, became the first club from the German-speaking Community to play in the Belgian Pro League.
On 1 January 2006, Eupen had a total population of 18,248 (8,892 males and 9,356 females). The total area is 103.74 km2 (40.05 sq mi) which gives a population density of 175.90 inhabitants per km2.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Eupen?
Within an hour or so of Eupen: Gileppe Dam (7 km), Hautes Fagnes (14 km), Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt (14 km), Signal de Botrange (15 km).
Are there any good drives near Eupen?
The nearest famous roads are Baraque de Fraiture, Moselle Valley Road (B53) and Mosel Valley Wine Route.
Where is Eupen?
Eupen is in Wallonia, Belgium, about 4 km from Baelen.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 18,029
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Wallonia
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 50.6279, 6.0365
Tags
Worth the detour from Eupen
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
national park
Hautes Fagnes
Belgium's highest, wildest plateau of peat bog and boardwalk trails, often the snowiest corner of the country.
14 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt
The Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
14 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Signal de Botrange
At 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
15 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
Aachen Cathedral (Aachener Dom)
The first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany, built by Charlemagne as his palatine chapel in the 9th century.
17 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Monschau
Slate-and-timber Eifel town crammed into the narrow Rur gorge near the Belgian border, its lanes essentially unchanged for 300 years; a historic mustard mill still grinds and the castle ruin hosts open-air concerts.
17 km · about 20 min drive
racetrack
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Home of the Belgian Grand Prix, featuring the legendary Eau Rouge corner
22 km · about 25 min drive
museum
Stavelot Abbey
A 1,000-year-old abbey minutes from Spa-Francorchamps housing the circuit's official racing museum, with historic F1 and endurance cars in its vaulted cellars.
27 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Eupen
5 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- Right hereGileppe DamA 19th-century dam near Spa crowned by a 13-ton stone lion, with a 78 m panorama tower and forested Ardennes reservoir views a short detour off the Verviers road.
- Right hereVaalserberg DrielandenpuntThe Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
- Right hereSignal de BotrangeAt 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
- 47 kmBaraque de FraitureBelgium's second-highest point at 652 m, a windswept Ardennes plateau crossroads on the N89 with a small ski station and sweeping high-fen scenery.
Driving in Belgium
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.74/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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