Juprelle
Juprelle, a rural commune with a pleasant and calm environment, is nestled close to the city of Ardeche and the language border, symbolising its openness to others
Juprelle, a country municipality in a calm and pleasant setting, is nevertheless well connected (railway and road junctions and Liege Airport). Its location at the gates of the Ardent City and near Flanders symbolises its openness to the rest of the world. It was built on loamy, siliceous and marly soils. A thick layer of silt covers the region, with chalky streaks here and there. The municipality is home to about 9,000 people.
It has consisted of nine villages since 1 January 1977, when Fexhe-Slins, Juprelle, Lantin, Liers, Paifve, Slins, Villers-Saint-Siméon, Voroux-lez-Liers and Wihogne came together.
Juprelle grew from a swampy area into a Carolingian estate during the High Middle Ages. A dominion of the Pays de Liège, Juprelle was part of the Saint-Lambert chapter. Its court also held jurisdiction over Villers-Saint-Siméon. Saint Bartholomew's Chapel is first mentioned during the 15th century.
Fexhe and Slins are now two distinct villages. However, this was not always the case. Fexhe and Slins used to be a single dominion under the Ancien régime. It was not until Belgium became independent and many local government reforms were passed that Fexhe and Slins, conjoined for centuries, were separated as a result of a Royal Decree in 1838. Two municipalities and parishes sprang to life.
?Slins is one of the villages with the greatest amount of festivities: the Strawberry Festival, Carnaval and Christmas Market spread a festive and friendly spirit.
Lantin, a village with a strong agricultural character from the beginning which started off as part of the Xhendremael parish, used to belong to the Saint-Lambert chapter, which appointed the members of its court. Burgundian forces sacked the village in 1468 after overcoming the resistance of several hundred Liège soldiers entrenched inside the church. The Fort of Lantin is the heart of the village, with re-enactments, sound and light shows, unique accommodation in former barracks, and exhibitions of historical vehicles. The Fort is also home to the Telephone Museum.
Paifve, crossed by Brunehaut Road, was part of the Duchy of Brabant. Together with Nederhein and Russon, it made up a dominion with a feudal and county court based at Hamal-sous-Russon Castle. These three villages were Redemptiedorpen, which means they were absolved from paying taxes by paying a fixed annual sum to the sovereign. The court was seated in Niederheim.
Villers-Saint-Siméon lies at the crossroads of two ancient Roman roads. One of them (nowadays Brunehaut Road) ran from France to Germany, while the other (nowadays Rue du Tige) linked Amay, Visé and Maastricht. Excavations at the site of La Tombe uncovered the remains of a Roman settlement. After a peaceful period during Pax Romana, around 450 Hesbaye was invaded by the Huns, who razed Villers to the ground. The Franks occupied the region some time later. A man named Siméon became the first lord of Villers.
Voroux-lez-Liers, a village located on the Lower Hesbaye plateau, is ideal for crops and pastures. Its fertile soil made the village focus on agriculture. The suffix "lez-Liers" distinguishes our village from Voroux-Goreux and reflects the fact that it used to be served by the Liers post office. The current municipality corresponds to an old dominion under the jurisdiction of the feudal court in Liège. After a precarious period as a dominion during the Ancien régime, the village gained a comprehensive and advanced bureaucracy under French administration in the Modern Era. These winds of change made Voroux more prosperous, but the Napoleonic Wars drained the villages of manpower as soldiers were conscripted for the Emperor's campaigns. The administrative framework continued to improve over the years.
The name of Wihogne is thought to come from Wisch, a lord who allowed the inhabitants to rebuild their demolished homes. It was first mentioned in a 13th-century text. At the end of the 18th century, Wihogne was under the jurisdiction of the court in Vreren and under French occupation. The old municipality was part of the 1st district of the Ourthe department. One of the first schools was built in 1865 in Wihogne. Wihogne remained isolated from big cities for a long time, but in 1900 it was finally connected to Liège by a tramway. The steam-powered tramway followed what is nowadays Chaussée de Tongres. Wihogne was bombed on Friday, 10 May 1940 and invaded by German troops the next day. American forces liberated the village on 8 September 1944.
Liers is often seen as being inextricably linked to Herstal. However, the small part between the railway and the end of Anixhe is located in Juprelle. The heyday of this small village was probably the construction of the Liers sugar mill. The sugar mill, with its prime location at the centre of an agricultural region with ideal soil for sugar beet, was built in 1870 and remained operational until April 1980. This site was also home to the justice of the peace for some time. On 14 May 1985, soldiers were tasked with dynamiting the tall chimneys. Over 200 people came to pay their last respects to the company, then over a century old.
Juprelle is also a great starting point for pleasant hikes or bicycles rides. The "Bell Tower Route" is a pair of loops approximately 15 and 25 km long where you can wander around safely. This course takes you around town monuments such as the churches, the castle and the activities of townsfolk (strawberry sales, etc.). The full course is roughly 52 km long. The nearby RAVeL offers a wide range of hikes.
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