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Home > Travel Europe > Europe Destinations > Verviers
Verviers
Europe is one of the five inhabited traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea. On the east, Europe is divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains and by the Caspian Sea. Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area and third-largest continent after Asia and Africa in population.
Verviers is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liege. It is the third biggest town in the Liege province and an important regional center, conveniently located roughly halfway between Liege and the German border. Verviers is Wallonia's water capital. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy. It has an area of 33.07 square kilometers and a population of 53,597 as of 2006. It has a density of 1,621 per square kilometers.
Various flint and bone fragments, as well as Roman coins, were found in this area, attesting to the early settlements in the region. The Verviers area was covered with forests and became a hunting ground for the Merovingian kings, who maintained a vicus in neighboring Theux. It was also slowly christianized by the monks of the nearby Abbey of Stavelot. The city has a number of interesting fountains and thematic strolling paths. The Grand Theatre, also known as La Bonbonnire, was built in the same style at the end of the 19th century, while the Grand Poste was built in the Neogothic style.
Verviers was home to a thriving wool and textile industry that was renowned for its quality. It contributed greatly to the wealth of the town. However, as of the 1950's, the local factories could not face international competition and started closing one after the other which prompted the economic decline of the town. The economy has been slowly recovering since the mid-1990's but remains fragile. Several commercial complexes have opened in recent years in an attempt to revitalize the most affected areas.
The industrial development in this municipality has been a determining factor for its economic growth and population and although the industry is losing force in the last decades, the might of the sector services continues attracting new inhabitants in the city.
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