Kettenis - Am Busch

The Kettenis panorama board is on the edge of the woods in the district known as 'Am Busch'. A bench invites passers-by to stop off for a break at this idyllic location. It stands at hiking node no. 26, between cycling nodes 45 and 34. Because of the distance between the various historical buildings, it makes good sense to explore them by car or bike.

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 history of this castle is relatively recent. It was built in 1775 by the Mayor of Eupen, Rainer Franz of Grand Ry, and beautifully fitted out in its interior with tapestries and chimneyplaces. The estate remained in the possession of the family until 1801. After that there were several owners. For example, 14 weaver's families with 42 looms were accommodated there; causing the castle to suffer very considerably. In 1898, it found its way back into the hands of the Grand Ry family. After the Second World War it served variously as a hotel-restaurant, a convent and a holiday home for children. The illusionistic artist Rainer Maria Latzke had it restored at great expense in 1986. The property is surrounded by beautiful garden and can only be seen through the high railings of the fence on the Talstraße. It is privately owned.

The setting of Libermé Castle, protected by moats on all sides, is magnificent. The edifice stands in a lowland area just under a kilometre outside Kettenis. The first mention of this castle built in water was in 1334. It was originally a fief from Aachen's Church of the Virgin Mary . In the 14th and 15th centuries the castle was in the possession of the von Libermé family. In 1684 it was burnt down by French troops. In the 18th century the construction of a small stone bridge occasioned some structural changes. As from 1964, Libermé was converted into a restaurant, and in 1995/96, after a change of owner, completely refurbished. Listed as a historical monument, Libermé Castle is privately owned. Having said that, chamber music concerts are given for visitors there on a regular basis.

The Philippenhaus was formerly known as 'Haus Merols'. For 300 years, it was in the possession of the von Hagen family, as indicated by the other name by which it was known: 'Hagenshof'. The country house was given the appearance it has today in 1767. Prior to that, the castle on the water, Haus Merols, had stood in the same place. Haus Merols, and Merols Castle (the Waldenburghaus today), just a stone's throw away, were fiefs from Aachen's Church of the Virgin Mary. At the beginning of the 19th century the Aachen businessman Johann Joseph Philipp acquired the estate, which explains the name by which it is known now: Philippenhaus. In the interior, there is still a family altar to this day. As for the original water-built castle, only a few vestiges of the moats have remained on the north-west side of the house. Today, the Philippenhaus and the adjacent buildings are home to an agricultural business.

St. Brigida's Chapel in the hamlet of Merols is at a fork in the road on the high road between Walhorn and Raeren. It is likely to have been built in 1749, though some sources say that this place of worship was in fact an extension of a chapel that had already existed since 1550. Until 1830, that high road was one of the most important arterial roads in the country around Eupen. In fact it is probably of Roman origin. It is part of the pilgrim's way from Eupen to Aachen. St. Brigida was an Irish nun who lived in the 6th century. Catholic tradition revered her as a protectress of livestock. Inside the chapel, which was renovated in 1974, there is an altar from the 19th century in the baroque style and a statue of St. Brigida. Even today, there is an annual procession of the farmers' guild that undertakes a pilgrimage from Eupen-Kettenis to the St. Brigida Chapel on the feast of Epiphany.

This castle built on the water, a fief from Aachen Minster, was first mentioned in 1334. It was created in the 14th century by partition from the manor of Libermé and was the seat of a collateral line of the von Libermé family. The complex, including its drawbridge, was seriously damaged in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). Following successful restoration, the manor house with its beautiful stairwell and oakwood doors, together with the moat and the working quarters, was listed as a historical monument. Today's owner has set up a B&B with comfortable rooms.

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.

This chapel was built in 1707. It was consecrated to the mater dolorosa, to whom the citizens of Kettenis submit their requests in a solemn procession each year in September. A stone set in the rubble work edifice (in the pediment facing Nispert and Kettenis) reminds us by the chiselled initials it bears of the patrons, the married couple Hubert Raermecker and Catharina Burgers. In 1837 and 1838 the chapel was enlarged and its chancel extended, as can still be seen today on the coping stone of the bluestone arch above the entrance and on the quire. A relief slab depicting Veronica with the sudarium or "Veronica's veil", set on the front, is particularly striking. Of the original equipment, only the baroque altar in oakwood remains today.

This small rubble work edifice took on the appearance it has today in 1834. Typical of the region are its slate roof and the bluestone frame on the door and windows. It was not until 1899 that the chapel was dedicated to St. Roch, the patron saint invoked against the plague. Since then, each year, a procession to the Rochus Chapel takes place on the festival of St. Roch. In ancient writings, in memory of the apostles setting out into the world from Palestine to proclaim the gospel, it is referred to as the "Chapel of the Apostles' Dispersion". A painted wooden tablet in the interior of the chapel, on which the twelve apostles are depicted, reminds us of that time. Also worth seeing are the plain baroque altar with two columns on each side, and a basin for holy water. The chapel is listed as a historical monument.