La Roche-en-Ardenne (; ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Wallonia Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...

located in the province of Luxembourg and the arrondissement of

Marche-en-Famenne Marche-en-Famenne (; ; literally "Marche in Famenne") is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The municipality consists of the following districts: Aye, Hargimont, Humain, Marche-en-Famenne, ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. Lying beside a bend in the River Ourthe, the small town of La Roche-en-Ardenne is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

. Its name is derived from its position on a rock commanding the river. On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 147.52 km², had 4,348 inhabitants, giving a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 29.5 inhabitants per km². The municipality consists of the following

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

Beausaint Beausaint () is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of La Roche-en-Ardenne, located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. The present-day village is located where a Roman road connecting Trier with Bavay passed; around 50 ...

, Halleux,

Hives Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red or flesh-colored, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and typically ...

, La Roche-en-Ardenne, Ortho, and

Samrée Samrée () is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of La Roche-en-Ardenne, located in the Luxembourg (Belgium), province of Luxembourg, Belgium.. Samrée is located at an altitude of between and above sea level. The village ...

. Other population centres include Bérismenil, Buisson, Cielle, Floumont, Herlinval, Hubermont, Lavaux, Maboge, Mierchamps, Mousny, Nisramont, Ronchampays, Ronchamps, Roupage, Thimont, Vecmont, and Warempage.

Geography

La Roche-en-Ardenne is located between the E25 Liège-Luxembourg and the N4 motorways. More than half of the municipal area (about ) is covered in forests and is arable land, and only has been built on. The division between deciduous and coniferous forests is more or less equal.

History

La Roche is believed to have first been settled in the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

era. There is a Celtic archaeological site dating between 850 and 520 BC. The Romans built a fort there following their conquest of Gaul and the Ardennes. The town's medieval castle was in use between the 9th and 18th centuries. It provided protection to the many barges that plied their trade along the local river systems. It may have been the site of a

sporting lodge In Great Britain and Ireland a sporting lodge – also known as a hunting lodge, hunting box, fishing hut, shooting box, or shooting lodge – is a building designed to provide wikt:lodging, lodging for those practising the sports of Fox hunting, ...

of Pippin, and certainly the counts of La Roche held it in

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

from his descendants, the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

rulers. In the 12th century they sold it to the counts of Luxembourg. In 1331, permission to build city walls was given by John the Blind, King of Bohemia and Poland and a Count of Luxembourg. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the town was occupied by both

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and Allied forces, suffering severe damage. Freed by Americans in September 1944, the town was recaptured by the Germans in December, during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

. The subsequent Allied bombing raids resulted in the town being reoccupied by Americans once more in January 1945, but left much of it destroyed and 116 residents dead. An American Sherman M4A1 tank and a British Achilles SP 17pdr are displayed as monuments to the town's liberation. In town also is a memorial to the

82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion The 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion was a part of the 2nd Armored Division (United States), 2nd Armored Division, and was activated July 15, 1940, at Fort Benning, Georgia, for World War II. The organization was made up of trained men, from ...

. In 1976 there was a merger of administrative districts in the area that resulted in the municipality of La Roche-en-Ardennes.

, Halleux,

, Ortho and

were joined by Cielle detached from Marcourt, now within the municipality of Rendeux.

Economy

Hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

, and

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

are among the outdoor pursuits available here. The municipality's other main economic activity is agriculture. A business park was established on the plateau Vecmont to diversify the local economy. The ceramic stoneware of La Roche (cobalt blue pottery, glazed with salt) is a local tradition, initiated in 1836 by Henry Hoffman, a native of Ransbach in the Duchy of Nassau. The production was revived in 1878 by the family Kalb and continued until 2009 by several successors. There is a permanent exhibition of this tradition.

Governance

Like other Belgian Municipalities, the town is governed by a Communal College, whose membership is determined by the size of the population. In 2012, that was the Mayor, Town Clerk and 3 Alderman. An elected City Council determined what local taxes are spent and on what. As of 2012, this had a membership of 9 councillors.

Sights

There are three main archaeological sites: * Le Cheslé de Bérismenil, a Celtic refuge * le Cheslin d'Ortho, a Roman refuge * La Roche-en-Ardenne Castle There is the Parc à Gibier, a small wild game park on the top of the plateau above the town.

References

External links

Municipality website

AP news report on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
{{Authority control Cities in Wallonia Municipalities of Luxembourg (Belgium)