Starting from the small car park at the playground below the Col de l'Europe, the route heads towards the Kannerbongert Campus and enters the forest overlooking the main industrial area of Differdange.
The first reference to the mining past can be found at the Honsbësch mine.
The walk then enters the Prenzebierg Nature Reserve, a former mining area undergoing careful natural rehabilitation, particularly through the creation of grazing areas.
Here, traces of open-cast iron ore mining are still clearly visible.
The walk continues towards Titelberg and the oppidum dating fromthe 1st century BC before delving back into the region's mining history at Fond-de-Gras, the historical industrial gem of the walk.
The Mines in Differdange
The mines, the mines of yesterday, the iron mines... this is the main theme of this hike.
Fond-de-Gras is the most informative site on this subject: it was the station where narrow-gauge trains converged to unload iron ore into standard-gauge wagons bound for the steelworks and blast furnaces of Pétange, Differdange and others in Belgium and Germany.
Details
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 10.53 mi -
Average duration: 5h 45 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 1,004 ft -
Descent: - 1,020 ft -
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Highest point: 1,404 ft -
Lowest point: 991 ft
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Country:
Luxembourg (Country)
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City:
Differdange -
Start/End: N 49.530367° / E 5.874322° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 3210E -
Hour-by-hour weather
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,355 ft - Car park near the Col de l'Europe
- 1 : mi 0.54 - alt. 1,388 ft - Crossroads
- 2 : mi 0.94 - alt. 1,152 ft - End of quote
- 3 : mi 1.46 - alt. 1,178 ft - Intersection
- 4 : mi 1.9 - alt. 1,165 ft - Route
- 5 : mi 2.17 - alt. 1,339 ft - T-fork
- 6 : mi 2.7 - alt. 1,178 ft - Parking
- 7 : mi 3.5 - alt. 1,211 ft - Angle aigüe
- 8 : mi 4.36 - alt. 1,207 ft - GR570
- 9 : mi 5.09 - alt. 1,296 ft - Intersection
- 10 : mi 5.57 - alt. 1,325 ft - Crossroads
- 11 : mi 7.54 - alt. 1,096 ft - Fond de Gras
- 12 : mi 8.21 - alt. 1,047 ft - Railway track
- 13 : mi 8.52 - alt. 1,099 ft - Rue de Lasauvage
- 14 : mi 8.79 - alt. 1,201 ft - Lacet
- 15 : mi 9.88 - alt. 1,312 ft - Fourche
- S/E : mi 10.53 - alt. 1,355 ft - Car park near the Col de l'Europe
Notes
Please note: this is a very brief description of the route, given its length, and therefore does not offer the same guarantees as the walks usually published on Visorando.
A "Train 1900" runs on certain days of the year between Pétange and Fond-de-Gras.
Although a lot of (very) old railway equipment can be seen outside in Fond-de-Gras, the finest pieces, including the steam locomotives, are kept in hangars.
For more information on the museums, exhibitions, activities, events and opening hours of this industrial, natural and railway park, there is one reference website: www.minettpark.lu
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