Eupen 7 church towers

With this panoramic board you will discover a wonderful hiking trail and the unique view of seven church towers in the villages of Eupen and Kettenis.

The municipal architect of Aachen, Laurenz Mefferdatis, built the Catholic parish and deanery churches from 1721-1729 in the renaissance style. The bottom part of the south tower originated from a previous church of the 12th century and is thus one of Eupen's oldest extant buildings. The interior furnishings are in the style of the Aachen and Liège baroque. The hall church with its three naves is impressive on account of its roominess and precious furnishings. High altar The baroque high altar was donated by the citizens of Eupen, mainly the cloth merchants, and was made in the years 1740-1744 to plans by the Aachen architect Johann Joseph Couven. The elaborate programme of images includes carved mid-reliefs, six pillars with depictions of the twelve apostles, St. Nicholas and St. Lambert, above them Christ with the cross and God the Father, at their feet the globe and, as the crowning glory, the Holy Ghost in the shape of a dove in an aureola Communion rail and altar Since the conversion work done in 1980, the communion rail dating from 1740 has been divided at the level of the centre aisle and segregates the body of the church from the chancel. It is one of the most valuable decorative items in the church, consisting of a black marble frame, fitted with twelve brass reliefs and 48 short brass columns. Six of these so-called balusters were used in the conversion for the base of the new altar. They support a slab of dark marble that weighs some 750 kg. Side altars The two side altars also date from the baroque period and correspond to the high altar in terms of their  style and construction. The statues, which were not made until the 19th century, depict the Annunciation and the Madonna with her mother, St. Anne. Pulpit The pulpit, erected in about 1730, is one of the oldest works of art in the church. It is adorned with depictions of Christ the Redeemer, the Mother of God and St. Joseph. The rear wall, with a bas-relief of St. Nicholas, forms a transition to the so-called abat-voix, which is crowned by a figure of God the Father on the globe, pronouncing a blessing. The underside of the abat-voix is adorned by the dove of the Holy Ghost in an aureola. The balustrade of the pulpit stairway appeals with its open carvings. Pews A total of 84 pews were made of oakwood in a uniform style between 1730 and 1850. Some were commissioned and financed by the authorities of the town, others by influential citizens. If required, one could rent a pew in the long term. Tenants and donors would have their name carved in the wood, and that gives us an idea today of who the notabilities of the town were at the time. Pillars Fourteen pillars carry the massive, dome-shaped groin vault. Confessionals The confessionals, decorated with magnificent rococo carvings, were made in 1771. They were the work of master cabinet-makers from Eupen. The coat of arms of the donors can be seen in the gables of the two front ones. Organ The first large organ was made between 1760 and 1763. In the decades that followed, it was refurbished, restored and technically extended, most recently in 1966. Today, in fact, the organ at St. Nicholas' Church hardly has anything more in common with the original one at all.

Generally known today as the 'Klösterchen' ('little convent'), this building was erected in 1752 on a commission by the cloth manufacturer Leonhard Vercken to plans by the Aachen architect Johann Joseph Couven. In 1857, it became a convent of the order of the Franciscan nuns of the Holy Family, founded in Eupen, and today it is an old people's home. There are some remarkable features, including the rococo gables with the coat of arms of the architect, and the French baroque windows. In the interior, there is a house chapel from the 19th century, and the crypt of the founder of the order, Josephine Koch (1815-1899).

At the beginning, in-house worship at the hospital was held in a simple room with a small altar. So that the patients could also be offered a mass, donations were collected as from 1876 and the chapel began to be built in a part of the side wing. In 1880, the first chapel was opened, and in 1907 a larger brick building was completed in the neo-Romanesque style. In 1925, the nuns were given a home of their own and, once again, a new, extended hospital chapel. Since the last of the Franciscan nuns left St. Nicholas' Hospital at the end of 1989, the house chapel has remained a place where not only the sick but also many of Eupen's citizens can stop off for a brief prayer amid the haste of everyday life.   Interior furnishings The large cross in the chancel dates from the post-war period. The body of Christ was carved by an artist in Oberammergau. The way of the cross is also the work of a Bavarian artist and was consecrated in 1965. The two statues (Mary and Joseph) were carved by the father of one of the nuns and were a gift to the hospital. In 1883, the altar stone of the house chapel was consecrated with a relic of St. Gertrude. The relic was added to the neo-Romanesque altar in 1908. Precisely which name saint was involved here is not quite clear. Windows During the bombardment in December 1944, the wall of the choir and four windows were destroyed. It was not until shortly before Christmas of 1956 that the provisional panes were able to be replaced. This was financed by a donation from doctors at the hospital, the staff, neighbours, and a number of friends. The remaining glasswork was renewed in 1957 thanks to further donations.   The designs were the work of the French artist Guy Chabrol of Chartres. With their fervid colours, they were inspired by the famous mediaeval church windows of that city. The works in Eupen feature expressionistic church windows with figurative depictions. They depict the Holy Family, the symbols of the four evangelists, a Franciscan nun with a patient, and St. Francis of Assisi with birds and flowers.

The foundation stone of the monastery church of the Capuchins was laid in 1665. In the 18th century, the building burned down and was re-erected on plans made by the Aachen architect Joseph Moretti. This was the place of worship that the local textile craftsmen favoured. The side altars are particularly interesting: the one on the left was donated by weavers; the one on the right bears the inscription 'This altar was a gift from the cloth cutters of Eupen in 1777'; it features depictions of cutting shears and fuller’s teasel. The dried, spiky heads of the teasel were used to roughen the wool cloth, an important step in the processing of the fabric, which was then cut with the shears.

The Protestant Church of Peace was built in the second half of the 19th century to plans by the Aachen architect Theodor August Stein in the neo-Gothic style. A remarkable feature is the metal spire.

This Catholic parish church is presumed to have been built in the 15th century and then further expanded in the centuries that followed. The oldest parts of the building are the fortified tower and the Gothic main nave.  The high altar is presumed to have been built on plans by the Aachen architect Johann Joseph Couven, who had already designed the high altar at St. Nicholas' Parish Church in Eupen several years previously. Among other things, the baroque depictions feature the beheading of St. Catherine. The structure above the large ciborium depicts the Holy Ghost, effulgent. Above the tabernacle: a relief depicting the sacrifice of Isaac.   The carved base unit of the altar, dating from 1729, came from St. Jacob's Church in Aachen. There is a medallion of Christ to be seen at the top, and below that, there is a large laurel wreath and the depiction of a saint in a monk's habit with a crown, rosary and pilgrim's staff. These are the attributes of St. Judoc, who is worshipped at St. Jacob's in Aachen. The baroque chandelier in brass is a work dating from the 18th century. This simple timber pulpit was made in the 18th century. On the abat-voix, there is a statue of St. Michael fighting the dragon. The right-hand side altar dates from the beginning of the 19th century and features an oil painting of St. Anne. The Stations of the Cross as they are today date from 1898. This side altar (beginning of 19th century) is consecrated to the Queen of Heaven.

The meadow path 'In den Ettersten' takes you through a lush green valley directly from the city centre of Eupen to Membach. The green areas there are of ecological importance; the unmistakable white willows are unique in the region and provide many species of bird with a habitat. Many of the meadows are separated off by the characteristic 'Stiegel'. These are passages through the hedge made from timber stakes or stones, and often swinging or revolving gates, which block the passage of the grazing stock but allow humans to pass.