Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

(WallPaper) #1

248 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION


For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp274–5 and pp300–301


Extensive vineyards of the Moselle Luxembourgeoise, Grevenmacher

The soaring façade of the Église
St-Michel at Mondorf-les-Bains

Luxembourg’s
Moselle Valley 5

Road Map F5. @ Remich n
Esplanade; 236984. Grevenmacher
n Route du Vin 10; 758275.
Wellenstein n Heenegässel;


  1. http://www.moselle-tourist.lu


The broad River Moselle
forms the southeastern border
of Luxembourg with Germany.
Flowing north from its source
in Alsace in France, it enters
Luxembourg at the village of
Schengen, then runs for a dis-
tance of 42 km (26 miles) to
Wasserbillig before turning
east into Germany and joining
the River Rhine at Koblenz. In
Luxembourg, the Moselle val-
ley is known above all for its
vineyards, producing mainly
white wine. Various vineyards

Fond-de-Gras 2


Administration, Place du Marché 1,
Pétange; 20 km (12 mile) SW of
Luxembourg City. Road Map E5.
Tel 26504124. £ # May–Sep:
12:30–7pm Sun and public holidays.
& - http://www.fond-de-gras.lu


Known as Le Pays des Terres
Rouges (The Red Lands),
the southwestern part of the
Grand Duchy forms the old
industrial heartlands, centre
of the iron-and-steel manufac-
turing. Located here, close to
the borders with Belgium and
France, is the Parc Industriel
et Ferroviaire du Fond-de-Gras
(Industrial and Railway Park
of Fond-de-Gras), a collection
of industrial heritage attractions
that provides a fascinating
insight into bygone days.
Fond-de-Gras is based
around an old railway depot.
Steam and diesel trains make
a 20-minute journey from
here to Pétange under the
title Train 1900. There is an
industry-themed Musée de
Plein Air (Open Air Museum),
with miners’ houses, work-
shops and heavy industrial
equipment. A narrow-gauge
mine train, minièresbunn,
travels underground through
a disused iron-ore mine to
Lasauvage, a preserved iron-
founding and mining village.
Also of interest here is a
nature reserve located in
a former open-cast pit.


Musée National


des Mines de Fer 3


Carreau de la Mine Walert,
Rumelange; 17 km (11 miles) S of
Luxembourg City. Road Map F5.
Tel 565688. £ # Apr–Jun & Sep:
2–6pm Thu–Sun; Jul & Aug: 2–6pm
Tue–Sun. & 8 7 http://www.mnm.lu


This museum takes visitors
underground into the galleries
from which ore was extracted
for iron-smelting for nearly
200 years, until the 1980s.
Guided tours travel into the
mine by train. Visitors are
then free to wander the gal-
leries and see the collection
of massive mining machines.
Exhibits reveal the arduous
nature of mining, and how
this evolved over time.


Mondorf-les-
Bains 4

15 km (9 miles) SE of Luxembourg
City. Road Map F5. * 3,500. @
n Avenue des Bains 26-28;


  1. http://www.mondorf.info


A pretty town on the border,
Mondorf-les-Bains is the
Grand Duchy’s only spa cen-
tre. Supplied with naturally
hot waters that emerge from
the ground at 24ºC (75ºF),
Mondorf has been attracting
visitors since the 1820s. The

mineral-rich water is said to
benefit those suffering from
liver and digestive complaints
and rheumatism. The spa
installations in the park set-
ting of the Domaine Thermal
include open-air and indoor
pools, saunas, Turkish baths,
a fitness centre, massage and
a variety of special treatments.
Mondorf also has a gambling
centre, Casino 2000, estab-
lished in 1983. The town’s
most interesting church is the
pink Église St-Michel (built
1764–66), whose interior has
stucco work, trompe-l’oeil
paintings in the apse and a
lavish polychrome pulpit.

 Domaine Thermal
Avenue des Bains. Tel 236660.
# daily. & 7 0 -
http://www.montdorf.lu

Environs
Bettembourg, 8 km (5 miles)
to the north, has an activity
park and zoo for children.
Parc Merveilleux offers moving
models of classic fairytales, as
well as a mini-train, mini-cars,
mini-golf and playgrounds.

 Parc Merveilleux
Route de Mondorf. Tel 5110481.
# late Mar–mid-Oct. & 7 0
http://www.parc-merveilleux.lu
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