- Location and History
- Monschau is a small resort town in western Germany's Eifel region
- Located in Hohes Venn Nature Park, near Rur river valley
- First mentioned in 1198, castle dates back to 13th century
- Became French capital in 1795, renamed Monschau in 1918
- Architecture and Culture
- Historic town center features preserved half-timbered houses
- Contains over 330 listed buildings, including castle and Protestant church
- Known for annual Christmas market visited by tens of thousands
- Home to several museums including Scheibler Museum and Brewery Museum
- Modern Features
- Renamed health resort Luftkurort in 1996
- Hosts international canoeing events and Monschau Marathon
- Connected by regional buses and NetLiner train system
- Features cycle paths including Eifel Höhen and RurUfer routes
- Notable Residents
- Christian Urhan, violinist and composer
- Johann Heinrich Kurtz, Lutheran theologian
- Karl Wilhelm Scheibler, industrialist
- Elwin Bruno Christoffel, physicist and mathematician