Plombières: The name of this town, located in the Göhl Valley, derives from the mines that operated here, where lead was mined from the mid-14th century until 1922. Today the site of the former mine is largely protected as a nature reserve—largely due to its rare calamine flora—and can be explored via scenic loop trails. The historic building dating from 1645, known as the Maison du Site Minier, houses an interpretation center that tells the story of the mining site, as well as a tourist office.
Gemmenich: César Franck, who was born in Liège in 1822 and died in Paris in 1890, grew up in the neighborhood of Völkerich, located near this route. He is considered one of the most important organists and composers of the second half of the 19th century.
Three-Country Point: Because the borders of three countries meet here, this location has become a tourist attraction, drawing more than 800,000 visitors from around the world each year. The Vaalserberg, where it is located, is the highest point in the Netherlands, at 322.5 meters above sea level.
Today the Three-Country Point also symbolizes the connections between the residents of the tri-border region and European integration.
Neutral-Moresnet Border: From the Three-Country Point you can see the perfectly straight border of the former microstate, as a distinct swath cutting through the forest. Here the route runs exactly south along the corresponding boundary markers. It’s easy to imagine that the border was drawn with a ruler at the negotiating table when the state was founded in 1814.
Railway Tunnel: In the area surrounding the Three-Country Point, the sound of rolling trains can be heard frequently from the valley—the route between the Montzen freight yard and Aachen is marked by heavy train traffic. The railroad line passes beneath the hill at the Three-Country Point through the 870-meter-long Gemmenich Tunnel. During the time of the state of Neutral-Moresnet it was jokingly called the “longest tunnel in the world” because it crossed an entire country—Neutral-Moresnet.
At the start of World War I, the Belgians significantly disrupted the advance of the German Imperial Army by positioning and destroying two steam locomotives at the tunnel entrance. After World War II both the tunnel and the trains running through it were used for smuggling.
Moresnet-Chapelle: This quiet pilgrimage site, with its famous Calvary Hill, lies on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela, which—coming from the Preuswald—also serves as the procession route between Aachen and Moresnet. Moresnet-Chapelle became a destination for pilgrims due to a legend according to which, in 1747, a farm boy was cured of epilepsy here by venerating a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Moresnet: Spanned by the massive Göhltal Viaduct, Moresnet is a charming village whose landscape is dominated by traditional fieldstone houses. The village, with St. Remigius Church at its center, is first mentioned in writing as early as 888. In earlier centuries Moresnet was home to at least three manor houses: Schimper Castle, Alensberg Castle, and Bempt Castle. They date back to a time when knightly families ruled over their own small fiefdoms. Bempt Castle is the only surviving building from this era.
Göhl Valley Viadukt: On the way through the meadows between Plombières and the Three-Country Point, the Göhl Valley Viadukt can be seen time and time again in the distance, stretching across the sky above Moresnet. The viaduct is one of the longest steel railway bridges in Europe. It is 1,120 meters long, up to 58 meters high, and was built during World War I by the German occupying forces as part of the railway line from Aachen to Tongeren. The line was intended to facilitate the transport of troops and supplies toward the Flemish front. The construction kept 12,000 workers, including Russian prisoners of war, busy around the clock for 26 months. After World War II the viaduct had to be rebuilt. Since its complete renovation in 2004, 70% of freight traffic between the Port of Antwerp and Germany has been routed via the viaduct.
Göhl River: This small river originates in the Hebscheider Heide near the German-Belgian border. Then after 20 kilometers it crosses the border into the Netherlands, where it flows into the Meuse after a further 40 kilometers. In earlier times the waters of the Göhl were very important for the economy of the surrounding villages. In Raeren and Eynatten, for example, potters benefited from its water, and in Kelmis and Plombières it was used for washing during the mining of calamine ore. The name “Göhl” derives from the Germanic word “Galia,” which means “narrow, winding river.”
