Chilly's Journal - Stage 1

Chilly's Journal VolumeI

Author: Chilly the Bunitt

MINETT TRAIL MINETT TRAIL

Year: 2023

Origin: Minett Trail

The Minett Trail was at first just an idea. The "Minett UNESCO Biosphere" wanted a regional trail connecting it's cities, hubs, historical and natural sites.

Work for this trail started in 2017

Walk through former opencast mines and discover the industrial past! Witness how nature has reclaimed its former territory!

The Minett Trail is a 90km long trail that expands its wings all across the south of Luxembourg. Due to its enormous length the trail is split into 10 stages which can be explored individually.

More info: https://www.minetttrail.lu/

The stages are rated with a difficulty. Are we in a video game now? If so GAME ON

Easy = great for beginners and families.

Medium = great for occasional hikers - it includes narrow pathways and stairs.

Hard = only sporty hikers or people with good physical fitness should tackle these routes.

Sidenote: Unfortunately, not all the stages are barrier-free.

POW

Promotion and education of the southern region in Luxembourg.

Minett Trail: Clemency - Pétange

Distance: 7,22 km

Duration: 1h50

Difficulty: easy

Highlights:

The train station, Clemency Castle, Linger Kabaischen, Train 1900

My journey led me to Clemency / Kënzeg, a quiet town and a former commune. Since 2012 it is a part of the commune of Käerjeng.

Chilly's note: Personally, I always though Clemency was part of France, but it is actually part of Luxembourg. It lies between Garnich and Bascharage close to the Belgian border.

Without a map and no hiking experience, I set off with great anticipation. I wonder what kind of adventures await me.

10 Minutes later in Clemency...

Where am I? Hello?

Yes, I admit it. I manage to get lost within 10 minutes. Luckily, I find a way out of my misery.

Don't tell me!

Which makes me really proud.

Fortunately, the starting point of the trail is also one of its highlights. The train station of Clemency has a rich history.

The Prince Henri railway was opened in 1873. It transported passengers and goods (mainly iron ore and coke) between Pétange and Steinfort. .

The railway was extended in 1880 to Ettelbruck, the start of the Attert line.

A private company (Chemins de Fer Prince-Henri) operated the line until the end of the Second World War, when it was taken over by the CFL.

In 1969 the Attert Line was closed down for good.

Info: Today, the former train station is now a restaurant (Brasserie Op der Gare), with a children's playground and a bicycle path (IC66).

Rivers stretch for miles:

This river in Clemency has a fascinating history. On closer inspection, it is part of the source of the Eisch, which flows from Belgium into Luxembourg and joins the Alzette on the left in Mersch.

Chilly's note:

MYSWEET MYSWEET MYSWEET PATHFINDERS PATHFINDERS PATHFINDERS

Without my sweet pathfinders I would be lost

We move to Clemency Castle and to my own surprise I come across some wild geckos.

All is great my dudes!

What is up, dude?

They look at me, but not even a second later they continue climbing up the pipe of a house.

Past the sleeping trees I unfortunately need to cross over a street without that the cars make ketchup out of me.

thesethingsaremore dangerousthanany predator.

Past the road, a ringing reaches my ears. Like any good adventurer, I follow the bell...

This church is surrounded by gravestones. I have never seen anything like this, but there is something mysterious and peaceful about it. Although some cars pass by, the ringing bell and the atmosphere immerse in the site of the dead.

The Church of Clemency or the Ancient Parish

Built in 1726. Some claim the church was built earlier, but nothing is officially confirmed. Restoration of the church began in 1994 and took about 5 years.

The Castle of Clemency is now a hotel where you can spend a night in it. How cool is that!!! Sleeping in a castle makes me feel like a knight.

Build in 1665

Over time, it was rebuilt in baroque style in 1721 and in post-modern style in 1982.

Castle of Clemency is famous for its 4 extravagant rooms: The Sherlock's room, the Peggy's Belle époque Room, the Roaring '20 Room and the Tribute Room.

The outskirts of Clemency are spectacular. The ray of light playing with the still wet grass and the smell of fresh wood and green meadow bring me great joy.

A car overtakes me down the road and my heart slips into my bunny butt.

The forest has no official name , but the locals describe it as a shady forest. I wonder where that comes from?

Branches are cracking everywhere and shaking bushes seem to follow me wherever I go. Something is definitely wrong. There's no ghost behind me, is there?

Suddenly, a small branch hits my head and I hear something behind me.

Flap

A bird! It looks at me mischievously. Pranked you!

I guess so....

Eventually, we laugh together and we become friends. Kelly is also guiding me through the forest.

