Grenze im Museum

Kelmis

Since 2018 the Vieille Montagne Museum has been presenting the fascinating history of Neutral Moresnet. The museum is located just five minutes from Casinoweiher Reservoir and is easily accessible on foot.

Housed in the listed former headquarters building of Vieille Montagne, visitors can discover the remarkable story of a small territory that was highly sought after due to its natural resources: Neutral Moresnet – a forgotten “microstate” and “no man’s land” between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Find out about zinc, known as the “plastic of the 19th century”, as well as mining history and the fascinating world of minerals. What does Kelmis have to do with Napoleon’s bathtub? Why was the Three-Country Point once actually a Four-Country Point? Answers to these questions – and many more fascinating stories – can be discovered at the Vieille Montagne Museum. Discover local history in an authentic setting.

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Opening hours:
Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00
Sat and Sun: 11:30–17:00

Admission and additional information: mvm-kelmis.be

Museum Vieille Montagne
Lütticher Straße 278
BE-4720 Kelmis
Tel.: +32 87 65 75 04
E-Mail: mvm@kelmis.be

Raeren

Raeren’s oldest castle complex, built in the 14th century, is now home to a pottery museum known far beyond the region.

In 1963 the municipality purchased the main building and opened a museum. The building is located at the confluence of the Iter and Periolbach streams and features a diverse collection. Soon after its opening the museum caused a sensation among experts, as it presented the first comprehensive overview of the history of Raeren’s famous stoneware, which has been on the European Cultural Heritage List since 2007.

The museum also offers guided tours on various topics, including literature on Raeren ceramics and the region’s tourist attractions, as well as an extensive archive and a well-stocked reference library for professional visitors.

The internationally renowned EUREGIO Ceramics Market takes place here every second weekend in September. 

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Opening hours:
Closed on Mondays
Tue–Sun 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tickets:

Adults: €5.00
Teens (up to age 18), seniors, and groups (at least 10 people): €3.00
Children (up to age 12) and residents of the municipality of Raeren: free
Family ticket (2 adults + 2 teens): €12.00
Guided tour (max. 25 people per group): €50.00

Special programs: on request

Töpfereimuseum Raeren
Burgstraße 103
BE–4730 Raeren
Tel. +32 87 850903
E-Mail: info@toepfereimuseum.org

toepfereimuseum.org

Plombières

Take a stroll through this extraordinary place. Heavy metals in the soil – including much sought after zinc – were a factor that contributed to a nature reserve developing here, with very special fauna and flora. The area was part of the former mine, which was operated from the middle of the 14th century until 1922.

Two signposted trails invite you to discover the site and its history. The site also offers access to RAVeL lines 38 and 39, the BorderTrail network and the Göhl Valley.

Take time to explore the old mining house dating back to 1645. Here you will find a museum that tells the history of Plombières and its nature reserve, as well as the Tourist Information Centre.

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Opening hours:
End of September–End of April:
Mo, Tue, Wed, Sa, Sun 10:00–16:00
Thu, Fri 12:00–16:00

End of April–End of September:
Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun 11:00–17:00
Thu, Fri 13:00–17:00

The former mining site is accessible all year round

Entrance fee:
free entrance

Guided tours:
Every 1st and 3rd Sunday, April–November, 14:00: guided tour exploring the fantastic nature reserve

Mining House – Maison du Site Minier
Rue du Chemin de Fer, 25
B 4850 Plombières
Tel.: +32 87 35 53 77
E-Mail : tourisme@plombieres.be

Tourist information centre – Office du Tourisme de la Commune de Plombières
Tel.: +32 87 78 50 33
officetourisme@plombieres.be 

Vaals 

The former customs house “Kleng Wach”, from 1890, looks back on a rich and eventful history. During the First World War the Dutch government sealed the border crossing with barbed wire. A brief period of reopening followed in the early 1920s, allowing neighbours from the German Vaalserquartier to cross into Vaals daily for a few hours to shop.

Towards the end of the 1930s the border crossing was closed again—this time with iron posts and on orders from the German authorities. With the German invasion on 10 May 1940, the barbed-wire barrier became movable to facilitate troop movements towards Belgium.

After the war, the Dutch military and customs authorities took over border control. From this time on, the customs house was locally called “Klèng Wach” (small guardhouse). In 1951 the crossing was fully closed for the third time. This time an iron gate was installed, which locals nicknamed the “Iesere Jardieng” (Iron Curtain).

At the end of 1959 the narrow crossing was opened for a few hours per week. Residents of the Vaalserquartier flocked across the border to Vaals to shop in large numbers and declared their goods in a wooden shed on the German side. By the late 1970s concrete posts replaced the “Iron Curtain”. With the Schengen Agreement, controls and barriers disappeared—and the Kleng Wach fell into disrepair.

In 1993, the municipality of Vaals purchased the customs house and leased it to the local historical society “Heemkundekring Sankt Tolbert”. They maintain the historic monument and established the smallest museum in the Netherlands. The “Kleng Wach”, featuring interesting photographs and maps, can occasionally be visited as part of guided tours.

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Opening hours:
Visits only as part of guided tours

Customs House – “Kleng Wach”
Akenerstraat 2
NL-6291 BB Vaals
E-Mail: info@sankttolbertvaals.nl

www.santtolbertvaals.nl