Malmedy

Malmedy and its neighbor, Stavelot, formed a separate, peaceful principality, ruled by abbots, for 11 centuries before the French Revolution. The Congress of Vienna, redrawing the borders of Europe, handed it to Germany, and it was not reunited with Belgium until 1925. In a scene straight out of Catch-22, the center of Malmedy was destroyed by American bombers in 1944—after the town had already been liberated. Still, there’s enough left of the old town for an interesting walk. And either of the twin towns is an ideal place to stay while exploring the Hautes Fagnes.