Kelly is a great tit. She also tells me she loves visiting people's gardens or chilling in woods and bushes. Her favourite snacks are bugs and spiders. Ew, I wouldn't even dream of eating insects.

A barrier in the forest?

According to Kelly, few humans cross this path. There are sometimes humans with a tiny cart going round the place, but they actually keep the forest clean

PS: Kelly likes them because from time to time they drop their food on the ground.

Of course, Kelly asks me for a rematch. Birds can be so proud.

A beautiful blue sky accompanies us as we reach a crossing.

Where to now, Kelly?

No idea.

But I thought you know the way!? I do, but I won't tell you

Why not?

Turns out, Kelly still wants her rematch.

We get to it and I let her win, otherwise I'd be stuck here forever. It turns out that the way, first path on the right, is the correct one.

time FOR A BREAK!!!

As soon as my paws touch the ground again, a wild cyclist passes me at extreme speed. So I definetily don't have to worry about cars only.

Kelly takes a picture of me in my backpack. We had this funny little challenge and I won this round

The cyclist accident gives me an idea of how dangerous open fields are for small animals like me.

The outskirt of another town takes my focus, when suddenly a shadow hovered over me. Crows! They definitely look hungry....

Oh GOD no!

The town of Linger saves my fluffy butt.

Look at those fancy lanterns!

FRee SnAck GuYs!

The town also has a Kabaischen, but it is currently not accessible.

My stroll through town turns out to be a short trip. A blue bridge welcomes me. On it, I have a nice view of an enormous street and a huge lake. The reflection of the sunlight makes the lake glisten, it's beautiful! I want to dive into it!

In this case, the Kabaischen is an old school building that has been under renovation for quite some time. However, due to pending renovation work, it is still not accessible.

This abandoned building is a mystery to me. I'm not so sure what its function is or why it is here, but me and my friends call it "fisherman's house" Rumour has it that a creepy ghost of a drowned child wanders around the lake.

Whether that's true or not, when you walk past it, it gives off an ominous vibe.

I train here often, it is a great track for running.

Welcome to my hometown Pétange. I've lived here since I can remember. It's a real rollercoaster ride, because my hometown is beautiful but sometimes quite dangerous, especially where I live.

The park offers something for every age, but I'd say that the park is most enjoyed by children.

Chilly's note: I can't tell you how many hours I spent in this park. But, I enjoyed every single minute of it.

park

skatepark

But do you know what makes me so angry when I see my old school?

Now there are all these cool little trampolines and climbing structures.

They didn't have them in my

The school is connected to a wonderful park that leads to the building of the commune.

Chilly's secret: The school "Am Park" and the Théophile Kirsch Park have links to the Second World War. Info: https://petange.lu/tourisme/monuments/monuments-a-petange/#1

Religion: Christianity

Fun fact: Do you know the 5 most famous religions? They are called Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Beyond that, there are sub-categories that those religions withhold, but I won't write about them, otherwise my journal would only be about the complexity of religions.

The communal building has changed over the course of time. I still miss the wooden staircase and the wood scent from the old building. Now it is a rectangle covered in concrete. Not really appealing, if you ask me.

Commune

Church Saint-Hubert

Parc Théophile Kirsch

Ecole "Am Park"

So many construction sites!!! They are invading my hometown, forcing me me to take a diversion.

The train station is in excellent condition and unlike in Clemency, trains run here every day. Additionally, Train 1900, is one of the main attractions in Pétange.

The station was built as the main hub of the Prince Henri Railway. Adjacent to the CFL station is a platform served by Train 1900. From here the line runs up the hill to Fond-de-Gras. Originally it served the region's iron

Conclusion: Minett Trail: Clemency - Pétange

This section is perfect for a weekend activity with the family. It is partially barrier-free (More details through the icons) and the trail is packed with history. I recommend this trail to any beginner hiker.

Additional Info:

Time: It took me around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Due to my photos and breaks, my time differs from the average 1 hour and 50 minutes. (I always exclude my arrival and departure on public transport)

Travel by public transport: Train (Pétange Gare) and Bus (RGTR line 831).

Important app: https://www.mobiliteit.lu/en/ (Public transport)

Cultural: Satisfactory, there is no nature reserve but the history hidden in Clemency and Pétange makes up for it.

Path: Great, it is easy to walk on and it is spacious.

Accessibility:

Advice: Clemency itself is barrier free, but the forest isn't, luckily the forest can be skipped with a bus (831) that takes you to Linger and from there the trail is barrier free.

Last note:

I met a new friend, Kelly, after my little hike, she decided to return to her home. Maybe I will meet her again on a another part of the trail, who knows...