Epen

In the early Middle Ages, Epen was privately owned by the Carolingian kings. After the Middle Ages, the area suffered greatly from acts of war and gangs of deserted soldiers. There was a lot of poverty. Poverty is probably also one of the reasons why so many half-timbered buildings have survived. It was not until between the two world wars that prosperity began to increase. Epen was then discovered as a tourist destination by people with an interest in nature and geology.