Heffingen, Thommes

The Héikräiz - "High Cross", a historic stone cross, stands elevated in the landscape and offers a magnificent 360° panoramic view. It stands on the plateau of the Luxembourgish Sandstone from the time of the Lower Lias between 199 and 175 million years ago. The sandstone is mostly covered by marls and limestones which are used for agriculture. The plain you look at is the remaining part of a Tertiary peneplain. The brooks have cut deep into the area and arise from only temporarily water-bearing springs, which are fed with water from the limestone beds of marl and limestone. In the fields around you can find the fossil oyster Grypaea arcuata, a former sea dweller. It comes from the time when the marl was still the bottom of an ocean. Due to its shape, the fossil oyster is popularly called devil's claw.

The “Loschburmann” was discovered in the 1930s in the Loschbur rock shelter near Heffingen, in the valley of the Black Ernz. The almost complete skeleton dates to the Mesolithic period (around 8 000 BC) and is one of Luxembourg’s most important archaeological finds. The “Loschburmann” was a hunter-gatherer living in what is now the Mullerthal Region. His remains offer valuable insights into the lives of early inhabitants of the area. A lifelike reconstruction of the “Loschburmann” can be seen at the National Museum of Natural History in Luxembourg City.

This route leads through wide fields with beautiful views over Heffingen. From the starting point at the school, it soon turns right across the fields to Huechemd, a small woodland to the right of the route, where benches with beautiful views invite you to rest. Further on, the route passes through dense forest on the slope of the Schwarze Ernz valley. Passing through the small village of Reuland, the route leads back towards Heffingen and passes the Geotop Héikräiz of the UNESCO Global Geopark Mullerthal, a stone cross, and a small chapel with a beautiful view.