East Belgium: unlimited facets of a diverse land

Until the 12th Century the region belonged to the Duchy of Limburg, becoming part of Brabant after the defeat at the battle of Worringen. In the 15th Century the region passed, by marriage, to the Dukes of Burgundy, then to the Spanish Hapsburgs, before becoming the fief of the Austrian Hapsburgs with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Under Napoleon, from 1794-1815, it was part of the French “Département Ourthe”.

It then passed in 1815 to the Prussians at the Congress of Vienna, at which point German became the official language. Subsequent to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the region became Belgian in 1920, returning again to Belgian sovereignty after a five-year annexation by Germany during World War II.

The Language Law of 1963 divided Belgium into three distinct linguistic communities, which were established officially in 1970, paving the way for the inauguration of the RDK (Council of the German-speaking Cultural Community of Belgium), the direct ancestor of the current German-speaking Community (Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft). The DG consists of the Cantons of Eupen and St. Vith, where German is the official language of administration, courts of law and schools. The largely French-speaking Canton of Malmedy, however, remains part of the Francophone Community.

Life and leisure: feeling at home in East Belgium

The three economic centres of Eupen, Malmedy und St. Vith maintain different activity profiles which contribute significantly to the sectoral diversity of East Belgium. In the North, where the population is somewhat denser, the “Eupener Land” lies close to major European highways and features mainly light industry, transport and services. The South of the region with its forests and meadows (Malmedy and St. Vith) is predestined for the lumber and furniture industry, as well as a vigorous farming community.

Other skilled trades and occupations also flourish there; Malmedy, for example, is a traditional centre for papermaking. However, tourism is becoming the big breadwinner in an area that includes the “roof of Belgium”. One of the highpoints of the tourism calendar is the carnival period, with the Wallonian style carnival, known as "Cwârmé" in Malmedy and its more “Rhineland” style equivalent in the German-speaking areas of Eupen and St. Vith.

Art and culture is a dynamic feature of life in East Belgium. Painting, literature, theatre and dance, as well as music in all its varieties can be enjoyed here. The region also enjoys an excellent sporting infrastructure, which includes around 250 sports clubs in a wide diversity of disciplines, as well as several sports centres capable of training young people at competition levels.

Under the spell of the Hertogen Forest, the High Fen and the Belgian Eiffel, the natural beauty of the East-Belgian landscape displays an abiding charm. With freshwater lakes in Eupen, Butgenbach and Robertville and with much of its territory within the boundaries of the Nature Park High Fen – Eiffel, East Belgium is a green jewel and one of Belgium’s most attractive tourist destinations throughout the year.

With a gastronomy that can hold its head up high and a warmly welcoming population, East Belgium is an open invitation to extend your stay!