Aubel

Aubel (in Walloon Åbe ) is a common French-speaking of Belgium located in Walloon region in the Province of Liege, with the Pays of Herve.

It counts at July 1st 2004 4.048 inhabitants (1.992 men and 2.056 women) for a surface of 18,91 km ². The commune is close to the Fourons, commune belonging to the Flemish province of Limbourg.

The rivers of the Berwinne and the Bel drain the commune.

Of memory of man, Aubel was always the economic center of the Country of Herve, grace in particular to its market with the grains which perduré to us to become a twice-weekly market with the fresh produce (Tuesday and Sunday).

Aubel knew to evolve/move with its time and the village became a capital pole of the Belgian agro-alimentary sector: meats, pork-butcheries, syrups, ciders, cookies, beers…! The companies aubeloises made of Aubel a true label, contributing to the noble letters of the village.

Aubel conceals also a preserved nature and knew to keep beautiful traces of its past, with the Abbaye of Valley-God (XIIIe century) and of many buildings, farms and vaults which one can discover with the turning of one strolls on the communal territory.

Aubel, it is also a fabric horeca of the first quality and - especially a population which will always reserve warm welcome to you.

History

As in good of other places, the local legend allots the construction of the first vault of Aubel to a lord mislaid with hunting in the thick forest which covered the area at that time remote and finding again its way with the invocation of Hubert Saint, the owner of the hunters.

At all events, the name of Aubel appears for the first time in 1248 pennies the Whitebait shape. Undoubtedly must one see in this name the Latin “albula”, “small (river the) white one”. What could be more normal, in a place where limestone abounds?

Undoubtedly in this XIIe - XIIIe century, the territory of Aubel, populated more and more, is detached it round of applause from Fouron to constitute a new round of applause with court of justice of which one called at the High court of Fouron-the-Count. In the middle of XIIIe century, the agglomeration is sufficiently developed to have in its center a priest serving the vault dedicated to Saint Hubert. It is not however which in 1395 qu' it takes the title of priest of Aubel.

At the XVIIe century, the round of applause of Aubel is classified already long time among most important of the country of Dalhem. Also Aubelois ask for their sovereign the authorization of hold gone each week in their walls. The granting is granted on August 28th, 1630, thus devoting the vitality of the old borough. And some time after its creation, the market appears already as the most important center of the trade of grains, at the same time as it is used as discharge system for dairy produces of the heart of the country of Herve.

But here are, the ceaseless wars with the United Provinces oblige the king of Spain, our sovereign, to get finances. Thus it on sale puts the rights of “lord high retributive” in many villages. And it is on March 30th, 1643 that Philippe IV engages, then sells the seigniory of Aubel to Jean-Rodolphe d' Imstenraedt, lord of Mheer. In 1668, the seigniory will pass to the barons de Loë. The last lord of Aubel is besides the baron Gerard de Loë-Imstenraedt.

From these moved back times, Aubelois preserved a great number of constructions. One of most remarkable is certainly “Old Aubel”, ancient masonry of XVIe century, restored in 1700. The pinion has stages in bored half-timbering of small typical bays.

The castles of Altena and Gorhez are as for them good examples of residences of the rural middle-class of old mode. The first date of 1620 and marks by its robustness, its ditches, its machicolations and its door in semicircular arch in withdrawal in a rectangle where came to be raised the drawbridge. The second was set up in 1767: its lines are finer and its structure of style Louis XIV, more elegant. One finds here all happiness to live XVIIIe century!

An event still marked the history of Aubel: it is the plot against the French occupant. Joined together many in the night of from February 8th to 9th 1799 in the farm of Stroevenbosch, entreated were to surprise a French detachment in winter quarter to the Wood-Red. Alas, the French, informed thanks to a treason, thwarted the plot by making irruption in the farm. Of the six prisoners, four were carried out behind the door of the Léonard rampart in Liege on April 7th, 1799.

Localities

Saint-Jean-Sart and Clouse.

Economy

Aubel is famous for its many agro-alimentary productions: Pork-butchery, Cheese, Syrup of Liege, Cider and Beer. The cheeses of Herve and the Abbey of Valley-God are manufactured by the regional dairy of Herve.

Localization

Aubel is in the east of Belgium, in the Province of Liege, the district of Verviers and on the Plate of Herve.

Aubel is located at 235 meters of altitude on a plate dominating two valleys, that of Berwinne and that of the Beautiful one. Its surface is of 1.883 hectares and its population is composed of a little more than 4.000 inhabitants (Aubeloises and Aubelois).

Six communes delimit our territory: Dalhem, Fourons (Voeren), Herve, Plombières, Thimister-Clermont and Welkenraedt.

The village is close to the Netherlands and Germany. Aubel is localized in the center of the triangle Liege-Maastricht-Aachen (Aachen), strategic position in the middle of Eurégio.

See too

Abbey of Valley-God

External bonds

Site of the Municipal authorities

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