Haus Ternell, Nature center and tourism office in Eupen, Belgium.
Haus Ternell is a nature center and visitor information facility in Eupen focused on the High Fens region. The building contains museum displays with detailed dioramas that show the ecosystems and plant communities of the moorland environment.
The oldest of the four houses making up Haus Ternell dates from 1773, built as a hunting lodge by the Monschau textile manufacturer Wilhelm Scheibler; it became state property in 1780. By 1827 it was recorded as a forestry office, and in 1873 two foresters and two border guards lived in two of the houses. A former inn beside the lodge burned down in 1913. Since 1987 the site has housed the nature education centre of the German-speaking Community.
The name Ternell probably comes from the field name "Nell" or "Noll", meaning a small rise, with "Ter" pointing to a ninth-century origin: "on the hill". The centre is run by Belgium's German-speaking Community, and since 2018 it has presented itself as a centre for environmental education and sustainability.
Haus Ternell sits on the N67 between Eupen and Monschau, on the ridge between the Hilltal and Getzbachtal valleys. It is the starting point for walks into the High Fens all year; in winter three groomed cross-country loops and a trail link to Sourbrodt begin here, and skis can be rented. Bus line 385 stops here at weekends and on public holidays, running from Eupen station to Monschau and on Saturdays to Kalterherberg. A café-restaurant with a terrace stands next to the centre.
The oldest of the four houses making up Haus Ternell dates from 1773, built as a hunting lodge by the Monschau textile manufacturer Wilhelm Scheibler; it became state property in 1780. A separate building beside the original lodge served as an inn until it burned down in 1913. Since 2017 the centre has covered its energy needs entirely on its own.
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