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| Monschau | ||
| North Rhine-Westphalia | City region Aachen | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11.726 (2019) | |
| height | 517 m | |
| Tourist info | 49 2472 8048 0 http://www.monschau.de/touristik | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Monschau is a pretty half-timbered town in the Eifel, North Rhine-Westphalia. Due to its romantic city backdrop with the castle of the same name, it is very popular.
background
Monschau lies at the transition of the regions High Fens and Rureifel.
The districts belong to Monschau Conc, Imgenbroich, Kalterherberg, Mützenich, Yards and the main town Monschau.
Monschau has a share in Eifel National Park
getting there
In the main town of Monschau, it is almost impossible to park for free. Often the existing parking space capacities are almost exhausted. It is therefore urgent to consider arriving by other means of transport. A longer walk from the other districts can also be considered.
By plane
You can only travel to Monschau by public transport via Aachen. For this reason, it is advisable, provided no rental car is used, to travel to the airports that allow easy travel to Aachen. The following airports are suitable for scheduled flights:
- Cologne Bonn Airport: There is only one daily direct connection from this airport to Aachen Hbf, which arrives in the middle of the night at around 2 a.m. so there is no connection to Monschau. During the day it is possible to travel to Aachen via Köln Hbf (S-Bahn) with the RE lines 1 and 9. There is less waiting time when using the RE 1 (connection to bus line SB63 approx. 17 minutes). The total travel time is approx. 2:30 hours.
- Dusseldorf Airport: From Düsseldorf airport you can travel free of charge (RE 1) or with a change in Düsseldorf Hbf (RE 4) to Aachen Hbf. The waiting time for the bus connection is approx. 17 minutes in the case of the RE 1 and approx. 39 minutes in the case of the RE 4. The total travel time is approx. 3:00 hours.
- Maastricht Aachen Airport: Maastricht / Aachen airport is mainly served by low-cost airlines and is located in Beek, about 30 km from the border near Aachen. A few shuttle buses run from here at irregular intervals every day to the Aachen bus station, from where a connection to Monschau is possible. Otherwise, you can travel by bus via Maastricht and Aachen Hbf.
- Liege airport: Liège Airport is located approx. 40 km southwest of Monschau. At the weekend it is possible to travel from the Belgian train station in Eupen by bus to Monschau, or by bus via Aachen.
Travelers who travel with their own small aircraft can also land at Aachen-Merzbrück airfield (ICAO code: EDKA) or at Elsenborn airfield (EBLB) (closed). However, there is no public transport connection at either of the two airports.
By train
Direct rail travel to Monschau has no longer been possible since regular rail passenger traffic was discontinued in the 1940s. However, there are regular bus connections (see there) to Monschau from the Aachen Hauptbahnhof and Aachen Rothe Erde train stations as well as from the Belgian train station in Eupen on weekends.
Aachen main station can be reached from three different directions, both local and long-distance:
- From the direction of Frankfurt am Main, Cologne and Düren: The ICE line 79 runs six times a day from Frankfurt via Cologne and Aachen to Brussels, supplemented by Thalys trains on line 80 from Dortmund or Cologne to Paris via Aachen every two hours. In addition, the RegionalExpress lines 1 and 9 from Paderborn and Siegen each end with a stop in Köln Hbf and Düren in Aachen (journey time from Köln Hbf approx. 55 minutes).
- From the direction of Düsseldorf: RegionalExpress lines 1 (via Cologne) and 4 (via Mönchengladbach) run to Aachen from Düsseldorf main station. The journey time from Düsseldorf Hbf is approx. 1:20 hours.
- From the direction of Brussels / Liège: The ICE line 79 runs six times a day from Brussels via Liège and Aachen to Frankfurt am Main. In addition, the Thalys line 80 runs on this route from Paris to Cologne or Dortmund with stops in Brussels, Liège and Aachen. In addition, there is a two-hour InterRegio connection between the InterCity train stations Verviers-Central as well as Welkenraedt and Aachen Hbf, so that you can also travel with the IC line A from Ostend or Brussels.
By bus
- of Aachen From the bus station with the AVV lines 66 / SB66 in the direction of Monschau parking garage or SB63 in the direction of Simmerath / Vogelsang / Gemünd (change at the Roetgen Post stop to AVV line 66 / SB66). Travel time approx. 70 minutes, departures every half hour on weekdays, almost every hour on weekends, alternating between lines 66 and SB63.
