Spotlight on Villages in Luxembourg: Born

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 Born, a village in the municipality of Mompach in eastern Luxembourg (Canton Echternach) with a population of about 400. The Luxembourgish name for Born, Bur, means spring or fountain. As the French (Born-sur-Sûre) and the German names (Born an der Sauer) indicate, the village is located along the banks of the river Sûre. Located a five-minute drive away from the E44 motorway leading from Luxembourg City to Trier, Born is a convenient location for Luxembourgish and foreign tourists for a day trip. It offers verdant cycle paths (within reach of the Moselle Valley, Trier and Echternach), signposted walks overlooking the nearby hills and orchards and fishing spots along the river throughout the year (fishing licence required).

Unfortunately, due to its proximity to the river, in 2021, Born was badly affected by floods, causing significant material damage, a number of inhabitants had to be evacuated. Certain restaurants in the centre of the village (such as Distillerie Schmit-Zimmer) had to remain closed to this day due to the damage. The camping site "Um Salzwaasser" was damaged beyond repair and is to be newly built with plans in the works this year, following a new flood concept which will be drawn up to avoid the devastation from two years ago in the event of flooding.

There is evidence of the Gallo-Roman civilization in the surroundings. Terraced orchards and vineyards as well as Roman gravestones and monuments along the Sûre valley point to Roman settlements which are known to have been firmly established from around 54 BC near Trier, the Moselle and Sure valleys and also at Wasserbillig and on the Roman road from Trier to Reims and Echternach. Roman ruins have also been found at Pafebierg, not far from Born. Despite a number of attacks from the middle of the third century, the Romans maintained their influence in the area until about 450 when Germanic tribes finally conquered.

Born is also home to picturesque apple and pear orchards and to Luxembourg's first cider company, Ramborn. According to the cider company, although fermenting juice from traditional apples and pears in the region goes back at least as far as the Romans, this tradition has seen a decline over the last century. Reviving cider-making helps use up local fruit that may otherwise go to waste. They use traditional varieties of apples (some unique to the region) and these local orchards thus support local biodiversity. The idea to make Luxembourgish cider came up during a summer holiday in the UK. Three Luxembourgish friends were tasting local ciders and exchanging stories about their relatives, who used to make cider known locally as "Viez". This led them to the decision of producing their own Luxembourgish cider from local apples.

The parish church, surrounded by a beautiful green park, dates back to 1856. The nearby Château de Born has a history dating from 1286 and was originally owned by the Lords of Born. Members of the Hattstein, Faust d'Aschaffenbourg and de Villiers families were associated with it. Today, the castle is privately owned and was built on the old castle's site in the early 18th century.