On Saturday morning, 15 June 2024, a small group of eight Ad Pacem members met in the car park of Clairefontaine Abbey on the Belgian-Luxembourg border. This was the start of the second Bike for Future of the season, during which the team explored the cycle paths and stretches of national road around Arlon. It was a closed course (signposted loop) of 40 km, with the finish, at around 5 p.m., at the start car park.
After cycling through a number of villages and along country roads and tracks, taking in some lovely views, the group had their lunch break in a meadow with a packed lunch.
On the final stage, the group passed through Toenig and Sterpenich before a long descent, giving the legs a chance to relax, to the finish.
The sun, clouds and wind made for a pleasant cycling outing.
Everyone agreed that this outing was an opportunity to spend a good time together, discovering beautiful landscapes in good weather. Before loading up the bikes and setting off again, there was an hour-long visit to the Clairefontaine abbey site, including the ruins of the old structure dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, the medicinal garden redone in the old-fashioned way (as it was in those days), and the spring that (still) runs through the underground galleries which, in the Middle Ages, were a place of pilgrimage where believers sought healing for their ailments.
On the cycle paths near the three borders (tripoint)
Eight young and not-so-young members of the Ad Pacem association met up on Saturday 18 May 2024 for their Bike for Climate in the car park next to the church in Elvange (L). Although it had rained on the previous days, it stayed dry for the entire 45km route. With overcast skies and ideal temperatures, it was a pleasure to pedal through fields, vineyards and villages. But when the cyclists arrived in Remerschen, on the promenade along the Moselle, they were surprised to have to pedal for several hundred metres on a track flooded with twenty centimetres of water from the overflowing Moselle.
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Schengen Museum
Our first stop was at the Schengen European Museum (L), which traces the progress of European integration and the establishment of the Schengen area of free movement from its earliest days. On 18 December 2007, the former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bronislaw Geremek, described this process in these words:
‘The abolition of the EU’s internal borders is a sign of recognition that all the citizens of the States concerned belong to the same area, and that they share a common identity’.
The museum’s permanent trilingual exhibition shows that the abolition of internal border controls represents an important step in the process of European integration. A 200 m2 exhibition area offers visitors a range of different themes, together with background information. Visitors can see the various customs and border symbols that characterised border posts between states before the creation of the EU. They were all abolished to allow free communication and movement between the different nations and populations of the EU.
Roman villa Borg
The cyclists then crossed the bridge over the Moselle to begin the long climb, on the German side, through the vineyards to the Roman Villa Borg near Nennig (D). On the way up, the cyclists passed a bunker that forms part of the Westwall built by the Nazis between 1939 and 1940. There are 75 bunkers along this 10.9 km stretch between the east of the town of Perl and the loop in the river Saar near the village of Orscholz.
Once they had reached the Roman villa, it was time for a lunch break and a packed lunch.
After lunch, it was time to visit the impressive villa. This complex has been completely rebuilt from its foundation walls. A visit to the residences of the Villa Borg gives an idea of the life of the privileged Romans two thousand years ago. The open-air museum with artefacts found during archaeological excavations, the villa’s magnificent baths, the harmonious gardens, the banqueting rooms, the gatehouse, the Roman kitchen and the Roman tavern invite you to linger a while.
Roman villa with the largest mosaic north of the Alps
After passing through more vineyards and woods, the next stop was the Roman villa near Nennig (D). It houses the largest mosaic from the Roman era north of the Alps.
The villa’s magnificent mosaic floor is one of the most important finds of its kind north of the Alps, and one of the few that can still be visited today at the original discovery site. Protected by a structure built around 150 years ago, the site is one of the oldest museum displays of archaeological finds in Germany.
The carefully structured mosaic spreads like a carpet over an imitation of black and white marble tiles. The mosaic was created at the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. It measures around 160 m2 on the floor and incorporates a well decorated with marble slabs. The mosaic was made using around 3 million small stones.
Just before visiting the mosaic, the group had stopped for a few moments in front of a mound forming a Roman burial complex dating from the 2nd century AD.
For the last 10km, the group was forced to make a slight diversions and take the main road. Heavy rain the previous day had caused a landslide that swept away several trees, completely blocking the way.
It was a very nice cycling trip to the ‘Luxembourg, France and Germany’ tripoint.
In order to establish a connection to the living in the broadest sense, the association Ad Pacem regularly organises bicycle tours. Because the bicycle is an important means of mobility that is carbon-free, economical and good for physical and mental health.
On cycle paths that lead through fields and forests, participants (re)discover villages and neighbourhoods in the fresh air, sights and monuments that bear witness to the history of our regions, including the most recent.
The ecological change that is essential for a desirable and more nature-friendly future is also achieved through cycling. In the city, cycling improves the quality of life for all: less noise, less air pollution related to climate change, less dependence on energy sources related to the current wars.
On Saturday morning, 20 May 2023, eight of us had arranged to meet at Bettembourg station for a 46 km bike ride on the cycle paths in the south of Luxembourg.
We first cycled through Peppange (past the former Benedictine convent) and Hellange, then crossed the French border in the middle of fields and discovered the villages of Hagen and Évrange on our way, as well as the monuments to the victims of the two world wars. In Évrange, we paused to visit the neo-Gothic church dedicated to Saint Albin, which is open to the public, and to admire the stained glass windows inside, two of which have war and peace as their theme. (The church was partially destroyed during the Second World War and restored after the war) .
After crossing the border again, we stopped in Aspelt near the Baroque castle and the bronze statue of Peter of Aspelt (1240-1320, Elector and Archbishop of Mainz), erected in his honour in 2021 on the square in front of the church. The sculpture in question, however, left us rather perplexed due to the artistic choices: Peter von Aspelt is namely depicted without any episcopal insignia and has a strangely androgynous appearance.
