I saw this wonderful old photo recently of a steam engine pulling into a stop, slap-bang in the middle of a busy road in Luxembourg City. You may still recognise this place as “Charly’s Gare” – a buzzing transport hub even today.
But whatever happened to this steam engine? Well, “Chareli” continued to chug from Luxembourg City all the way to Echternach for 50 years – from 1904 to 1954 – until it inevitably fell victim to economic unfeasability caused by the unstoppable rise of the automobile. Its legacy, however, lives on…
One of Charly’s regular stops was just outside the village of Bech, on the fringes of the Mullerthal. From yesterday’s old station building, the kids of today can embark on a different type of journey – “Auf den Spuren von Charly” – an educational tour of the local countryside and vestiges left behind by the old railway. There are thirteen different “stations” to discover, scattered liberally over a 5.5km route that should be plenty to entertain and exhaust curious kids of all ages.
The trail starts with a gentle walk through mature forest and some activities to build recognition of trees and animal tracks. Then it heads – through occasionally muddy terrain – towards the stark modern lines of the Altrier water tower.
In the shade of this massive structure, kids can learn about the importance of childrens’ rights – a fascinating but somewhat incongruous part of the trail – before heading through the village of Altrier and down to “Grossmutter’s Waschmachine” (Grandma’s washing machine).
TIP: Bring some old clothes for the kids to wash “like Grandma”.
From here, it’s a short, sharp descent down to meet up once again with the old “Charly” railway line, which takes us all the way back to our starting point. There’s some well-worn attractions to pause at along the way (e.g. insect hotel, “animal long jump”), the most interesting (by far) being a demonstration of an astonishing echo.
Just point the megaphone at the nearby village of Zittig, shout into it and – out of nowhere! – your voice echoes back to you, clear as a whistle. Oddly, kids’ voices seemed to work much better than adults’, and the dog was, frankly, rubbish at it. Nearby, the views over the pastoral landscapes of Zittig, Rippig and Hemstal may be overlooked by the kids, but very much appreciated by the adults.
But the highlight of the trip is, of course, the tunnel itself, an echoey gallery of zebra-lighted industrial gloom that’s sure to enthrall any adventurous kid.
TIP: Pretend that Charly is coming and hide in the purpose-made shelters at the side of the “tracks”!
All in all, the 5.5km will flash past like a runaway steam engine – a worthwhile mixture of outdoors adventure and education, natural and man-made attractions, for young and old alike.
Practical information
- Park at Becher Gare, L-6230 Bech.
- 5.5km – 2-3 hours – Not suitable for pushchairs.
- All information boards and activity instructions are only in German.
- Can be (very) muddy in places. Please bring waterproof shoes (and leave all hopes of a spotlessly clean car far, far behind).
- At the start / end point, there is a playground and some picnic tables.
- More info at Hiking Trail for kids ‘On the tracks of Charly’ – Visit Luxembourg
(c) 2021 Jonathan Orr
Luxembourg Outdoors 