Rosport, Rue Neuve

Explore alternative electricity production in Luxembourg with an e-bike or touring bike: The circular bike route passes the interactive Tudor Museum for electricity and accumulators and connects all the picturesque villages of the Rosport-Mompach community with the town of Echternach, which was the first town in Luxembourg to be equipped with electric lighting. The route goes through the green Sauer valley and past the dam and power plant in Rosport, then up to the plateau with beautiful views and the distinctive wind turbines on the Burer Bierg and Pafenbierg heights. The Tudor route is signposted in both directions throughout and partly runs on the national cycling routes PC2 Echternach and PC3 Des Trois Rivières. Points of interest: Tudor Museum in Rosport, hermit's chapel "Girsterklaus", "Kulturhaff Millermoler" (tea and other regional products) in Hinkel, Echternach (lake, gastronomy, culture).

The owner purchased in 2007 0.75 acre of land in the vineyard area called Hoelt in Rosport. In 2009 Riesling vines were planted, followed in 2010 by Pinot Gris vines. In 2016, the last vineyard was planted with Auxerrois vines. In total, the area I cultivate is around 31 ares. The slope of the vineyards span from 10% to 40%. The Riesling vines are planted partly in a terraced vineyard, allowing only manual work. The best wines exhibit the “terroir“, where they have been grown. Therefore, winegrowing is performed by a natural method without any herbicides and insecticides. Disease control relies on products authorized for organic wine farming, without organic certification however. Besides small quantities of compost used as fertilizers, green manure is cultivated to improve as well the structure of the soil. Yields are deliberately reduced to 1200 to 1600 liters/acre to obtain wines with a concentrated aroma. Late harvesting allows to have an optimal physiological maturity of the grapes leading to the full development of the wine aromas. Winemaking is performed by the Château Pauqué, the winery of Abi Duhr in Grevenmacher, following the typical style of the winery based on a very slow fermentation with natural yeasts spanning from 8 to 12 months.

Surrounded by water on all sides, the Hëlt rises high above the Sauertal. The varied hike leads around the Hëlt and nearly to its highest point. From the starting point at the Sauer, it goes through an enchanted forest with spectacular dolomite rock formations. According to legend, a white lady sometimes appears in the area of the Hëlt in a rock crevice called 'Kimmhäischen.' Later, the route leads along vineyards with traditional dry stone walls and over blooming orchid terraces. The hike offers beautiful views of the Sauertal, especially from the pavilion near the highest point of the Hëlt. The first part of the route requires surefootedness.

The Geo-pad runs over the Hëlt, the hill within the Sauer loop in Rosport. The path is marked with a fossil oyster (devil's claw) that reminds you that the exposed rocks were formed long ago in a sea, and offers a lot of interesting information on 11 information boards along the way. The varied and partly challenging hike starts at the Rue du Barrage parking lot in Rosport and leads into a forest with spectacular dolomite rock formations. The Hëlt is very diverse: the wild northern slope, shaped by a large marl landslide, is wooded and remains cool even in summer. This section offers very beautiful views of the Sauer valley. On the almost Mediterranean southern slope, you will find the only vineyard area of the region. Here, lizards bask on the dry stone walls, and numerous rare orchid species and other protected plants grow on the dry grasslands. A canal used for generating energy shortens the Sauer loop and makes the Hëlt an island. Hike: R7 (3.5 km), Geo-Pad Hëlt (4.1 km) Nearest bus stop: Rosport Rue Neuve (500 m)