Hidden among the forests and hills near Dourbes, in the municipality of Viroinval, lies the abandoned Dourbes Tannery. Founded in 1876 by industrialist Théodore Houben, the tannery once processed animal hides using water drawn from nearby streams and tannins extracted from surrounding oak forests. For decades, the constant flow of water and the isolation of the site made it ideal for leather production.
During the interwar years the tannery reached it’s peak, but progress slowly turned against it. The removal of a nearby weir in 1953 disrupted water levels essential to the tanning process, while increasing river pollution, stricter environmental regulations and competition from modern industrial tanneries accelerated its decline. By 1981, the site was permanently shut down.
Some of the buildings were then used to farm crayfish, but that didn’t last long. Today, within this area of outstanding natural beauty, the grounds are part of a project that aims to solidify the tannery’s future as an eco-retreat and cultural hub. The plans have been in place for several years, but it appears that the project is not yet taking shape.
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