The year 2025 takes us back to the 11 communes of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere. This year, we meet the 11 mayors and representatives of all the PRO-SUD communes in our communal committee to talk about their communes, their industrial heritage, their natural heritage and much more.
In a new feature, throughout the year we’ll be checking the accessibility by public transport of the various places chosen by our guests for podcast recordings.
This year’s journey through the Minett UNESCO Biosphere begins in Bettembourg.
Our “Minett-location” of the month: Collart’s Castle
To record the first podcast episode of the new season, we met in the former office of Auguste Collart, an entrepreneur and industrialist whose family owned the château, built in 1733, since 1807.
In 1971, the Collart family sold the château to the town of Bettembourg, which has housed its administrative offices there since the 1990s, following major renovations.
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© Minett UNESCO Biosphere
Our guests: Laurent Zeimet and Jean Marie Jans
For the first episode of Minett Mash-Up this year, we had two guests: Laurent Zeimet, Mayor of Bettembourg, and Jean Marie Jans, councillor and member of the PRO-SUD committee.
With Laurent Zeimet, we talked about his path into politics, his professional experience in journalism and the challenge of balancing politics and family life as an MP and mayor.
Jean Marie Jans spoke to us about Bettembourg’s mobility concept, revealed why he was born in Clervaux as a “true” Bettembourg native, and told us that every spring he eagerly awaits a very special inhabitant of his town.
Our quiz:
At what time does the first direct train from Rumelange arrive at Noertzange station in the morning?
- 5:36
- 6:36*
- 7:36
Apart from Celula, there was another dairy in Bettembourg. What was it called?
- Ekabe (Emile Kalmes à Bettembourg)*
- Frolux (Luxembourg-City)
- Laicol (Colmar)
In which year was the orchard “Bongert Altenhoven” declared nature reserve?
- 1986
- 1992
- 1998*
Links to the topics of this episode:
- Bettembourg: official municipal site
- Laurent Zeimet: Mayor of Bettembourg and Member of the Luxembourg Parliament
- Jean Marie Jans: Alderman in Bettembourg and member of the PRO-SUD committee
- Mobilitéit.lu: Complete public transport in Luxembourg
- Cycling in Bettembourg: Complete map of all cycle paths
- LiteraTour: Big literary festival in Bettembourg
- The Collart Castle: Historical building housing the municipal offices of Bettembourg
- Celula: Former dairy converted in the 1990s into residential and commercial premises0
- Zillefabrick à Bettembourg: Industrial plant that produced bricks until the late 1960s
- Luxemburger Wort: Daily newspaper where Laurent Zeimet worked as a student and later as a journalist
- Chambre des députés: Official website of the Luxembourg Parliament
- Bongert Altenhoven: Nature reserve in Bettembourg and Luxembourg’s largest orchard, which serves as a buffer zone for the Minett Biosphere
- Beetebuerger Bësch: Additional nature reserve and buffer zone of the Minett Biosphere
- Parc Merveilleux: One of the main tourist attractions of Luxembourg
- De Ris geet op d’Rees: Comic book and hiking tour of Bettembourg featuring the giant of the Parc Merveilleux
Contact us:
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