Vaals, Von Clermontplein: This square in the center of Vaals features a harmonious Baroque architectural ensemble, consisting of the town hall and the factory of the former textile manufacturer Johann Arnold von Clermont. Both buildings now serve as the headquarters of the Vaals municipal administration.
Vaalser Churches: During the Reformation many Protestants from what is now Belgium came to Vaals, as they were forbidden to practice their religion in the territory of the Catholic Spanish Crown. Meanwhile in Vaals a whole range of religious communities became established. A hall in the “Verves” building (at Clermontplein 34) served as a church for Mennonites from around 1600 to 1800. The “Kopermolen” museum, which stands there today, was also originally a Lutheran church building.
Kleng Wach: This former border outpost was built between 1880 and 1900. It served as a customs crossing for pedestrians until 1972, though it was mostly closed during the wars. Today it houses the smallest and highest-altitude museum in the Netherlands, which focuses primarily on the history of smugglers. On the west side is an eagle stone made of bluestone.
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 on which it stands, at 322.5 meters above sea level, is the highest point in the Netherlands.
Today the Three-Country Point also symbolizes European integration and the connections between the residents of the tri-border region.
Deadly Electric Fence: The hiking trail runs along the Schimperbosch ridge, following the Belgian-Dutch border. During World War I the German occupying forces erected an electric fence here to separate occupied Belgium from the neutral Netherlands. Officials at the German General Government in Brussels hoped this would significantly curb the escape of soldiers as well as smuggling and espionage activities. The “high-voltage wire”—the first of its kind in the history of warfare—has now disappeared, save for a few remnants. It claimed numerous lives, particularly among the unsuspecting civilian population, for whom a memorial stone was erected near Sippenaeken in 1962.
Malensbosch Forest: Together with the Vijlenerbosch, the Malensbosch is the largest contiguous forest area in the Netherlands.
Kasteel Lemiers Estate: Since the 12th century the noble estate of Kasteel Lemiers has stood directly on today’s border and on the Senserbach stream, with its lands extending across both German and Dutch territory. The cellar and some of the foundations date back to the original moated castle. At the beginning of the 16th century the complex was rebuilt as a manor house with an outer bailey in Late Renaissance style. A double stone arch bridge spans the moat, leading to a gate flanked by two pillars crowned with vases, and on into the garden, which is overgrown with enormous old trees. Today the castle is privately owned.
Catharina-Chapel, Lemiers: This chapel in Oud (“Old”) Lemiers is believed to date from the 11th century and is one of the oldest structures of its kind in the Netherlands. It was built using materials from the surrounding area, including sandstone. The chapel takes the form of a small rectangular hall church with a narrower, right-angled choir. It is the only surviving example of a pre-Romanesque church design in the province of Limburg. In 1978 the Dutch artist Hans Truijen (1928–2005) designed the interior as a whole new work of art featuring religious motifs in the COBRA style (a Belgian-Dutch-Danish avant-garde artist group).
Eagle Stone: Today an eagle stone from the Aachen Empire stands by the chapel. After it was washed into the Senserbach in the 1940s it was “rescued” by resourceful residents of Lemiers and re-erected on the Dutch side.
Vaals, Kasteel Bloemendaal Estate: Johann Arnold von Clermont built this magnificent early Neoclassical structure during the final years of his life.
