Vaals combines a multifaceted architectural and religious history with the Vaalserberg and its hiking trails. Cultural landmarks include churches, a museum and traces of local history; the focus around the Vaalserberg is on rolling countryside, hiking trails and the Three-Country Viewpoint.
Church Art and Architecture in Vaals
Museum Vaals displays more than 200 church and monastery figures, as well as other religious Neo-Gothic art dating from 1850 to 1920. During a museum visit, the route leads through the nave to the altar, accompanied by Gregorian chant. The complex includes a Neo-Romanesque monastery chapel, built in 1908 at the behest of the Camillian Fathers. It was designated a Rijksmonument in 1995 for its cultural-historical and architectural value. The collection, chant and sacred architecture each give the visit its own cultural dimension.
The Sint-Pauluskerk can also be understood through its architectural form: it is a three-aisled Neo-Gothic cruciform basilica, with a tall tower at the right corner of the front façade. The building is considered a characteristic work by architect Johannes Kayser (1842–1917) and is inspired by North German Brick Gothic. The Hervormde Kerk was added in 1671 to a Romanesque sandstone tower. A former medieval church served as a place of worship for both Catholics and Protestants from 1649 to 1671. Vaals thus brings together different architectural styles alongside a history of shared religious use.
De Kopermolen adds another link between buildings and cultural life. The arts and cultural centre is housed in a former Evangelical Lutheran church built in 1736 by Lutherans from the Aachen area. The building is used for exhibitions, concerts and municipal receptions. If an event is a deciding factor in your plans, check the date in advance.
Townscape, Estate and Local History
Vaals has protected village-scape status because of its townscape, which is shaped by historic buildings. The town has more than 160 Rijksmonumenten, mostly in the distinctive Aachen-Liège Baroque style, unique in the Netherlands. The present-day town hall was built in 1765 by Johann Arnold von Clermont and his wife, Maria Elisabeth Sophie Emminghaus. Von Clermont set it up as a cloth factory, as well as partly a residence and office.
The Vaalsbroek complex is a U-shaped group of buildings erected in 1739 on the site of a late-medieval castle. The Vaalsbroek estate also includes the Vaalsbroekermolen, a watermill, and a mausoleum belonging to the Von Clermont family. These features draw attention to the form of the ensemble, its architectural history and the buildings associated with the estate.
At the Vaals’er Markttapijt, an area of concrete paving stones features a multicoloured woven-cloth design. The square provides space for events and the weekly market; it also has a fountain area with 44 nozzles. De Klèng Wach offers a different perspective on border history: the former customs house, dating from around 1890, is furnished with photographs, maps and boundary stones. The oldest reliably documented evidence of Jewish life in Vaals dates back to 1737. A memorial to the victims of war and the Nazi era stands beside a former church. It bears the names, where known, of all Jewish residents of Vaals who were murdered.
Vaalserberg, Hiking Trails and the Three-Country Viewpoint
The Vaalserberg reaches 322.5 metres above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum (NAP). Its vegetation resembles an extension of the Vijlenerbos: tall conifers and large bracken grow on soft forest soil. There are numerous hiking routes on the Vaalserberg. The easy Rundwandeling Joods Vaals circular walk is 3.6 kilometres long; check the route conditions before setting out. The Rundum Kasteel Vaalsbroek walk starts at Kasteel Vaalsbroek and follows hiking junctions into the hilly countryside behind the estate. Elevation changes open up views across the rolling hills along the way.
The Drielandenpunt lies near the highest point of the Vaalserberg, where the borders of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet. The Wilhelminatoren offers views across all three countries and features a skywalk 35 metres above the ground. The tower reopened in its current form in 2011. Alongside the hiking trails, a viewpoint and this distinctive border location are further themes to consider when planning your trip.
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