Asselborn, a mill still turning and a shepherd sent to the guillotine

Asselborn is one of the oldest-rooted villages in the commune of Wincrange. The commune dates it back to Frankish times, though the name only appears in writing in a charter of 1479, and its life has always been shaped by its role as a crossroads on the old road between Antwerp and Rome. It was a commune of its own, with several hamlets, until the merger of 1977.

The mill that keeps turning

The reason to come is the mill. The commune describes it as the oldest known mill in the Grand Duchy still in working order. Since 1984 it has housed a hotel and restaurant plus the museum of the water mill and milling, with an exhibition on how a mill works and how it’s fitted out. On request, staff set the wheels turning to show you, which for me is the best part of the visit. The restaurant, says visitluxembourg, has a terrace, a brasserie lunch and a regional menu in the evening.

At the mill there’s also a sculpture by Michel Heintz junior of the Asselborn shepherd, condemned to death for defending his homeland during the «war of the cudgels» and guillotined at 25. In the village itself stands a monument and a second sculpture of him by Raymond Birgin.

Slate and valleys

At a spot called Eimeschbach there was a slate quarry. It was worked by traditional methods from 1646 to 1868 and then industrially, for roofing slate, until it closed in 1970. The commune says it is being prepared for opening to the public, with no date yet.

The easiest way to take all this in is the Éislek Pad Asselborn, a 7.54 km loop of about two hours starting at the mill itself. It follows the stream, passes the old quarry and climbs to the Millebierg viewpoint on the Wincrange plateau, with only 110 metres of ascent. visitluxembourg notes the stream has been given its old bed back and meanders freely again. From Troisvierges, the 19.34 km Éislek Pad Troisvierges also comes down the Trëtterbaach valley to the mill before heading back via Boxhorn and the Woltz valley.

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Asselborn on the Escapardenne

Asselborn is a fixture for long-distance walkers. The Éislek Trail, the northern half of the Escapardenne, ends its second stage here, 21 km from Clervaux, after skirting Troisvierges and following the Trëtterbaach valley down to the mill. The third stage leaves Asselborn for Houffalize, 20 km away over the Belgian border. Sleeping at the mill and setting off from there next morning is, to my mind, the most comfortable way to link the two.

With children

The Haff Om Béchel educational farm in Asselborn introduces children to farming, nature and animals. By arrangement it runs visits and workshops such as candle making or donkey rides, as well as birthday parties. It pairs well with Park Sënnesräich at Lullange, in the same commune.

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