With the river Geer running through it and the Bavay-Cologne Roman road crossing it, the village of Oreye was an important estate for the Abbey of Saint-Trond from the early Middle Ages. The Benedictine order of this abbey had land and a manor here very early on. But it is the refinery in the village that sets it apart the most from other Hesbaye villages. Established along the Geer, the village seems to extend along the river and run into its neighbour Otrange. The church of St. Clement with its fortified tower, an old mill and the farm belonging to the old château are worth seeing.
Villages
Otrange is located in the same area as Oreye, close to the Geer, which runs nearby, with meadows edged with poplars. The river still feeds into the moat which circles it to the north, east and west. The château was largely built in the 17th century around a medieval keep. But the main feature of this village is certainly that is has preserved an impressive number of half-timbered houses. On the border of Flanders, in 1963 Otrange moved from the province of Limbourg to the province of Liège.
Bergilers was once a Namur enclave in Liège. Many excavations have revealed significant occupation in various eras. A small staging post was established along the old Bavay-Cologne road which passes through the village. The town retains its old mill, a church and its fortified tower as well as a wonderful example of civil architecture: the bailliff's house.
Grandville, the former manor of the county of Loon, once very close, still has some beautiful courtyard farms. From the 16th century, the town had the same lords as Oreye, with which it shared its destiny until the end of the Modern Era.
As for Lens-sur-Geer, the old manor belonged to the Saint-Denis de Liège chapter, its accommodation is arranged around one of the most beautiful churches in the region, St. Hubert. This beautiful building, the tower of which was built from flint rubble, originates from medieval times. It was refitted in several eras and notably the chancel in 1748.
