In Western Germany, travelers can visit the incredibly charming town of Monschau. It attracts foreign guests as much as the big cities of the country. Monschau is situated in the valley of the picturesque Rur River, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia not far from the Belgian border. Why is this small town so attractive to tourists? Monschau is a great place to feel the atmosphere of the seventeenth century. This is the period when Monschau was developing and prospering. Even worldwide conflicts didn’t inflict much damage to the town. Monschau hasn’t lost its tidy and charming look. The air is very clean and fresh here, making it very pleasant to walk in this settlement. The first mentions of the settlement on the site of modern Monschau date back to 1198. This is when the documents mention Monschau Castle – the building later gave its name to the town. The beautiful castle became widely famous throughout the country. In 1433, the dukes of Julich bought the castle in order to turn it into their residence. In the coming centuries, several ruling forces changed in the town. Many leaders tried to capture the small but cozy and picturesque town. In 1795, the French were the rulers in the whole region of North Rhine-Westphalia. The invaders changed the town’s name from Monschau to Montjoie. During the French reign, the small town turned into an important center of the canton, which in its turn was a part of the Roer department. That being said, the
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