- from Aachen Rothe Erde train station with the AVV line 66 / SB66 in the direction of Monschau parking garage. Travel time approx. 60 minutes, departures every half hour on weekdays, almost every two hours on weekends.
- From Aachen main station with the AVV line SB63 in the direction of Simmerath / Vogelsang / Gemünd, change at the Roetgen Post stop to AVV line 66 / SB66 in the direction of Monschau Parkaus (secure connection). Travel time approx. 55 minutes, departures every half hour on weekdays, almost every two hours on weekends.
- of Eupen (Belgium) at the weekend with line 385 in the direction of Kalterherberg / Küchelscheid to the Monschau Parkhaus stop
Line 66 / SB66 also runs several times a day on the weekends in the summer months with a bicycle trailer, a high-speed trip runs to Kalterherberg am station Vennbahnradweg. On all of the named routes, trips with groups of 10 or more must be made by telephone to the DB Rheinlandbus (BVR Busverkehr Rheinland GmbH) must be registered, otherwise carriage may be refused.
In and around Monschau, various bus lines operate at more or less regular intervals (usually every hour or two hours) that connect the old town with the surrounding villages. The Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV) tariff applies to all of these bus routes.
During the Monschau Christmas market, shuttle buses (not part of the AVV tariff) also run at short intervals between the old town and the car parking spaces in Höfen, Imgenbroich and on the Hague.
In the street
- Of Cologne or coming from the Netherlands via the A4 to the Aachen motorway junction. There change to the A44 in the direction of Lüttich to the Aachen-Lichtenbusch exit. From there, continue on federal road 258 to Monschau.
- Alternatively, take the A1 to the Wißkirchen exit. There continue on the B266 to Herhahn, then left on the country road in the direction of Dreiborn / Monschau and then on the B258 to Monschau.
- Of Dusseldorf Coming from the A44 to the Aachen-Lichtenbusch exit. From there, continue on federal road 258 to Monschau.
- Of Bonn (A565, alternatively also via the B56 directly to Euskirchen) or Koblenz from the A61 to the Rheinbach exit. From there on via Euskirchen to Schleiden (B266) and there on the B258 to Monschau.
- Of Liege Coming from the A3 / E40 to Eupen, there follow the signs to Monschau.
- Of trier and Wittlich Coming from the A60 / E42 to the motorway triangle at Battice, then continue as if coming from Liège. Alternatively, you can take the St. Vith exit and drive to Monschau via Amel, Bütgenbach, Elsenborn and Kalterherberg. However, this route requires a longer drive on country roads and is only suitable to a limited extent for drivers who are unfamiliar with the location.
Driving into the old town of Monschau by car is generally not permitted on weekends in summer (observe blocking signs) and also not recommended outside of the blocking times, as there are only a few parking spaces available. Parking garages are available in the Burgau area (southern end of the old town coming from Trier), at the Seidenfabrik (northern end of the old town coming from Aachen) and at the Aukloster (eastern end of the old town, junction just behind Höfen). In addition, on weekends you can park in the parking lots of the former secondary school and grammar school on the Haag (Walter-Scheibler-Straße / Schönforster Straße) between Monschau and Mützenich. From there there is a footpath into the city that takes about 20 minutes; however, this is not barrier-free as there are a large number of steps to climb.
By bicycle
- out Aachen and Limburg, but also from Saint-Vith or trier you should the Vennbahn use.
- from the Cologne Bay on the Rur-Ufer cycle path; from Düren it is possible to arrive within one day.
mobility
In principle, all tourist destinations in the old town of Monschau can be reached on foot within a few minutes. It should be noted, however, that practically the entire old town is laid out with cobblestones, which can be a challenge for wheelchair users, users of walking aids and cyclists (especially when it is wet). In addition, there are major inclines to be mastered, especially when visiting the medieval castle and Haller ruins. The historic town center is marked as a traffic-calmed zone ("Spielstraße"), but you should expect that residents will be forced to drive through the old town by car even when there is a high number of tourists.
There are regular bus connections from Monschau (parking garage or Schmiede stop) to all other districts (see section "Bus").
- Round trips with the Monschauer Stadtbahn - rubber tires Pathway with boarding options from the market square and bus parking lot in Burgau, Side of the train with timetable.
Tourist Attractions
Monschau has a cozy little half-timbered old town with more than 330 listed houses.
