Spotlight on Villages in Luxembourg: Binsfeld

Throughout August, Chronicle.lu will be shining a spotlight on various villages across the Grand Duchy; the focus is mainly on some of the (perhaps) lesser-known villages with particular points of interest or an interesting history (e.g. cultural and/or industrial heritage).   

The next article in this series is dedicated to Binsfeld, a small village in the municipality of Weiswampach in northern Luxembourg (Canton Clervaux) with a population of about 300. Binsfeld (Bënzelt in Luxembourgish) is nestled in the countryside of the Luxembourgish Ardennes region, about a five-minute drive from Troisvierges. 

The village is perhaps best known today for its rural history museum. Housed in a 300-year-old renovated farmhouse ("A Schiewesch"), Musée Rural Binsfeld presents the history of the region through more than 50 themes, thousands of everyday objects and old photographs, as well as through digital media. Visitors of all ages can learn about the daily life of past residents, farmers and craftspeople in the region. Groups are also welcome at the museum, which offers various activities (workshops, hikes, excursions, etc.). The museum is open to the public throughout the year. It also rents out a holiday home (for up to 20 people at a time) for longer stays.

In the early 1980s, around the time that several local farms were being restored, a local non-profit organisation bought and renovated the "A Schiewesch" building; the museum opened its doors in 1988 and underwent modernisation works in 2015.

Binsfeld is also home to a neo-Gothic-style church dedicated to the Holy Trinity (Église Sainte Trinité). The church, built in 1894, boasts a bright and ornate interior with stained glass windows. At the entrance, there is a plaque dedicated to ten young men from the village who had been taken hostage by the SS during the Battle of the Bulge and later imprisoned to serve as forced labourers in Germany.

The predecessor of the current church was a smaller chapel, built in the 15th century and demolished in the 20th century. Next to today's church is a cemetery. A wayside cross can also be found nearby. 

Opposite the church, there is a stone memorial marking 150 years of the Grand Duchy's independence. The inscription reads (translated from Luxembourgish to English): "1839-1989 - Let the sun of freedom shine on - honour those who suffered for us - Binsfeld - Holler - Briedfeld". The monument is flanked by European and Luxembourgish flags.

Another monument, slightly hidden in a forest in nearby Maulusmühle, commemorates the Allied airmen who lost their lives in a crash during the Second World War. The aircraft wreckage bears witness to the story of these six men. The campsite at Maulusmühle offers a range of sporting and relaxation activities.

Also a short drive from Binsfeld is Josy Reiff's Fendt vintage tractor collection, composed of over 100 tractors. The family farm business is now in its third generation.