The mystery of the sleeping village - Wunnen Luxembourg (2024)

A walk in Bourglinster

As you walk down the narrow roadthrough the forest and rock formations, the village emerges like asuspended dream, a place of mystery and beauty that stimulates theimagination and triggers the most lynchean of fictions.

Locatedin the commune of Junglister, Bourglinster is considered by some tobe the most beautiful village in the Grand Duchy. Even if thisassessment has its share of subjectivity, the fact remains that thelocality is eminently picturesque and seductive, combining history,architecture and nature in a single gesture. It is a romanticlandscape that has given rise to many paintings and postcards- andcan still be admired today from several vantage points high up on thesurrounding hills.

When fiction transcends place

Bourglinster, a small, quiet village that has lain at the footof its castle for ages, suddenly saw the global spotlight shine on itafter the phenomenal success of the Luxembourg series Capitani, whichwill air on RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg in 2019 and on Netflix in February2021. Some of the scenes in this production, directed by ChristopheWagner for Samsa Film, were shot in and around Bourglinster. Thisunexpected local branding has led to an influx of new visitors to thelocality in recent months, Capitani fans from all over the world,delighted to discover an authentically Luxembourgish village, whoselanguid and taciturn side perfectly matches the moods of theirbeloved thriller.

A world-famous castle

The history of the town is closely linked to that of itsRomanesque castle, whose origins date back to the 12th century andwhich was remarkably renovated by the Luxembourg State after itsacquisition in 1968. Since 1982, the castle has hosted exhibitions,concert series, conferences and receptions. In its former stables, italso houses a centre for artistic creation, the Annexes, wherenational and international artists of all disciplines meet. Inaddition to these creative spaces, the Annexes are home to thenon-profit organisation Les Amis du livre (LëtzebuergerBicherfrënn), whose members are committed to the 'revival' of books.The "Pabeierscheier" (the paper barn) collects books of allstyles, second-hand works that are sold at modest prices. For thepast 40 years, the Friends of Bourglinster Castle have beenorganising a renowned chamber music festival here every year. Inaddition, since 2005, the Château de Bourglinster has become areference on the international gastronomic scene, thanks to the tastyand inventive cuisine of René Mathieu, who has been awarded aMichelin star since 2012 and was elected Chef of the Year 2010 forLuxembourg by the Gault Millau guide. New awards in 2020 and 2021:for two years in a row, the Green Guide, the global reference forvegetable cuisine, is awarding the We're Smart prize for BestVegetable Restaurant in the World to the Distillerie, the restaurantrun by René Mathieu.

A paradise for humus lovers

This winter, we too wanted to feel the vibrations emanatingfrom this strange town where time seems to have no hold. We went fora walk, certainly not hoping to meet Inspector Capitani or BrigadierElsa Ley- their investigation is long over and season 2 takes themfurther south in Luxembourg- but experiencing the very specialatmosphere that may have inspired the series' creators. Armed withour camera and a microphone, we walked through its impassive streets,crossed the threshold of the village café and the Pëtzenhaus, metChef René Mathieu and visited the Pabeierscheier des Bicherfrënn.Not forgetting to climb to the Buchholz viewpoint to enjoy anunbeatable view of the village and its castle. From this balconyperched on the hill, Bourglinster appears in all its splendour,hidden in the heart of a bewitching nature, rich with all themysteries of the centuries.

Protection assured

For some years now, the village, which has been defined as ahistorical ensemble, has been protected by the municipality ofJunglinster, of which it is a part, and by the state. This largelyexplains the authenticity and hom*ogeneity of the place, which has notbeen disfigured by outrageous and disproportionate modernconstructions. Moreover, thanks to this public support, many oldhouses have been restored. In the centre of the village, theGonnerengass and the village square have retained their originalcharacter, with the three restored fountains, the church dating from1860, and the Pëtzenhaus (former Pütz house).