Churches
Old town
- Au church / monastery, at the eastern end of the old town behind the market square. Various changing artistic exhibitions.
- 1 Parish Church "St. Mary's Birth", Kirchstrasse.
the ship itself is usually cordoned off by a steel grille, but the vestibule can be entered.
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- 2 Protestant church, on the city street. Now open again after extensive renovation work.
Castles
- 3 Monschau Castle. Located above the city and used as a youth hostel and venue for concerts and similar performances.
- 4 Haller. Medieval fortifications of controversial origin. Just below is a viewing platform with a good overview of the old town.
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Buildings
- 5 Red House, Laufenstrasse 10. Tel.: 49 (0)2472 50 71. The ancestral seat of the Scheibler family of cloth makers impresses with its well-preserved furnishings in the style of that time (18th century). A special highlight is the hand-carved railing of the wooden staircase, which is several stories high. Guided tours can be taken at regular intervals.
- 6 House Troistorff. The building, which is usually only called "Green House" or "Couven House" by the locals, is located not far from the Red House and is adorned with an elaborate light installation in the windows in winter. In addition, there is a branch of the Monschau registry office where weddings can be carried out for an additional fee. In front of the building is a stylized tree with leaves made of glass panes on which the names of some wedding couples are engraved.
Museums
- 7 Monschau glassworks, Burgau 15, 52156 Monschau,. Tel.: 49(0)2472 8025785, Fax: 49(0)2472 8025787, Email: [email protected].
- 8 Weiss printing museum, Am Handwerkerzentrum 16, 52156 Monschau. Tel.: 49 (0)2472 98 29 82, Fax: 49 (0)2472 98 21 05.
- 9 Mustard mill Monschau, Laufenstrasse 118, 52156 Monschau. Tel.: 49 (0)2472 2245, Fax: 49 (0)2472 5999, Email: [email protected].
- 10 Art and cultural center of the Aachen city region, Austraße 9, 52156 Monschau. Tel.: 49 (0)2472 80 31 94, Email: [email protected]. With changing exhibitions.
Parks
- Spa gardens
activities
- Monschau classic - Open-air festival with an annually changing program and international performers. See the program www.monschau-klassik.de
- Monschau Christmas Market with a living crib. Every weekend in Advent, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The performances of the living nativity scene take place on Saturdays and Sundays in the brewery museum; however, in 2017 these performances were canceled due to organizational problems. monschau-weihnachtsmarkt.de
- Rail biking in the High Fens - Draisine route with bicycle carts from Monschau-Kalterherberg to Sourbrodt (journey time about 45 minutes). Further information: www.railbike.be
- Bike tours to Belgium - runs above Monschau with the Vennbahn a 125 km long railway cycle path. This route opens up the German-speaking part Belgium largely, but you can also get to Aachen quickly.
- Monschau marathon - a demanding marathon through the Monschau region. It is held every year on the 2nd Sunday in August.
- Many smaller sporting competitions, some also in the neighboring urban areas (Canoe race, Vennlauf, Etc).
shop
Basically in the old town there are mainly tourist-oriented shops that offer souvenirs and all kinds of "Klimbim" and clothing. Only in the lower Laufenstrasse, opposite the Troistorff house, is there a small, well-stocked grocery store. Several bakeries and cafés as well as many gastronomic establishments (including some with street sales) take care of the physical well-being, even if you are hungry in between meals.
- Many shops are also open on Sundays. However, the prices are often excessive.
- Specialties: Printen, mustard, Monschauer Dütchen, Monschauer Venn-Brocken.
- There is a small shopping center in the Imgenbroich district, including a department store (Victor) with everything you need (clothes, housewares, stationery, sports department, etc.), a health food store, several bakers, supermarkets (Aldi, Lidl, Netto , Kaufland, Real), 2 textile discount stores as well as a construction and electronics store each.
kitchen
Most of the restaurants in Monschau are touristic; the menus of the restaurants usually offer the usual, overpriced and qualitatively not necessarily outstanding dishes from breaded schnitzel to grilled plates. It is by no means easy to find a reasonable price / performance ratio in the old town. In many restaurants, meat (be it as sliced meat, schnitzel, steak, etc.) in "Monschauer mustard sauce" is a "specialty", which is obviously a must here, but has only emerged in the last few years. As a general rule, restaurants in Monschau should be prepared for a higher price level.
