Warche: half-timbering, pears, and a slate cross

Warche is a hamlet of the city of Malmedy. It seems so insignificant that you won't find anything about it on the tourist site of Malmedy. Before the merger of municipalities in 1977, Warche was part of the municipality of Bellevaux-Ligneuville. The hamlet lies on the right bank of the Amblève and the Warche. The latter river flows into the Amblève about a hundred meters east of the hamlet, but you don't notice that here.

The settlement located at the end of a road that transitions into a forest path at the Rocher de Warche has a fairly concentrated character. The hamlet has a small number of old farms, most of which are built from rubble stone. Some are still half-timbered houses. According to old tradition, fruit trees are planted in espalier along the sunny side, usually pears.

Furthermore, you can see here – spread out and a bit hidden – two crosses in the blue slate of Recht. One was erected for a resident from Crombach, which is about 25 kilometers away. It dates from 1909. At that time, this area belonged to Prussia. The other cross is harder to find: the arms seem to be missing. Pay special attention to the typical decoration.

Jan Rymenams