Neudorf-Weimershof, the village built beside the fortress

Stand on the Bock, look east across the valley, and you’ll spot a statue perched on a rock. That’s St Joseph, and he belongs to Neudorf. Officially the district is Neudorf-Weimershof, tucked into the dip below the Kirchberg plateau, and it still has the feel of the village it once was.

A new village for the displaced

Neudorf means new village, and there’s a reason for it. It was founded in the late 18th century by people whose homes beside the fortress had been expropriated, according to the tourist office. Before that, the land was Count Mansfeld’s deer park, the Déieregaart, enclosed by a wall three metres high and five kilometres long. Rue de Neudorf was laid out in 1852, the first school opened in 1845 and the church followed in 1901.

In the 19th century around 80 per cent of the houses were thatched. In 1920 residents voted to join the capital, and from 1923 to October 1953 the district had a tram.

One odd place name survives from the old days, Tawioun, which the tourist office links to a gate of Octavius. Today the district covers 248.93 hectares with 6,989 residents, and Klosegrënnchen park alone takes up 15.6 of those hectares, so green space weighs heavily here.

Beer, a hospital and a mix-up

The Funck-Schamburger brewery was founded in 1864, and the city records that the Brasserie Henri Funck brewed in Neudorf until 1982. If that side of things appeals, there’s more in my page on Luxembourg beer.

Another practical point I think is worth knowing. Hôpital Kirchberg isn’t in Kirchberg at all but here in Neudorf-Weimershof. The tourist office spells it out, and it could save you a detour.

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What’s worth seeing in Neudorf?

For me, Klosegrënnchen park. It covers 15.6 hectares of terraced gardens and rare orchids, with an arboretum the Natural History Museum shows people round. Twice a year about 300 sheep are brought in to graze. It feels more like a patch of countryside than a formal park, which is exactly why I like it.

The statue of St Joseph, by Frans Stacke and Jean-Pierre Knepper, was unveiled in 1888 on a rock over 60 metres high. The Chapel of the Resurrection, at 52 Rue Jules Wilhelm, holds paintings by Maxim Kantor. There’s also the Théâtre Le 10, a BMX track and pétanque pitches.

Fitting it into a trip

Most people only pass through Neudorf on the way to the EU quarter or the hospital. I’d pair it with neighbouring Weimerskirch, which has the oldest recorded history in the city, or with Cents on the next plateau. City buses run out from Luxembourg City centre and, like all public transport here, cost nothing. If time is tight, go straight to Klosegrënnchen and spot the statue on its rock from there.

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If you are short on time, see the best tours in Luxembourg and pick one that fits your day.

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