- Monschauer Dütchen are small, crispy egg biscuits that were invented in Café Rur in 1853. They are filled with cream, ice cream and fruits, there are many options. Today you can try them in many Monschau pastry shops and cafés.
Cheap
medium
Upscale
- The 'Schnabuleum' is located in a listed quarry stone house opposite the historic mustard mill. In a cozy atmosphere there are sometimes quite unusual creations with ... mustard! Warm meals are available for lunch from 12 noon to 2.30 p.m. and in the evening from 6 to 9:30 p.m. The current menu can be studied on the homepage, and you can also reserve a table online. Schnabuleum
- In Höfen, in the Alzen district, there has been a restaurant "Zaunkönig" for many years, offering upscale Mediterranean cuisine (and prices at the same price), Turkish influences in a pleasant atmosphere. Kauferberg 23, 52156 Monschau, Germany.
- Between the old town and the Hague, chef Klaus Zimmermanns has taken over the family business for several years after completing his apprenticeship in star gastronomy and offers high-quality cuisine at an acceptable price / performance ratio. Hubertusklause, Bergstrasse 45, 52156 Monschau.
nightlife
A real nightlife in the true sense of the word doesn't exist in the old town due to the age structure. The best places to meet are in the two opposite restaurants "zum Haller" and "MON-Bistro" (both on Eschbachstrasse, on the bridge to the market) or in the "Braukeller" (Hotel Horchem, Rurstrasse 14). Young people tend to go out to Aachen or to the pubs in the surrounding villages.
However, it should be noted that it can sometimes be difficult to find seats in a pub or restaurant, especially in the context of large events (e.g. the Christmas market on the Advent weekends).
accommodation
- Campsites
- In Monschau and the surrounding villages (districts) there are numerous hotels, holiday apartments and rooms, there should be something for every budget.
Learn
Kindergartens are represented in all 7 city districts.
The primary schools are located in the districts of Mützenich (with a sub-location in Höfen) and Konzen (with a sub-location in Imgenbroich).
In the area of secondary schools in Monschau you will find the following schools sponsored by the Nordeifel School Association (the school association is supported by the communities of Roetgen, Hürtgenwald and Simmerath and the city of Monschau):
- St. Michael High School
- Elwin Christoffel Secondary School
- Community secondary school Monschau-Roetgen-Simmerath.
There is also the Bischöfl. Girls' secondary school St. Ursula in the sponsorship of the diocese
Other educational institutions are:
- VHS - Volkshochschule Südkreis Aachen
- Monschau music school
- AZJ - Training Center of Justice NRW
Work
- Possibly you can work at a large printing company.
security
health
Due to its demographic structure (senior citizens make up the majority of the old town's population), Monschau has a large number of medical practices, both in the old town and in the surrounding area. The closest hospital is in Simmerath, on the other hand, there has been no pharmacy in the old town for several years (but Imgenbroich, approx. 3 km from the old town, has several pharmacies).
Fire brigade / ambulance / emergency doctor control center: Tel. 112
Practical advice
Since tourism is one of the city's main sources of income, tourists are generally well prepared. You can count on a basic knowledge of French and Dutch practically everywhere, in the times before the introduction of the euro it was a matter of course that all restaurants and shops also accept Belgian francs and Dutch guilders as a means of payment. Today, most tourists come from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, in addition to Germany.
ATMs are located at the branches of the Sparkasse Aachen (Laufenstrasse) and the Raiffeisenbank (Rurstrasse).
Public toilets are located at the silk factory next to the entrance to the parking garage not far from the "Parkhaus" bus stop.
- 1 Monschau tourism, Stadtstrasse 16, 52156 Monschau. Tel.: 49(0)2472 8048 0, Fax: 49(0)2472 4534. Open: daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
trips
- House Ternell halfway to Eupen
- Neighboring places in Germany
- Simmerath (Direct connection by bus line 82; some of it runs as a minibus)
- Schleiden (few bus connections a day, mostly with a change in Simmerath)
- Hellenthal (few bus connections per day, with changes in Simmerath and Schleiden)
- Roetgen (direct bus connection)
- in Belgium
- Eupen, Center of the German-speaking minority in Belgium; There is a direct bus connection on weekends
- Waimes, with the headwaters of the Rur
- Butgenbach
- Büllingen
literature
Web links
http://www.monschau.de - Official website of Monschau
