Mäerchenwee Differdange

Once upon a time (OK, last Saturday), a family took a walk in the woods near Differdange. There, they met a mysterious old woman – possibly a witch! – who beckoned them deeper into an enchanted forest…

The “Mäerchenwee” (Fairy Tale Trail) is a short-but-sweet themed hiking trail for kids. At each of the six “stations”, you will find a beautifully-carved wooden sculpture representing a scene from a fairy tale, like these ones (“Rapunzel” and “Hansel and Gretel”).

But that’s not all! There is also a sculpture of a book at each waypoint, with the beginning of the story carefully etched into the wood (in German or Luxembourgish).

And there’s something else too – a telescope?!? Initially, this had us completely baffled… but we soon figured out that the Mäerchenwee had another little secret – gorgeous wooden animals, “hiding” in the woods nearby. The telescope, of course, is to try to spot them; a genius idea that my younger kids adored.

Together, all these things created a sure-fire recipe for success; it wasn’t a hike anymore, it was a game! Spot the sign, find the sculpture, read the story, look through the telescope, locate (and identify) the mysterious animal, laugh and smile! Even the big bad wolf blowing a tree down on Snow White’s house (and breaking the telescope!) couldn’t spoil the fun. A highly-recommended diversion if you are ever in the Differdange area.

Practical information

Park your car at the end of Rue Metzkimmert, Differdange. From this place you can already see the “old woman” and the start of the trail.
The trail is less than a kilometre long and is suitable for most pushchairs / buggies.
TIP: There is a small “velo park” for kids at the same location. Bring the kids’ bikes for extra fun after finding all the fairy-tale creatures.