Mühlenbach
The district of Mühlenbach (“Millebaach” in Luxembourgish) in the north of Luxembourg City takes its name from the local stream of the same name and the many mills and water wheels that once upon a time adorned its banks. There is evidence of eleven mills having stood here along the Millebaach, the first of which in operation as far back as the 14th century. Alongside grain mills, there were also paper mills, gypsum mills and tobacco mills, heralding the industrial age.
The fertile soil of Mühlenbach
The stream that gave Mühlenbach its name was canalised in the 1950s and now runs underground, flowing into the Alzette river behind Place Dargent. The district’s present-day church, completed in 1964, stands on the former site of the tobacco mill. It’s no coincidence that St Fiacre is the patron saint of this Catholic church, given he is the patron saint of gardeners. As the soil in Mühlenbach has always been particularly fertile, the area was ripe for market gardens.
In their heyday, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, there were 23 market gardens in Mühlenbach. Today, there are just two. But it was not just its market gardens that significantly shaped the face of the Mühlenbach of yesteryear. In 1766, the Boch brothers founded a faience factory here, bringing the production of handcrafted ceramics to the area, and very quickly a great deal of success with it.
A unique playground
Mühlenbach used to belong to the municipality of Eich, becoming part of the municipality of Rollingergrund in 1849, before finally merging with Luxembourg City in 1920. Parts of Bambësch Forest, one of the largest wooded areas in the country, are located in Mühlenbach. The forest is a firm favourite among those living in the capital for picnics, walks and jogging. A forest tavern opened here in 1910, and for a short while there was even a forest sanatorium here.
Today, the fresh air and beautiful natural surroundings are not only a draw for adults, but also for children, who will find here in the forest one of the most unique playgrounds in the whole of Luxembourg, in the form of the spectacular, newly renovated woodland playground that opened in 2023. This exceptional playground, designed to cater to several age groups of children, features elements modelled on the city’s historical landmarks, including Fort Thüngen, the Bock Promontory, Castle Bridge and the Hollow Tooth and fortress walls.
The hunting lodge
Built as a simple hunting lodge in 1873 on the initiative of steel group ARBED, Juegdschlass is another popular place to visit, with a restaurant in the former hunting lodge building and the chance to meet American bison and donkeys on the pasture next door. In spring and summer, visitors can also admire the peacocks that strut around the hunting lodge grounds, some even coming right up to the lodge’s windows!
How to get there?
By car:
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By public transport:
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