Credit: Jos Nerancic

Luxembourg's Department of Spatial Planning, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and the Directorate General for Tourism Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall (NGPM) announced that the Executive Board of UNESCO accepted the NGPM into the global network of UNESCO Global Geoparks at its 214th session, which took place from 30 March to 13 April 2022 in Paris, France.

The Executive Council thus followed the unanimous recommendation of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, based on a detailed examination of the application of the NGPM and on the reports of UNESCO experts in the field, adopted during a global session held from 8 to 11 December 2021. Among the eighteen applications submitted to UNESCO in 2019 and 2020, eight regions were confirmed as new UNESCO Global Geoparks. The international network of UNESCO Global Geoparks now has 177 members in 46 countries.

“It is an indescribable feeling to see that all our efforts have been rewarded and that the region is worthy of being a UNESCO Global Geopark,” said Claude Petit, director of NGPM. The NGPM thanks its member municipalities, the Luxembourg Commission for its collaboration with UNESCO as well as all the ministries, administrations, partners and private individuals who have contributed to the success of the candidacy.

Camille Hoffmann, president of NGPM and mayor of the municipality of Beaufort, emphasised that the application could only be crowned with success thanks to a fruitful collaboration. “The employees of Natur & Geopark Mëllerdall form a solid team that does everything possible to achieve the objectives of the region. The same goes for the UNESCO application, in which the whole team took part. However, we must not underestimate the regional, national and international collaboration which has greatly increased in recent years and which has certainly benefited the candidature for UNESCO. I am very happy that we have achieved this goal together and I thank all those who have supported us either in Luxembourg or abroad. Finally, I would like to underline the commitment and collaboration of our eleven member municipalities and to thank them. They are the backbone of Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall!”

The Minister of Culture, Sam Tanson, stressed that geology has a great influence on the way we live, cultivate, build or even consume and recalls that "the cultural heritage of Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall is marked by the particularities exceptional geological features of the region, today recognized worldwide. I salute the close collaboration with the cultural institutes of the State (INRA and INPA) and with the other UNESCO labels in Luxembourg. The successful program of research and training in sustainable development for all age groups is also to be commended, as it helps to raise awareness and highlight the exceptional heritage of Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall”.

Lex Delles, Minister of Tourism, for his part underlined that “the UNESCO label is a guarantor of the conservation and protection of our cultural and natural heritage. In addition, the 'UNESCO Global Geopark' label highlights not only the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall, but also the tourist attractiveness of Luxembourg. The General Directorate of Tourism is committed to a quality tourist offer that attracts both tourists and locals. The UNESCO Global Geopark Mëllerdall will meet this high requirement and will be an important showcase for our tourist offer in the future. This will mainly concern our main target group, the so-called 'active' tourists. Finally, I would like to congratulate all those involved in the tourism sector who, thanks to a productive and flawless collaboration, have contributed to the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall obtaining the label 'Global Geopark UNESCO'”.

Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, said: "The 'UNESCO Global Geopark' label for the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall brings effective international recognition of the quality and sustainability of our unique natural heritage. The region is a model of sustainable management and shows how nature conservation, hand in hand with tourism, can successfully contribute to the preservation of natural and cultural habitat. A big thank you to all the partners for their unwavering commitment and their passion for the Mëllerdall region, for nature and its inhabitants.”

Claude Turmes, Minister of Spatial Planning, said that he is impressed that the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall has successfully completed this important new step. “I warmly congratulate him on this unique distinction. It represents a clear added value for the region and shows once again that we have a special responsibility to preserve our cultural, natural and geological heritage for us and for future generations. I would especially like to congratulate the employees of Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall, who are doing an excellent job and joining forces to develop the region in a sustainable way. Without them, this success would not have been possible.”

Simone Beck, President of the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO and President of the Geopark Committee, expresses on behalf of the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO her warmest congratulations to Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall for its admission to the network UNESCO Global Geoparks. “With the title of 'UNESCO World Geopark', UNESCO honors both the unique geological heritage of the Mëllerdall region and the commitment of the managers and inhabitants of the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall for its beautiful cultural landscapes. Sustainable cultivation methods, soft tourism, research or even local products contribute not only to anchoring the objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda in the consciousness of visitors and inhabitants of Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall, but also to preserve for the future a naturally beautiful and culturally rich region.”

