a. Direct Route by Namur and Liège.
By Express (viâ Compiêgne, St. Quentin and Haumont) from the
Station du Nord in 12 hrs., by ordinary trains in 15—18 hrs.; fares 58 fr.
95 c. and 43 fr. 90 c. The luggage of passengers provided with through-tickets
is examined on their arrival at Cologne. First-class passengers only
are conveyed by the express trains. The second-class carriages of the French
and Belgian lines are far inferior in comfort to those of the German
railways.
At Creil (p. 208) the trains for Boulogne, Calais and Brussels
diverge from the direct line from Paris to Cologne.
Compiègne (*La Cloche; Hôtel de France; Soleil d'Or) has
for centuries been a favourite residence of the monarchs of France.
The Château (accessible on Sundays during the absence of the
imperial family), erected by Louis XV., was considerably enlarged
by Napoleon I., who here received his bride Marie Louise. The
extensive forest, which covers an area of 40,000 acres, was a favourite
resort of Charles X. and is annually visited by the present
emperor, whose partiality for field-sports is well known. The
town itself (12,137 inhab) contains little to interest the traveller,
with the exception of the handsome Hôtel de Ville, a late Gothic
edifice, and the churches of St. Jacques and St. Antoine. Near
the bridge is an ancient, dilapidated tower, where, May 25th
1430, Joan of Arc was taken prisoner by the Burgundians. She
had conducted a sally from the town, which was besieged by the
duke, but as she was about to re-enter it, the portenllis was
dropped by the commandant who was jealous of her reputation
and she was thus betrayed to her enemies.
Noyon, the next station of importance, possesses an interesting
church of the 12th or 13th cent. Birthplace of Calvin (1509)
the house still exists.
Chauny, a small but ancient town, is partly situated on at
island in the Oise, which is here connected with St. Quentin by
means of a canal. (St. Gobain, 12 M. to the E., contains the
most extensive manufactory of mirrors in France.) At Tergnier is a
vast establishment for the construction of locomotives and railway
carriages. A branch line here diverges to Rheims and Epernay
(p. 253). — About 12 M. to the W. of Montescourt stands the
castle of Ham, where the ministers of Charles X. were confined
during 6 years after the revolution of July, 1830. Louis Napo-
leon was also imprisoned here after the unsuccessful descent upon
Boulogne in 1840, as were the generals Changarnier, Lamoricière,
Cavaignac and others, after the coup d'état of Dec. 2nd, 1851.
St. Quentin (*Hôtel du Cygne), a fortified town on the Somme,
with a population of 31,790, the Augusta Veromanduorum of the
Romans, is one of the most important linen and cotton manufacturing
towns in France. It is connected with the Scheldt by
means of a canal, and derives its supplies of coal from the extensive
mines of Hainault. The Church is a pure Gothic structure
and well merits attention. The Hôtel de Ville, dating from
the 15th cent., is in the same style as the beautiful Belgian
town-halls of the same period. Here, in 1557, the great battle
between the Spaniards with their English, German and Flemish
auxiliaries, under the Duke of Savoy, and the French, under
Coligny and the Constable Montmorency, was fought, in which
the latter were signally defeated.
At stat. Haumont the most direct line from Paris to Brussels
diverges. The preceding stat. Landrecies and the following stat.
Maubeuge are two small French fortresses.
Jeumont is the last French and Erquelines the first Belgian
station. Thuin is picturesquely situated on an eminence. A more
interesting district, through which the Sambre winds, is now
entered.
Charleroi (Pays Bas, Grand Monarque), the most modern
town in Belgium was founded by Charles II. of Spain about the
middle of the 17th cent. It is connected with Brussels by means
of a canal, an important means of communication in this animated
and industrial district. The railway to Brussels also diverges here.
The train now passes several stations with extensive foundries
and frequently crosses the Sambre.
Namur (*Hôtel de Harscamp; *Hôtel de Hollande; *Bellevue)
the strongly fortified capital of this province of Belgium, with a
population of 24,716, is beautifully situated at the confluence of
the Meuse and Sambre. The town contains nothing particularly
worthy of mention. In the vicinity a sanguinary conflict took
place in 1815, a few days after the battle of Waterloo, between
French and Prussian troops. The cemetery contains a monument
to the memory of the Prussians who fell on the occasion.
