Minett Mash-Up: On the road in Fond-de-Gras

In 2026, Minett Mash-Up is entirely focused on work in the iron and steel industry. The steelworks are still operating, but Minett has no longer been mined in Luxembourg since 1981.

And yet, people still work in and around the mines with the goal of keeping this part of our industrial history alive. That’s why we’re in Fond-de-Gras this month. For almost a hundred years, this small valley was one of the centres of iron ore mining; in 1955 the last gallery was closed, and between 1974 and 1978 minett was extracted once more in an open-pit operation. Today, Fond-de-Gras, together with Lasauvage, is part of the Minett Park—and it is also home to two associations that restore historic equipment and make it accessible to the public: Train1900 and the Minièresbunn Doihl.

Our guests: Robyn Wehles, Charel Kugeler & Joël Miltgen

We begin this episode with Robyn Wehles, the director of Minett Park. For the conversation, we sit in the Épicerie Victor Binck, which moved in the late 1980s from the centre of Differdange to Fond-de-Gras.

To reach Fond-de-Gras in summer, you can travel by train—but not just any train: the Train 1900. Charel Kugeler, a passionate member of Train1900, tells us more about the non-profit (ASBL) that operates the line and starts right at the beginning of the association’s story, which has been active since the 1970s:

At the end, we also head from Fond-de-Gras to Lasauvage. For that, we go into the Doihl, the mine through which the Minièresbunn runs; Joël Miltgen, president of the ASBL, explains that they had to start by reopening the old mine.

Highlights & key dates in Fond-de-Gras

Fond-de-Gras isn’t only about history—throughout the summer, Minett Park offers a full programme. On Sundays and public holidays, the Train 1900 and the Minièresbunn are in operation. There are also several major events in Fond-de-Gras that are well worth experiencing. On 5 June in the evening, the Night Train is on the move. On 11 July, there’s the traditional “Blues Express”, and to close the season, Minett Park invites everyone to Anno 1900, its big steampunk festival, on the last weekend of September.

Links to the topics of this episode:

Minett Park Fond-de-Gras – official homepage of the open-air museum
Explanation of where the name “Fonds-de-Gras” comes from (pages 9–12)
Épicerie Victor Binck – historic grocery shop moved from central Differdange to Fond-de-Gras
Lasauvage – historic miners’ village in a small valley on the French–Luxembourg border
Tëtelbierg – hill where an important Celtic oppidum emerged in the 1st century BC
Treveri – Celtic tribe that lived in the area of present-day Luxembourg
Brasserie „Bei der Giedel“ – restaurant in Fond-de-Gras, opened in 1881
Hall Paul Wurth – power station of the company Paul Wurth, transferred from the city to Fond-de-Gras
Train de Laminoir – lrolling mill line that was in use at the Belval works until 1989
Train1900 – the ASBL’s homepage with all details about the association, its equipment, and events
Schienenbus du Train1900 – article about the arrival of the vehicle in Fond-de-Gras
Train1900 line – detailed description of the Train1900 line
Minièresbunn Doihl – ASBL operating old mine railways from Fond-de-Gras through a gallery to Lasauvage and onward to Saulnes (France)
Blues Express – grand festival de musique à Fond-de-Gras et à Lasauvage
Anno1900 Steam Punk Convention – major music festival in Fond-de-Gras and Lasauvage. On 13 July 2024, the 20th edition of Blues Express takes place
Blog vum Minett Park Fond-de-Gras – lots of useful information on everything you can discover in Minett Park