#mëllerdallgoesUNESCO – Retrospective and perspectives

What preceded the decision? − Years of intensive preparatory work

On 23 November 2020, the NGPM submitted a 50-page application letter to the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, via the Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning. The Commission transmitted the document to Paris. The document was developed through years of intensive preparatory work and intense collaboration between the NGPM and its regional and national partners, including the National Geoparks Committee.

The examination of the documents submitted by UNESCO and an external evaluation of the geological heritage by geological experts were followed by an on-site evaluation. From 21 to 23 October 2021, two experts from the UNESCO Global Geoparks network visited the region to get an idea on the spot. During an intensive three-day program, regional particularities as well as different projects and partners were presented and discussed in the eleven member municipalities of the PNGM. The national importance of the project was underlined by the presence of Minister Turmes, Minister Dieschbourg and Minister Delles as well as Simone Beck, President, and Catherine Decker, Secretary General of the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO .

The application letter, the geological assessment of the region as well as the on-site expertise served as the basis for the discussions of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council during its meeting from 8 to 11 December 2021, during which a unanimous recommendation was made to the Executive Board of UNESCO for the adoption of the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall.

On 13 April 2022, the Executive Board of UNESCO announced that the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall has been integrated into the international network of UNESCO Global Geoparks.

And now? − International recognition and commitment to development

Thanks to obtaining the label, the awareness of the impressive Mëllerdall region, with its interesting geological sites and its special natural and cultural heritage, will reach many more people than before. Indeed, the label is also synonymous with international recognition.

The UNESCO Global Geoparks are interconnected by an international network. Regular network meetings provide the opportunity for intensive exchange and networking, to come up with ideas and learn from each other. Being a UNESCO Global Geopark means at the same time committing ever further to the development of the region, because the UNESCO Global Geoparks are reassessed every four years.

The ongoing projects of the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall continue to move forward. But in the weeks and months to come, the focus will also be on the recommendations of UNESCO. The NGPM team will review and implement proposals on what could be concretely improved within the region over the next four years. The recommendations relate, for example, to access and discovery of geosites for inhabitants and visitors. In addition, in cooperation with the regional tourist association, tourist guides will be trained even more specifically on certain topics of the UNESCO Global Geopark Mëllerdall.

What is a UNESCO Global Geopark?

UNESCO Global Geoparks are regions comprising sites and landscapes whose geological significance is internationally recognized and whose value can be discovered through a comprehensive concept that includes the areas of education, protection and sustainable development. They work for the people and communities in their region, making local people aware of the value of their geological heritage and thus creating an identification with the region. They encourage geotourism and regional development and address the challenges of today's society such as themes of global change (climate change, natural hazards, etc.).

Thus, the NGPM and its various services (economic service, regional products, education, protection of drinking water, climate & renewable energies, protection and conservation of cultural heritage, geology, nature and landscape protection) fit very well well in concept. Just like the UNESCO Global Geoparks, the NGPM also pursues the global goals of sustainable development.

The Luxembourg Sandstone forms one of the most impressive sandstone landscapes in Western Europe. More than 200 million years ago, the region of the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall was below sea level, where different rock layers were formed. Even today, the fascinating landscape of the NGPM presents many traces that offer us a deep insight into this history. Moreover, the connection between geology and many other areas of cultural, natural and intangible heritage is visible in many places in the Mëllerdall region. The Grès de Luxembourg also plays a central role in the region, for example in the supply of drinking water.

Celebrations − Programme on the occasion of the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall week

The NGPM will celebrate this international recognition of the region with the inhabitants and visitors from 30 May to 5 June 2022 as the Natur & Geopark Mëllerdall week, and in a broader framework than before. In addition to activities for school children, a quiz evening, guided hikes, a gourmet hike with workshops as well as geological bike tours will be offered during the weekend. The details of the programme is available onlive via: www.naturpark-mellerdall.lu.