Easter Tour 2022 (La Gileppe, Castle of Franchimont, Robertville, Castle of Reinhardstein)
It is Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022. The sun has just risen and it will be a bright day. The sheep lie comfortably in the meadow. But the Easter bunny is nowhere to be found.
Even with the chickens there's not a single Easter egg. But fortunately our grandsons Anthony and Joey are with us. And they are going to join us on a trip today.
Hey Anthony, where are we now? The Gileppe dam, in French "barrage de la Gileppe", is a dam in the Belgian province of Liège, in the municipalities of Jalhay and Baelen and is located on the lake of Gileppe in the High Fens. The original wall was the oldest concrete dam wall in Europe. The complex was officially opened on 28 July 1878 by King Leopold the 2nd. The water absorption capacity of the reservoir was then 13 million m³, with an area of 86 hectares.
The original purpose of the dam was to provide usable water for the textile industry, in the surroundings of Verviers. In the period 1968-1971, the dam was raised by more than 10 m. Since then, the capacity of the lake has been 26.5 million m³ for an area of 130 hectares. Together with the Vesder dam in Eupen, the lake now provides drinking water. A hydroelectric power plant was installed that uses the energy of the water decay of 42.9 meters
and the flow rate of an average of 76,300 m³ per day. 2 Francis turbines drive a 320 kilowatt generator each. The plant provides an annual production of electricity of 3.3 million kilo-watt-hours. The main feature of the dam is a 13.5 meter high and 130 ton weight lion made of sandstone, a sculpture by Félix Bouré. The lion stands on top of the dam wall and was placed so that it proudly looks out in the direction of the border with the former Prussia only 5 kilometers away, now Eupen Hey Anthony and where are we now? Castle of Franchimont The Castle of Franchimont is the ruin of a castle, which was built in the 11th century on a rock in the Belgian Ardennes that dominates the valley of the Hoëgne.
It is located in the municipality of Theux in the province of Liège. The high castle was built after the bishop of Liège gained secular power in part of his diocese. It was to protect Liège along the east side. Initially it was no more than a barracks.
The largest expansion took place in the 16th century under prince-bishop Everhard van der Marck. Shortly afterwards the artillery was improved to such an extent, that the castle could be shot at from the surrounding hills; as a result, it lost its military role. The castle was also the seat of the Margraviate of Franchimont; it served as a prison for the five jurisdictional areas of the Margraviate.
Under the French occupation, the castle was declared a national property and sold to an entrepreneur, who dismantled it and operated it as a quarry. Can't you get any further? - No, it's the end Anthony look, at this way you could escape.... through this hatch. Oh, these are loopholes. - Yes. What is that? Here is a room. A kind of prison? Yes! - No actually not.
It's just something with a staircase up. There comes a fast boy. He is in a hurry. I am with you, also! Oh, how nice..... we're now in the town of Spa. Nice buildings here.
We should come here some other time at ease Oh, here on the right... ...monumental dam. Oh, aren't we allowed to go straight or what? What are they doing now, for God's sake! Yep... Uphills! Hey Joey, where are we now? The dam of Robertville, but it's now temporary under construction Well hey... ...that's nice! Bye! They don't see us! What a nice horn! Lake Robertville is a Belgian reservoir on the Warche River. The lake is located on the territory of the municipality of Weismes in the town of Robertville and has an area of 62 hectares.
The dam was built in 1924 and was completed in 1928 and has a height of 55 meters. It was used to supply Malmedy with drinking water and electricity from a hydroelectric power plant. The lake is located in the Belgian East Cantons, on the edge of the plateau of the High Fens. It is a tourist attraction for water sports enthusiasts. In February 2010, the lake was almost completely emptied for maintenance.
Almost at Reinhardstein, over there. - What is that? A castle. Well, it's still a long way off, isn't it? Yes! We won't get close, also! Walking, walking...
Reinhardstein Castle, also known as Burg Metternich, is located in the Ardennes, near the Liège town of Ovifat, on the river Warche, near the point where it leaves the reservoir of Robertville. Reinhardstein is the highest castle in all of Belgium. Near the castle, the Reinhardstein waterfall plunges into the Warche.
The high castle was built in 1354 by Reinout van Weismes. It lies on a rocky outcropping in the river valley and is now completely surrounded by forest. Through inheritances and marriages it successively came into the hands of the Nesselrode, Nassau, Schwartzenberg families and finally from 1550 to 1812 in the possession of the Counts of Metternich, except between 1795-1798 when the French revolutionary administration confiscated it.
Franz Georg Karl, Count of Metternich-Winnenburg-Beilstein, sold the family estate in 1812 to a building materials dealer. From 1815 to 1919 the area belonged to Prussia. The Prussian administration immediately stopped the demolition and tried to protect the monument. After the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, it became Belgian territory.
Do you still remember?... Pyrenées? - Yes! We found a better way! From 1969 the castle was thoroughly renovated by the new owner Professor Jean Overloop. After the reconstruction, he continued to live there until his death in 1994. His wife and daughter, who inherited the castle after his death, donated it to a non-profit organization. Hi Joey! Anthony? Look in the mirror? Well, this was Robertville! On that side the water, on the other side a hole! And a very high bump Oh, this is nice?! Nice and cool! Beautiful water...
Well Panda, do you still like it, too? I suppose so... The Tank Monument is a war memorial in Elsenborn in the Belgian municipality of Bütgenbach. This monument is located west of Camp Elsenborn on the roundabout where the N669 ends at the N647. The monument is actually not a tank but an Armored Howitzer M108. The monument commemorates the battle of the Elsenborn, part of the Battle of the Bulge. In addition, the Fifth Corps of the First US Army closed off the German troops.
Just tell where we are... - We are at the bikerranch! There is still a pavilion available. Look, over there! - Hold it tight well (camera) Finally sitting What place are we here? - The Bikerranch!
2022-04-27 23:59
