In January, we started our tour of the 11 municipalities of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere in Bettembourg. For our February podcast, we stop in the Commune of Differdange. Differdange is the second largest town in the PRO-SUD syndicate, after Esch-sur-Alzette, and since the 2023 municipal elections it has been providing the vice-president of the municipal syndicate responsible for the management of Luxembourg’s only biosphere reserve. 

Differdange, a town where a steel mill is still operating, not only hosts two of the six core areas of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere, but also boasts a significant industrial heritage and is a member of the European “Net Zero Cities” programme, which we’ll also be discussing in this episode of the Minett Mash-Up. 

Our “Minett-Location” of the month: The “Kabaischen” in Lasauvage

One of the first projects launched during the candidature of the South of Luxembourg as a UNESCO Biosphere was the Minett Trail and its “Kabaisercher”. With the creation of the Biosphere Reserve, a 90 km hiking trail was created through the 11 municipalities of the South, and each municipality has set up one accommodation, called Kabaischen, to promote sustainable tourism in the Minett region. 

For this episode of the Minett Mash-Up, we visited the Gîte in Lasauvage. It is an old miners’ house that has been converted into a lodge with seven beds. Particularly spectacular are the two frescoes painted during the renovation of the house. One depicts the legend of the “Wild Woman”, after whom the village of Lasauvage was named, while the other shows life in the village, which was a centre of the Luxembourg mining industry for more than 100 years. 

© CNCI / Pascal Plein

Our guests: Guy Altmeisch & Erny Muller

For our second visit to the politicians of the 11 municipalities of the Minett Biosphere, we had two guests: the mayor of Differdange, Guy Altmeisch, and the vice-president of PRO-SUD, Erny Muller. 

Guy Altmeisch has been Mayor of Differdange since autumn 2023. We spoke to the former policeman about his path into politics and the similarities between the role of mayor and that of a policeman. We also talked to the Mayor of Differdange about his long-standing involvement with youth work at the town’s main football club. 

With Erny Muller, we discussed his more than 25 years as a local politician. We also talked about Net Zero Cities, his work as an electrical engineer at the steelworks in Differdange, and the “Quartierspark”-concept, a project that is particularly close to his heart. 

Our quiz:

How often does TICE Line 6, which connects Lasauvage to the rest of the municipality of Differdange, run on Sundays? 

1. Every half hour
2. Every hour
3. Every two hours

 

In November 1981, the Thillenberg mine, the last iron ore mine in Luxembourg, was closed. But when did iron ore mining begin at Thillenberg? 

1. 1865
2. 1900
3. 1855

 

In Oberkorn, the river Chiers (De.: Korn, Lux.: Kuer or Kor) has its source. At what altitude is the source of the only major Luxembourgish river system that flows into the Meuse and not the Rhine? 

1. At 312m
2. At 352m
3. At 392m

 

Links to the topics in this episode:

• Syndicat PRO-SUD: Municipal syndicate managing the Minett UNESCO Biosphere
• Lasauvage: Village in the municipality of Differdange
• Blues Express: Music festival at Fond-de-Gras and in Lasauvage
• TICE Linn 6: Bus line connecting Lasauvage to the rest of Differdange
• Minièresbunn Doihl: Historic railway running through the old Doihl mine from Fond-de-Gras to Lasauvage
• Kabaischen Lasauvage: One of 11 lodges along the Minett Trail
• Minett Trail: A 90 km-long hiking trail through the 11 municipalities of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere
• Fond-de-Gras: A site previously used for iron ore mining, now an open-air museum
• Comte Fernand de Saintignon: French industrialist who shaped Lasauvage into the village it is today
• Eglise Ste. Barbe: Former church in Lasauvage, now a venue for cultural events
• Minière Thillenberg: Largest mine in Luxembourg, where iron ore was extracted until November 27, 1981
• Stade du Thillenberg: Historic football stadium, now classified as a national heritage site
• 1535° Creative Hub: Former workshops of the Differdange steel mill, where over 500 people from the creative industries now work
• Asca Rampini: Renowned Differdange musician, conductor, and composer with Italian roots
• Plateau du Funiculaire: New neighborhood in Differdange built on an old industrial site
• Parc de la Chiers: Park in the “Plateau du Funiculaire” area, where the Chiers river was renatured
• Parc Dune: Park in the center of Differdange, located around the Differdange Castle
• Korsprong: Source of the Chiers, the only Luxembourgish river that flows into the Meuse
• Gaalgebierg: Playground and recreational area located on the hill between Oberkorn and Belvaux
• Net Zero Cities: EU initiative aiming to make 100 cities across Europe carbon-neutral by 2030

 

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