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Monschau (pop. 13,000) is a historical town in the Eifel mountain range, situated just 2km across the Belgian border. Located in the mountainous Eifel area of North Rhineland-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Monschau lies spectacularly in a valley 30 km south of Aachen.
Historically known as Montjoie, the name was changed to Monschau in 1918. Left unscathed after WWII, it is one of the most beautiful towns in the Rhineland region, or maybe just in Germany. The whole town is dedicated to tourism, and teems with hotels, restaurants,cafés and souvenir shops.
First mentioned in 1198, Montjoie developed around its castle (built inthe 13th century). From 1433, the castle became the seat of the Dukes of Jülich.The town was besieged and plundered by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg in 1543. The Duchy of Jülich passed to the House of Palatinate-Neuburg in 1609.
In 1795, the region was annexed by France, as part of the Roer department (with Aachen as capital). Awarded to Prussia by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the town was made capital of the district of Montjoie (Kreis Montjoie in German). Nowadays, Monschau belongs to the district of Aachen.