Huy (Aigle Noir), which possesses a strong citadel and a fine
Gothic church, is in a remarkably picturesque situation. On an
eminence near Flémalle rises the castle of Chokier, and beyond it
that of Aigremont. Seraing is celebrated for its iron foundries,
coal mines etc. The train continues to follow the course of the
Meuse and soon reaches
Liége (Hôtels: *de Suède, R. 2½ fr. and upwards, D. 3 fr.; Bellevue;
de l'Europe; d'Angleterre; Schiller; railway restaurant
at the station), the picturesquely situated capital (89,411 inhab.)
of the Walloon district, gradually rising to a considerable height
above the river. The extensive manufactories of weapons, cutlery,
machines etc. consume a large proportion of the coal yielded by
the mines in the vicinity. The forest of lofty chimneys on the
height near the citadel afford abundant proof of the industrial
character of the district.
Travellers whose time is limited should confine their attention
to the Palais de Justice and the churches of St. Jacques and
St. Paul.
The Palais de Justice (Pl. 24), erected in 1523 in the Renaissance
style, possesses a remarkably peculiar, half Moorish colonnade.
Till 1792 it was the residence of the archbishops,
whose see had hitherto belonged to the German empire. The
N. wing, added in 1852 in the original style, is the Hôtel du
Gouvernement.
The Church of St. Paul (Cathédrale, Pl. 5) contains several
fine pictures and an admirably carved modern pulpit by Geefs.
The choir dates from the close of the 13th cent., the nave and
other parts were completed in 1557.
The Church of St. Jacques (Pl. 18) is a splendid example of
late Gothic, erected 1522—1538, and gorgeously decorated.
Soon after quitting Liége[1]
, the train passes the extensive
zinc-foundry of the Vieille Montagne company. To the right, the
picturesque watering-place Chaudfontaine; to the left, the château
of La Rochette; r. Le Trooz, the château of Fraipont on an eminence,
Nessonvaux, the "Château des Masures" and Pepinster,
junction for Spa (½ hr.).
Verviers (Hôtel du Chemin de Fer; Pays Bas with a population
of nearly 30,000, consists almost exclusively of manufactories,
the residences of their owners and the habitations of the operatives,
and contains nothing to interest the traveller. — Carriages
changed here.
Near Dolhain, picturesquely situated in the valley of the
Vesdre, the ancient ruined fortress of Limburg is seen on an
eminence, the sole remnant of the once flourishing capital of the
duchy of that name.
Herbesthal is the Prussian frontier-station. Beyond it the
train passes through two tunnels and then descends to the ancient
imperial city of
Aix-la-Chapelle (Hôtels: *Dremel; *Nuellens; de l'Empereur;
Hoyer, moderate; at the station, Royal, Chemin de Fer and
Paris. — English Church in the Anna Strasse), with a population of
68,000. The Town-hall, erected in 1358, has been judiciously
restored and adorned with beautiful modern frescoes. — The
Cathedral, a portion of which was erected by Charlemagne in
796—804, is a most interesting monument of early Christian
architecture, but unfortunately disfigured by modern additions.
The tomb of Charlemagne (d. 814), indicated by the inscription
"Carolo Magno", situated in the centre of the octagonal portion
of the church, was opened by Otto II. in the year 1000. The
body of the great emperor was found seated on a marble throne,
which was afterwards employed for the coronation ceremonies, and
is still to be seen in the "Hochmünster" or gallery. The church
also contains many interesting relics and valuable ecclesiastical
vessels (fee 1 thlr. for 1—8 pers). — The
Sulphur-baths of Aix
and the contiguous town of
Burtscheid (or
Borcette) are much
frequented.
Beyond Aix-la-Chapelle the district traversed is picturesque
and continues to present the same animated and industrial aspect.
After emerging from the long tunnel of Kœnigsdorf, the train
reaches the rich and fertile plain which extends from this point
to Cologne (see "Baedeker's Rhine").
