Chilly's Journal
Volume9
Author:ChillytheBunitt
MINETT TRAIL MINETT TRAIL
Year:2023
Hi
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 and 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.Distance: 6,14 km
Duration: 1h45
Difficulty: easy
Highlights:
Water Sanctuary, "Dumontshaff"
Your paragraph text
In this volume we continue our adventure through Schifflange and the Dumontshaff nature reserve. This is a Natura 2000 site, which means that it is a habitat for several species. We may be lucky enough to see some unique animals. How exciting!
Fun fact
Did you know that the Dumontshaff is famous for its water and bird sanctuary? Storks, lapwings and buffaloes can be found in this protected habitat.
START! Adventures wait for no one
Minett Trail: Schifflange - Bergem/Beim Nëssert
Back on familiar terrain, Schifflange once again shows its beautiful side. On our way we are blocked by a construction site, but with a little finesse and courage we manage to overcome it in a way.
Chilly's note: As a remark, I climbed up, but my companion decided to just ask the worker if she could pass and he replied with a smile and opened the barricade. At that second I felt cheated. The power of asking, I guess.... Even though it never works when I try.
Let's climb a big hill.
So much for an easy rating, am I right?
We return to the sign from last time and we will follow this sign...
Dumontshaff? I wonder why it is called like this. Has anyone had a name like that in the past?
Chilly's note: Dumontshaff is close to the river Alzette, whose course was renaturalised here years ago.
We walk to the outskirts of Schifflange. I enjoy this view and the shade we have is really handy. The funny thing is that we are going to have a closer look at Schifflange. Some of the houses I have seen there are just beautiful.
This is an elementary school and as we are walking past it, the pupils are still having lessons.
Chilly's note: Aw, being small and foolish... I do miss these times with lots of fun, free time and pranks. OH, and video games!
Hii
The first time I pass by, I think: "Oh, what a beautiful insect house". It turns out I'm wrong and
A chilly short story: Me and my companion manage to get lost. We didn't see the sign that would have led us in the right direction. I notice that something is wrong as we walk back to Schifflange train station.
Angrily we go back, find the sign and see that we have to go to the bridge, where we are now.
While we are taking photos and making a video, a stranger comes up behind us and gives me a good scare.
She is quite curious and wants to know what I am doing. I explain it to her. She wishes me good luck for my journey.
Another construction site! They get on my nerves and also block our way from the Minett Trail. Luckily we manage to walk along a narrow path (right next to the construction site) and find a Minett Trail sign on a tree.
Chilly's note: I was surprised to find that there is a whole section of forest behind the tree, though. It's a hop, skip and a jump through villages and woods.
We take a small break, because of my poor ears. These construction sites are always so noisy.
Chilly's note: By the way, I found a new friend: Meet Quill a house snail.
A little tunnel. Oh, I wonder how good the echo is in there. It turns out after a few tries that the cars produce more echo than my little voice, but nevertheless the echoes are nice.
This sign warns that a special worm is nesting here and it is foolish to touch or disturb a nest. Some people react allergically to it, which leads to unpleasant consequences.
I can't tell you how many spider webs have attacked me in this sequence here.
Hello
Who doesn't love spider webs....
;)
In the first second my mind thinks: "OH NO, this is a dead end". But actually these things are a clever little design to keep larger animals at bay. It opens and closes passageways at the same time.
The view is not so bad, but occasionally there is a faint smell of farm in the air. I'll also come across my old nemesis, the nettles.
Everywhere I look there are nettles. And some of those nettles were humongous beasts. Carefully, I navigate around them with the help of a sturdy stick and with a bit of luck I manage to get past without being stung once. Never again!
Search and behold this my fellow hikers, after a long mundane, but also unnecessary nettle invasion I get rewarded with this view. Oh, and I even see some ducklings, but they are hiding from me.
This wanna-be bridge is an utter nightmare. It's got big holes in it, and can you imagine if I...
I fall in...
I would never get out of there....AND I would have to spend the rest of my life there...
Oh, and if you step on it wrong, the pipes turn into rolling barrels. In short, I don't don't like this bridge very much.
For a while the path remains the same and the farm smell tickles my nostrils.
Chilly's note: I am not a fan of this stench, the heat doesn't make it any better, I am also partially upset that nothing interesting is happening at the moment. I didn't even see the famous storks or buffalos. What a let down...
At least I can find the culprit of this smell. Also, not too long ago a big machine passed me and finally it is following me. I'm not sure what to make of it, but the sound of a big engine roaring behind me is not exactly what I call enjoyable.
Hello let me follow you
Hoppidy NO!
I must say, though the farmer's face as he passes me, is rather funny. Big eyes and all.
This is the end of the farmer's section and we come across a big road. Fortunately we are not forced to cross it. We will walk along it and it always makes me nervous not to see upcoming cars. You can just hear them speeding behind you at 90 km/h.
The good news is that there is a barricade separating me from these insane drivers and I can't be thankful enough.
i i
No I am not hallucinating...Alright here we go! To the finish line!
Here we are: Bergem! Let's see where the end point is, I must say, it looks like a small steep hill in the distance, or am I hallucinating?
Here we are
We did it. Welcome to the cultural center of Bergem.
As a little plus, we can explore the Kabaischen from
Conclusion: Minett Trail Schifflange - Bergem/Beim Nëssert
This section is peaceful, I'll give it that, and it's easy to walk (you don't even need hiking shoes), but personally, it's the most boring stage of the Minett Trail I've ever been on. Nevertheless it is suitable for families with small children.
Additional Info:
Time: It took me around 2 hours to finish this trail. My time deviates from the average 1 hour and 45 minutes, due to my photos and breaks. (I always exclude my arrival and departure on public transport)
Travel with Public Transport: Train (Schifflange Gare) and bus (RGTR lines 611, 641)
Important app: https://www.mobiliteit.lu/en/ (Public transport)
Cultural: Disappointing, since it's main attraction is completely dependant on the animals that live in the protected area. Path: Good, it is easy to walk on and it is spacious. There is just one minor difficult section (the bridge).
Accessibility:
Last note: The rating "easy" for this stage can be misleading, due to the two steep hills at the beginning and the end of the trail.
Overall, this stage felt like a waste of my time as it offers no cultural or historic discoveries.
Kabaischen
!!