René Mathieu, tarred SChef, La Distillerie, Côté Cour

"I have been working in this setting for almost 17 years.The place is magical. The castle is part of Luxembourg's heritage andhas been remarkably restored, keeping its authenticity, its beautyand its medieval soul. The prize for best vegetable restaurant in theworld that we received two years in a row brought us even morevisitors from all over the world, attracted by our table and by thiswonderful setting. The cuisine I practice is inspired and valued bythe local. Everything that grows around us in terms of vegetables andfruit, we can use to feed ourselves. At the same time, if you thinklocal, you think seasonal: in winter, root vegetables, carrots,celery, Jerusalem artichokes, etc.; in spring, young shoots, peas,beans, asparagus, etc.; in summer, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes,pumpkins, etc. There is enough variety in our woods and gardens tofeed us properly, there is no need to bring in food from the otherside of the planet! I work a lot with wild vegetables- so that theyretain as much of their nutritional properties and flavour aspossible- from small local producers. Our school system should teachchildren to eat properly from an early age. It is up to all of us,consumers and citizens, to change our eating habits for the benefitof both the planet and our health.”

The brewery in the heart of the village

Three friends- Mich, Nora and Paul- joined forces in 2019 torevive the old village café, which they renamed Café Millebières.The interiors have been redone with a classic, cosy brewery feel,with some nice bohemian accents. The variety of beers is assured, inkeeping with the name of the café, and as for the menu, you onlyhave to browse the Facebook page to see that there are some very nicethings on offer, rich in flavour and colour. "We wanted torecreate a meeting place in the centre of the village, a warm andfriendly place where people can meet in all simplicity, have a drink,chat, laugh, listen to music...". It's confirmed, the place hasa soul.

A paradise for old books

Lëtzebuerger Bicherfrënn- Les Amis du livre was founded in1997 by book lovers with the aim of promoting, supporting andpreserving literary heritage and books in the broadest sense of theterm. Since 1999, the Bicherfrënn has had its own space, thePabeierscheier, in the annexes of Bourglinster Castle. A realliterary Ali Baba's cave, the space is dedicated to the reception ofbook donations, storage and resale. In 2007, a second point ofcollection and sale of books was added: the Bicherstuff Wolz. Theprofits made by the association are donated to charity. InBourglinster and Wiltz, book lovers can choose from thousands ofbooks in all categories: classic and detective novels, sciencefiction, art and architecture, philosophy, history, cooking,wellness, comics, children's books, etc. Arranged by theme, the booksare in almost new condition, and offered at a hyper-democratic price.Come and browse in this exceptional bookshop, you will certainly makesome great discoveries. The Pabeierscheier is open every first Sundayof the month, from 2 PM to 6 PM, and every Thursday, from 5 PM to 7PM.

A historic house as a new youth hostel

Among the historic buildings in the village centre, thePetzenhaus immediately stands out with its striking façade andelegant appearance. Used as a youth hostel between 1952 and 2018, thehouse is a former farmhouse in the Baroque style. It was built in1761 by Joseph Putz, the then mayor of Junglinster. After the youthhostel was closed due to its unsuitability for modern needs, thestate established a socio-educational centre for underage girls in2019. In preparation for the new use, the Public BuildingsAdministration, in cooperation with the Siegle Christophoryarchitectural firm, renovated and reconfigured the interior. Themulti-sports field and the surrounding area were also refurbished.The remaining historical elements of the house were restoredaccording to the rules of art in order to enhance the value of thisarchitectural heritage.

The Annexes- a space for creativeexperimentation

Since their creation in 2013, the Annexes of BourglinsterCastle have been housing workshops for emerging artists from thenational cultural scene and for international artists. In 2021, aspart of the cultural recovery plan "Neistart Lëtzebuerg",the Ministry of Culture has entrusted the artists' collective K+A-following a call for applications- with a residency-mission tomanage and animate the complex for a period of three years. Thisresidency officially began on April 6 2021, with the handover of thekeys to the Annexes and its outbuildings. K+A defines itself as acollaborative creative laboratory whose objectives are artisticresearch and experimentation. The core of K+A is the dance companyK+A Danz, known as Kadanz, around which other disciplines such asvisual arts and theatre revolve. The K+A collective is supported bythe non-profit organisation DanceXperience, founded in 2011 andchaired by Georges Rischette.

The most recent event held in the framework of the Annexes wasthe workshop "K'âges- Je me libère. Les vertus du théâtrepour tous les âges”, led by director and comedian Saïf Settif,member of the K+A collective. Photos: Black Magic Tea