2024-10-21 14:43:00
The knight’s armour, the witch’s tower, the small Versailles and a Japanese sect: an exciting journey between castles and palaces crosses Luxembourg. Visitors can also stay overnight in two of the medieval walls, and another is even for sale.
It’s one of those autumn days when the sky is so deep blue, as if it were painted. No haze, almost a cloud – and a simple announcement: “This is your room!”, says the chatelaine, who looks nothing like a chatelaine: in rubber boots she greeted guests crossing the driveway from the house. easy gravel path field, guided to castle. Her jeans are dirty, her blouse has seen better days.
Virginie Noulet’s parents purchased Ansembourg Castle in 2022, surrounded by a dense forest: a house in which she will be able to realize her life’s plans. The 12th-century fortified castle stands majestically on a rock, 80 meters above the Eisch River valley. The 45-year-old is what you might call a dropout: she abandoned her job as a logistics expert. She lives largely self-sufficiently on the property with her partner and three children. The three girls study at home, organic farming provides food and six rooms are rented.
Bed-and-breakfast accommodations come with modern amenities but are more simply furnished; The castle is medieval only on the outside, not in the guest rooms. “The castle is my home,” says Noulet and points to the bridge leading to the main wing: “After the bridge, everything is private” – he lives there with his family in ten other rooms on 800 square meters.
Ansembourg Castle is part of the Valley of the Seven Castles in the Guttland region, which boasts the highest concentration of medieval buildings in Luxembourg. Victor Hugo described it as a “vallée mystérieuse”, a mysterious valley. Between the towns of Mersch and Koerich there are seven castles among meadows and woods, always in a convenient location.
In addition to Ansembourg Castle and Palace, Hollenfels, Schoenfels, Mersch, Koerich and Septfontaines are located approximately halfway along the route. Visitors simply need to follow the “Vallée des 7 Châteaux” signs. The Seven Castle Trail is also signposted, but a little longer because it follows the winding course of the Eisch River.
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Ansembourg is the only town in the valley with a castle and a palace
Almost all palaces and castles can be visited all year round and for free. However, due to the structure of the property, this only partially applies to Ansembourg Castle and Mersch Castle. It is not permitted to enter Septfontaines Castle; it can only be seen from afar. If desired, during the tour you can also stay overnight in the medieval walls – this is possible in the aforementioned Ansembourg and Hollenfels Castle, where families with children and young people up to 25 years can stay, but only in shared rooms with double beds. castle.
Count Gaston-Gaëtan d’Ansembourg was in possession of Ansembourg Castle until 2022. With the sale, after eight centuries, nobility and male rule ended and matriarchy took hold. “We live according to ecological and shamanic principles,” says Virginie Noulet, “Without men. Without stress. Without exhaustion.” You don’t have to follow their philosophy, but the property is still a place to relax and recharge your batteries.
Ansembourg is the only town in the valley with a castle and a palace. An ironworks manufacturer, who became rich thanks to iron ore, first built a forge and foundry, which can still be seen today, and finally the castle above them in 1639 (it is a few hundred meters from Noulet Castle). After several changes of ownership, since 1986 it has belonged to the Japanese Sukyo Mahikari sect. Its members are practically never seen in the city. The interior of the castle is sealed, but the State, the temporary owner, established during the sale that the courtyard and gardens of the castle remain accessible.
And so you pass through the magnificent entrance gate, past the weathered and enchanted-looking castle to reach the highlight, the terraced and well-kept castle park. Geometrically shaped hedges, symmetrical lawns, fountains, mirrored ponds that reflect the sky and ancient stone figures make Ansembourg a sort of Little Versailles.
In particular, the mythological avenue, lined with figures from Greek and Roman antiquity, including Hermes and Hercules, Venus and Diana, as well as sphinxes with European faces, makes the garden extremely majestic. Suddenly a window opens at the top of the castle. “HI!” the visitor shouts spontaneously and amicably, but immediately afterwards it closes again with a loud bang, the contact seems unwanted.
One of the properties can be purchased
From Ansembourg to Hollenfels Castle is just a stone’s throw away. It’s like a schoolyard during recess: a buzz of voices at all levels and loud laughter from children. “Each year 8,000 young people come to visit us to sharpen our perspective on the future in a historical context,” says Eric Schweicher, castellan and administrator. Much more recent additions to the old castle serve as a youth hostel and youth center for environmental education. The seminars take place in the knights’ hall of the castle keep, with the knights’ armor in the bay windows creating an impressive historical backdrop.
Hollenfels is an impressive stone testimony to the Middle Ages: the castle sits on a 315 meter high ridge, is impregnable on three sides and is protected by a drawbridge on the fourth side. The 39 meter high 14th century keep, a corner tower, a piece of the main wall and the moat have been preserved. However, the Hollenfels family has long since died out.
Compared to Hollenfels, Schoenfels Castle appears almost delicate and elegant with battlements and bay window turrets, although Friedrich von Schoenfels built the complex as a fortified castle in 1292, before artillery was invented. A small museum is open all year.
There is also a castle museum in Mersch, where right in the center of town the 13th century castle is located. It is housed in the former castle chapel. The actual castle cannot be visited, since today the mayor resides there, with his office in the knights’ hall.
The 13th century Koerich Castle is also a lowland castle and is located in the center of the village of the same name. It has not been inhabited for almost 300 years and is now a ruin. However, with majestic walls up to three meters thick and 15 meters high and with a square keep: “It is also called the Tower of the Witches because women accused of witchcraft were locked up in it”, explains the guide on site. From the floor plan you can see how pompous the castle once was. The ruins are freely accessible at any time, unless someone has reserved the castle courtyard for a party.
The last of the seven noble possessions is Septfontaines: the castle dominates the village of the same name, which in German is called Simmern. It dates back to the 12th century and is privately owned. This means: unfortunately it is not possible to visit them; the majestic walls are visible only from the valley or the hill in front.
Anyone who has always wanted to become the lord of the castle has an opportunity here: Septfontaines Castle is for sale. According to what we hear locally, it was offered first for eight, then for five and finally for 3.5 million euros. Absolutely a bargain.
Tips and information for Luxembourg:
I arrive: Mersch can be reached from Luxembourg City in just under 20 minutes by car or train (16 kilometres). The best starting point for the seven castle tour is Mersch in the Eischtal valley. If you don’t want to do the 27 kilometer tour through the Vallée des 7 Châteaux by car, you can take the path of the same name (36 kilometers one way, visitguttland.lu/de).
The castles: All properties, except Septfontaines, are accessible for free even in winter depending on the property, only some parts are open; Opening hours and further information: carena-vela.lu (Burg Ansembourg), gcansembourg.eu (Ansembourg Castle), erliewen.snj.lu/hollenfels (Hollenfels, internal visit only on request), ksf.lu (Koerich), mesch.lu (Mersch and Schoenfels).
Accommodation: You can stay in the Bead & Breakfast at Ansembourg Castle, carena-vela.lu.
Information: visitluxembourg.com
Participation in the trip was supported by Visit Luxembourg. Our standards of transparency and journalistic independence can be found at axelspringer.com/de/werte/downloads.
This article was first published in October 2023.
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