Country:
Start: European Information Centre “Centre Européen”
GPS: 49° 28’ 15’’ N 6° 21’ 59.5’’ E
32 U RW 3092214 HW 5483132
(S/E) Before we set off on the climb up to the Stromberg, we explore historic grounds right on the banks of the Moselle.
Just a few steps away from the European Information Centre “Centre Européen”, three steel steles, each bearing a golden star, commemorate the signing of the Schengen Agreement over 25 years ago. On 14 June 1985, aboard the passenger ship “Princesse Marie-Astrid”, representatives from Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany signed the agreement, which was one of the most important steps towards European unification: the abolition of intra-European border controls on the movement of people and goods between the signatory states. Today, Schengen is synonymous with a borderless Europe: travelling easily from one country to another without border formalities, whether on foot, by bicycle or by car.
Back to the starting point: since 8 February 2010, a section of the former Berlin Wall has stood on the banks of the Moselle as a symbol of the opening of borders. To mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement, the interactive “Musée Européen Schengen” was established in the “Centre Européen”. The museum traces the development of Europe and provides a wealth of interesting facts and background information on the Schengen Agreement.
We start our walk in front of the “Centre Européen” and climb a few steps.
On the left is Schengen Castle with its striking round tower, first mentioned in records as early as 1350. For several years now, the castle has housed a hotel. On the right, opposite the castle, a herb garden has been created as part of the cross-border project “Gardens without Borders”. The beds of this 2,300-square-metre garden, filled with medicinal and aromatic plants, evoke the tradition of monastic gardening.
Passing through the gate of the castle garden, we reach the street “Beim Schlass” (Rue du Château).
(1) At the end of the narrow lane, we reach Europaplatz, with a commemorative stone on the left bearing the inscription: 1990 Accord de Schengen, EUROPA OUNI GRENZEN, L'EUROPE SANS FRONTIERES, GRENZENLOSES EUROPA.
At Europaplatz, we keep to the left. At first, the path climbs gently uphill. As we pass the last houses of Schengen, the slope becomes steeper, but the views into the Moselle valley become more impressive.
We are walking through the Stromberg nature reserve above Schengen.
(2) A narrow path winds its way up to a viewing platform.
(3) From there, we enjoy a breathtaking view of the Moselle Valley.
On the opposite side, on the Saarland side, lies the 13.2-hectare Perler Hasenberg. It forms part of the Southern Mosel wine-growing region. The Perler Hasenberg, with its shell limestone soils, is one of the finest sites in the Upper Mosel. It is primarily home to Pinot Gris vines.
The view stretches further across the Moselle to beyond Remerschen in Luxembourg, with the houses of Perl – the only wine-growing municipality in the Saarland – opposite, and further to the right the cross-border Hammelsberg nature reserve, the French border town of Apach, and the villages of Belmach, Kitzing and Manderen.
We continue our walk through the Stromberg forest. Parts of the route also follow the Strombierg Forest Discovery Trail and pass through the ‘Strombierg Nature Reserve’.
Until the 1950s, much of the vegetation on the Stromberg was destroyed by gypsum mining. Today, nature has reclaimed the terrain. The leathery, glossy fronds of the native fern species, the hart’s-tongue fern, are clearly visible on the forest floor.
Before we leave the forest, we pass an old boundary stone marking the border between Luxembourg and France.
At the Congress of Vienna (18 September 1814–9 June 1815), numerous borders were redrawn and Luxembourg was elevated to the status of a Grand Duchy. William I of Orange-Nassau was the first Grand Duke. Today, Luxembourg is the only Grand Duchy in the world.
(4) We walk along the edge of the forest, through meadows and fields, across the French part of the Stromberg. Sweeping views open up over France and Luxembourg. In some places, the view extends as far as Belgium.
(5) After crossing a tarmac track on the Stromberg plateau, we descend along a narrow path through the forest.
(6) Once at the bottom, the forest opens up to offer an extraordinary view, as if through a window in the woods: before us lies Contz-les-Bains on Lorraine soil, the vineyards of the Moselle and the Cattenom nuclear power station.
The vineyards around Contz-les-Bains mainly grow Auxerrois, Rivaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. On the Luxembourg side, the varieties are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Elbling, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. We continue our walk between meadows and woodland, keeping the Moselle in sight.
(7) Just before we reach the chapel above Contz-les-Bains, deep in the forest, a narrow forest path leads steeply upwards. The shady area around the chapel is an ideal spot to rest on hot summer days.
(8) At the top of the Stromberg, there is a breathtaking view over the Moselle valley: below us lie the steeply sloping rocks of a former quarry; the Moselle curves in a wide arc around the Stromberg; the views stretch far across Germany, France and Luxembourg. The thick walls of the former fortress of Sierck-les-Bains are also clearly visible.
The current appearance of the complex above Sierck-les-Bains, situated on the banks of the Moselle, is characterised by the 17th-century extension and renovation work overseen by the renowned fortress architect Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban (1633–1707). He constructed a massive fortification wall with bastion towers and redoubts around the ruins of the inner castle, as well as a powder tower, a bakery and the stables. Numerous passageways lead through the gun turrets, some of which are multi-storeyed.
We leave the Stromberg behind us via winding paths and walk past the mighty rocks of the former quarry, which rise almost vertically into the sky.
At the Porta Nigra, the best-preserved city gate from antiquity, stone blocks from Contz-les-Bains are also said to have been used. A written source indicates that the originally light-grey sandstone came from quarries in the immediate vicinity of Trier, from the Biewertal valley and the Palatinate Forest.
After we have passed the imposing rocks, the path leads downhill. Some remains of walls bear witness to former houses in the immediate vicinity of the quarry.
(9) Once at the bottom, we keep to the left. After a few minutes, our trail branches off to the left again. A long uphill stretch lies ahead of us.
(10) Further up the slope, we leave the path to the right and walk through dense undergrowth, which is interspersed with thick vines. We leave the forest at a steeply sloping vineyard.
(11) Between the forest and the vineyards, the path runs parallel to the Moselle valley towards Schengen.
At times we walk on soft meadow ground, at times on the hard surface of the dirt tracks, and at times on forest floor. Time and again, the view opens up to the right into the Moselle valley. Shortly before Schengen, we have to climb one last time and turn left onto a path. It is particularly in this section of the forest that the aforementioned lush green hart’s-tongue fern, a native species, grows.
(12) During the final section through the woods, we pass former tunnel entrances secured by wooden posts.
In 1932, the brothers Alfons and Karl Knauf secured the mining rights to a gypsum deposit in the municipality of Schengen on the Stromberg. A year later, the first Knauf gypsum plant was established in Perl. The foundation stone was laid for the Knauf company, which is still family-owned today. With 24,000 employees worldwide, the Knauf Group is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of building materials and construction systems.
(2) We reach the point we passed earlier and turn right here.
(13) We leave the forest above Schengen. The swing set up here allows us to linger one last time, enjoying a fantastic view of the Moselle valley, before we begin the descent to the banks of the Moselle.
(S/E) We return to our starting point via the familiar path.
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