The lunch break took place in Dalheim at the foot of the Eagle Monument. This is a column about ten metres high, with a Roman eagle perched on top of a globe. This monument was erected in 1855 by the “Société archéologique luxembourgeoise” to commemorate the presence of the Romans in Dalheim, in particular the Vicus Ricciacum. Just a few steps away from this site, we were also able to visit the Gallo-Roman theatre on our way down to Dalheim. This ancient amphitheatre, which could seat about 3,500 spectators, probably dates from the 2nd century.
We then drove back via Hassel, Alzingen and Hesperange, where we had a last break at the pond in the middle of the city park. At 4.30 p.m., our group arrived back at the car park at Bettemburg station, the end point of this cycle tour, in ideal weather conditions.
Twelve members of the Ad Pacem association met in the middle of the morning on Saturday 29 April 2023 on the car park of the railway station in Bettembourg (L) for a bike ride. After a rainy and cold start to the spring, this bike ride provided hours of fresh air from the meadows and fields.
Energy dependency The association supports cycling, also in view of the current wars, which are often wars for the control of oil and gas fields or for the dependence of entire populations who do not have them.
Oil and gas energies are powerful levers of power in the hands of certain belligerent states, as is the case of Russia, which has long been a major supplier of these energies to Europe and the Ukraine.
It is true that cycling is only partly a way out of these energy dependencies. But it symbolises the ecological transition to renewable and healthy energy sources for humans.
Dead miners for the development of the country After passing through Dudelange-Burange and Budersberg, Kayl, Tétange and Rumelange with its Mining Museum, the group took a lunch break at the place called “Léiffrächen”, at the foot of the National Miners’ Monument which commemorates the very many people who died in the mines of Luxembourg from the second half of the 18th century until the 1950s. It should be remembered that several young people between 13 and 15 years of age were among the victims of dangerous work in the mines.
The tour continued with the descent to the Ellergrond, a nature reserve near the French border, to Esch-sur-Alzette. The group then took the new footbridge of the cycle path that leads to the heart of the Belval site. After a short break, the group continued towards Lallange, Schifflange, Huncherange to arrive at the car park of the station of Bettembourg, terminus of the tour, around 4 pm.
Cycle paths without cyclists With this cycling day, the association reminds all political leaders that cycling must be politically encouraged among the population. During the whole day, the participants hardly met any other cycling fans on the cycle paths, which were all in perfect condition.
On Saturday 9 October 2022, the Ad Pacem association organised a bike ride on the cycle paths of south-western Luxembourg. Ten people met at 9 am to start from the station in Pétange. The group took several breaks along the 40 km route. At noon, everyone had lunch in the open air. As the route was organised in a loop, at about 5 p.m. the whole group arrived again at the station of Pétange from where they had started. This outing through the fields and along the woods was another experience to rediscover the bicycle as an ecological, healthy and group way of travelling.
Fifteen members of the Ad Pacem association cycled together for two days on cycle paths in Luxembourg. This bike ride made people understand how much this means of expression reduces air pollution and climate change. And it brings well-being and peace to the mind, soul and body.
On the morning of April 15, they left the Glacis in Luxembourg-city by bike, taking the cycle path no. 2 which, passing by the red bridge and the Kirchberg, led them to Echternach.
The lunch break was at the bus stop in the small village of Rippeg. At the height of Consdorf there was the possibility of seeing on a landscaped square, just on the edge of the cycle path, the enormous American bomb, found in 1990, and which dated from the 2nd World War. The group arrived at the edge of Lake Echternach around 3.30 p.m.
Visit of the Gallo-Roman villa just behind.
The guide of the Museum explained very well the life of the inhabitants of this Gallo-Roman villa which was inhabited from the 1st to the 5th century of our era.
From the roof, which is also the terrace of the museum, you can get a good idea of the size and considerable dimensions of this farm and the land that surrounded it at the time. Inside the museum, the visitor can realize the importance given to the classical studies of the young people of the Gallo-Roman aristocracy as well as to the art of cooking at the time.
The site offers a good overview of the many details that the excavations have brought to light so far.
Evening dinner was taken outdoors on the terrace of the Echternach youth hostel.
Visit of the Basilica and the crypt
On Friday morning, everyone got on their bikes in the direction of Echternach where the group attended the 9 a.m. mass in the basilica. Afterwards, the priest Mr. Erasmy was kind enough to briefly explain the history of the basilica from its beginnings in the 7th century to the present day. He reviewed the various destructions and reconstructions that the basilica has undergone over the centuries.
Under his guidance, the group visited the crypt where the sarcophagus of Saint Willibrord is located, who evangelized this region by propagating the Christian faith there. He is notably the patron saint of Luxembourg and the dancing procession celebrated on Pentecost Tuesday to honor his memory has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity since 2010.
Around 10:30 a.m., the group left Echternach along the Sûre on cycle path n. 3. Shortly before noon a lunch break took place in Born, a small village near the Sûre. After regaining strength, thanks to a barbecue, the group set off again on track n. 3 to the port of Mertert to now take track n. 4 to Niederanven. It is precisely here that the route joins the cycle path n. 2 and the last kilometers of the course thus corresponded to the first of the day before. The arrival at Glacis was around 7:30 p.m.
Tired after these two days of cycling, everyone was able to realize how much, in contact with the air and nature, these physical efforts on the bike help to find relaxation and satisfaction.
But traveling by bike avoids CO2 pollution and reduces greenhouse effects. They support the desired ecological change.
