Mühlenbach, a mill stream and the way into the woods

Mühlenbach means mill stream, and the name earns its keep. From the 14th century the stream powered up to eleven mills, grinding grain and making paper, plaster and tobacco, according to the tourist office. The water has run in a channel since the 1950s, and the district, home to 2,482 people, is now mainly the way into the Bambësch woods. Cross the woods westwards and you come out at Bridel, the hilltop village of Kopstal.

Mills, paper and market gardeners

The fact I like best is the paper. In the early 18th century the Jesuits had a mill here where, according to the city, the very first Luxembourg paper was made. On the site of the old tobacco mill, St Fiacre’s church went up in 1962-1963. Before the war the district had as many as 23 market gardeners; the tourist office says two remain.

Administratively, Mühlenbach did the rounds. It belonged to the municipality of Eich, moved to Rollingergrund in 1849 and became part of the capital in 1920.

If you’ve come looking for a mill you can actually visit, watch out for a common mix-up. The Muerbelsmillen, the Mohrfels mill with its big water wheel, which made mustard until 1985 and now shows its machinery with an exhibition and make-your-own-mustard workshops, isn’t in Mühlenbach. The tourist office places it at 69 rue Mohrfels in the Pfaffenthal, and it’s run by the Lëtzebuerg City Museum. I’d pair it with a walk along the Alzette valley rather than an afternoon in the woods.

What’s in the Bambësch?

Far more than you’d guess from the road. The district page reminds readers that the city manages 1,055 hectares of its own woodland. There’s a woodland restaurant from 1910 and, deeper in, the Juegdschlass, an 1873 hunting lodge now run as a restaurant. Around it, says the tourist office, live American bison, donkeys and peacocks, which is not what most people expect to find within the city limits.

For families, the highlight is the forest playground that opened in 2023. It recreates chunks of the fortress in timber, Fort Thüngen, the Bock, the castle bridge and the Dent Creuse, over 8,571 m². It’s the most fun way I know to introduce children to the Bock casemates before they see the real thing.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Luxembourg before prices climb.

An afternoon in the woods, step by step

I’d take bus 33 to the playground and give the children an hour between the timber Bock and the wooden fort. Then I’d head into the woods on the paths leading off from there and look for the Juegdschlass to see the bison. If it gets late and they’re open, the lodge restaurant or the 1910 woodland restaurant will sort out tea. Apart from whatever you eat and drink, the whole plan costs nothing.

Who it suits

Families first and foremost, since I think it’s the best option in the north of the city, and anyone who wants a walk under the trees without leaving town. If you’re after monuments or neighbourhood life, Limpertsberg or the centre will suit you better. There are more ideas along these lines in Luxembourg with kids.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Luxembourg before prices climb.

Getting there

The city recommends bus 33 for the Bambësch playground, which you can ride for free. Rollingergrund and its share of the woods are right next door, and I’d link the two on one long walk through the trees.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Luxembourg and choose by the reviews.

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