Verviers Station’s Comical Hare and Tortoise Bas-relief

Nicknamed the “City of Wool” for its long-lasting market starting in the 12th century, Verviers is a city located between the city of Liège, the Dutch border, and the German boundary. In 1843, its convenient location along the initial international train line linking the port of Antwerp in Belgium with Aachen in Germany, made it a prime prospect for future advancement.

A temporary railway terminal was built on the new line and opened in 1920. The architect Thirion died that very same year, prompting his child Carlos to proceed the task with Burguet. Building of the current station began in 1925, and was finally finished in 1930. The hold-up resulted in a fascinating final design. The exterior of the station is in Eclectic style, while the inside is Art Deco.

In 1897, a proposition for a direct line that wouldn’t require train autos to reverse at a dead end, was released. The Société National des Chemins de fer Belge asked the engineers Charles Thirion and Emile Burguet to make the brand-new station. The plans were finished between 1910 and 1912, but the task was put on hold by the break out of the First Globe War. The direct line opened in 1917, simply in time to promote access to Germany.

Upon getting in the station, the bas-relief that embellishes the central column of the hall is the very first point site visitors see. Above it, a tortoise is preparing to get in a traveler carriage, the door of which is being held open by a guy.