, wide croissant of ground traveling Wallonia From east to west, offers to the eyes a landscape made of peaks and picturesque valleys surrounded with a large number of woody zones. Numerous sinuous rivers let appear to the bend of a meander the walls of a village in the charm of former days among which 7 are a member "The nicest villages in Wallonia".
Country of castels, bordering on the Famenne and the Belgian Ardennes, the Condroz could be called "the small Belgian Loire".
Country of castels, bordering on the Famenne and the Belgian Ardennes, the Condroz could be called "the small Belgian Loire".
The Condroz
CONDROZ & CLAVIER
Once an enclave in the principality of Liège, the rural municipality of Clavier lies on the border of the three provinces of Liège, Namur and Luxemburg. The landscape shows the typical hills and valleys of Condroz. Together with Bois-et-Borsu, les Avins and Terwagne, Clavier belongs to the eastern part of the Condroz region and borders on the Belgian Ardenne.
The site has been occupied since the prehistoric times and during the Roman era; it was then the centre of a major market. Clavier is one of largest municipalities in Belgium and has the highest density of castles per km2 : the castle of Ochain (with a 17th century façade), the castle-farm of Ponthoz from the 17th century and the castle of Vervoz, whose farming fixtures and the chapel Saint-Hubert form a remarkable 18th century ensemble.
The site has been occupied since the prehistoric times and during the Roman era; it was then the centre of a major market. Clavier is one of largest municipalities in Belgium and has the highest density of castles per km2 : the castle of Ochain (with a 17th century façade), the castle-farm of Ponthoz from the 17th century and the castle of Vervoz, whose farming fixtures and the chapel Saint-Hubert form a remarkable 18th century ensemble.
The municipality of Clavier
Equally noteworthy are the castles of Pair, Pailhe, Saint-Lambert, Amas and Saint-Fontaine. The Seigneurerie (lordship) d’Ochain (to which Clavier, Pair, Ponthoz and le Val used to belong) was long considered as part of the territory of Liège; however, during the 18th century, the Netherlands made it theirs. In a charter from the Val-Saint-Lambert dated 1204, Ochain is read as Oissen ; a document from 1160 shows Clavies for Clavier and another one from 1178 shows Pontes standing for Ponthoz.
Ocquier is a listed village that lies 2 km away from Vervoz. It reflects a unique architectural unity, namely with the Castel du Val d’Or, a farm from the 11th century and also a former post house, la cour des moines (the monks’ court), former priory of the abbey of Stavelot, a wheel mill from the 18th century and the church Saint-Remacle that is listed historic monument.
Ocquier is a listed village that lies 2 km away from Vervoz. It reflects a unique architectural unity, namely with the Castel du Val d’Or, a farm from the 11th century and also a former post house, la cour des moines (the monks’ court), former priory of the abbey of Stavelot, a wheel mill from the 18th century and the church Saint-Remacle that is listed historic monument.
Local writers :
Sorry for only a part translation....
