Differdange, Gemeng

The Minett Trail is a 90-kilometer-long hiking path running across the Minett region. In ten stages, you can experience smaller and larger towns as well as eight nature reserves. These impress with old forests and former mining areas. Due to the steep rock walls, red earth, and mine entrances, they are unique in Luxembourg. On this section, you hike through the nature reserve "Kiemerchen-Scheiergronn-Groussebësch," which borders the "Gaalgebierg" of Belvaux. Along the way, you will again see red rock formations and traces of ore mining. Part of the path leads over an old tire test track, which today looks like an abandoned highway segment. Here, nature is steadfastly reclaiming its place. Thus, the path runs almost exclusively through an extensive forest area. On the Gaalgebierg is a large playground where you will also find inviting picnic spots.

On a hiking route of just under one kilometer in length, children and their families get their full money’s worth: along the path starting from the "Vëloschoul" in Differdange, six stations with unusual wooden sculptures tell the stories of their fairy tale characters. From the wicked witch to the carved puppet Pinocchio, Snow White or Cinderella, all fairy tale characters have their own sculpture. The "Klenge roude Leiw" by the author Mireille Weiten-de Waha is also part of the figures. It is not only about finding the stations but more about playing: the stations include challenges for the little ones, such as climbing a wall using Rapunzel’s braid. The path also hides wooden carved forest animals that can be spotted using the telescope installed along the path. Still: don’t forget binoculars!

The Chiers is a calm, natural river that rises in the south of Luxembourg and flows through a varied landscape of forests, meadows and old industrial sites on to Belgium and finally France. What is once 140 kilometers long and also serves as a border river has a very modest origin here in Luxembourg: Not far from the city center of Differdange, the third largest city in the country, is the source of the "Kor", as the Chiers is called here, at an altitude of around 380 meters. A circular hiking trail leads from Differdange up to the source of the Chiers. The route runs through tranquil countryside, past wide fields and shady sections of forest, and always offers beautiful views. An ideal hike for anyone who likes to discover where a river begins - quiet, pristine and surrounded by greenery.

The south of the Grand Duchy was occupied like the rest of the country following the invasion of Nazi Germany on May 10, 1940; However, there were occasional battles as units of the French army occupied the area for advanced defense purposes. After the rapidly changing conditions in the following days however, they withdrew and so the entire Minett region, like the rest of the country, came under occupation by the III. Reich - a situation that would last until liberation on September 10, 1944. The region also played a role in the liberation in 1944, as the south of the country was the first to be liberated by the advancing Western Allies. Today there are a number of monuments here to honor this historic moment, but also, for example, the "Liberty Road", the route of liberation that leads from Normandy, France, to Bastogne in Belgium. Here in Differdange, the third largest city in the country, there are numerous memorial sites. Brass cobblestones remember fellow citizens, most of them jewish families, who fell victim to the repression and persecution of the Nazi regime. Monuments are dedicated to the victims, but also to the resistance to occupation.