Mamer Castle is the town hall for the commune of Mamer, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the home of the communal council, the site of local government offices, and the centre of administration for communal services.
It is located on Place de l'Indépendance near the centre of the town. It is made up of four buildings, set in recently landscaped surroundings. At the main entrance, there is a sculpture of Nicolas Frantz, two-time Tour de France winner, and Josy Barthel, Luxembourg's only Olympic gold medallist, both of whom were born in Mamer.
History
A castle was originally built in Mamer in the 10th century. By the French Revolutionary Wars, it had fallen into ruin, and was seized and sold off by the occupying French forces in 1798 to Thierry de Bastogne. Police chief Frederic François built a new castle on the site in 1830, surrounded by a 2-metre high wall. It passed hands to Jacques Fischer and Julie Kremer in 1934, surrounded by 1.72 hectares of farmland.
In 1995, the property was purchased by the communal administration, which, in 1997, voted unanimously on 4 June 1997 to restore it. This was done between September 1999 and February 2002. The communal administration has been located at Mamer Castle since 1 March 2002. Mamer Castle was the location of the draw for the 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, which was held in Luxembourg.

Mamer Castle

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Le "nouveau château" a été construit vers 1785 par le baron Jacques-Philippe-Joseph d'Huart, pour être occupé ensuite par son fils Jean-François-Joseph, bourgmestre de la commune de Bertrange de 1805 à 1808, de 1817 à 1824 et de 1831 à 1837.
Après le décès de celui-ci en 1837, le domaine a été vendu à son beau-frère Victor-Thérèse-George de Chelaincourt, époux de Auguste-Elisabeth-Sophie d'Huart. Les nouveaux propriétaires ont adopté Alexandre de Colnet. Les privilèges qui ont été accordés à l'enfant adoptif ont valu à Alexandre de Colnet le deuxième nom de "d'Huart". Alexandre de Colnet d'Huart a fait parti du Gouvernement du Baron de Tornaco en 1869.
Après son retrait du poste de Directeur général des finances, il a été bourgmestre à Bertrange de 1885 à 1896. Le mariage de son fils héritier étant resté sans enfants, une première partie du château a été cédée en 1944 à la Croix-Rouge par acte de donation du sieur Jean-François de Colnet. La deuxième partie a été vendue à la Croix-Rouge Luxembourgeoise en 1948. A grands frais, la Croix-Rouge a fait rénover et adapter le château, devenu la Fondation de Colnet d'Huart, pour y abriter un home pour enfants à partir de 1948.
http://www.bertrange.lu/

Colnet d'Huart Castle

Schauwenburg Castle in Bertrange in south-western Luxembourg has a history dating back to the Middle Ages when, according to historical references from the early 13th century, the Lords of Bertrange occupied a fortified castle. Today's building originated in the 16th century as testified by the Renaissance windows on the eastern and northern wings, the façade being completed in 1710. Around 1780, the d'Huart family who lived in the castle found the facilities too small and constructed a larger building, the Château de Colnet d'Huart, in the vicinity. Over the year, the Schauwenburg Castle has had many different owners and has been used for a variety of purposes. Since 2008, it has temporarily housed the Commune's administrative offices and served as the town hall.

Schauwenburg Castle

The Château de Septfontaines is located in the Rollingergrund district of Luxembourg City. Now a listed building, it has been associated over the years with Luxembourg's Villeroy & Boch porcelain factory, which closed in 2010.
History
The castle was built in 1783–1784 by Jean-François and Pierre-Joseph Boch, who had opened their nearby porcelain factory in 1767, when Luxembourg was part of the Austrian Netherlands. The brothers had chosen Rollingergrund for their factory, as it offered all that was needed: clay, water and wood for the ovens. It was designed so that both their families could live there, which explains why the first floor is divided into two separate sections for the bedrooms, while the rooms on the ground floor, including the dining room and lounge, could be used by both families.
The castle was once occupied by French troops and was sold in 1914. After Luitwin von Boch had acquired it once again in 1970 in the name of Villeroy & Boch, he charged his cousin Antoine de Schorlemer to undertake comprehensive renovation work which lasted a full 12 years.
The castle today
The rooms now testify to the success of the Boch brothers. Porcelain of all shapes and sizes decorates the walls and the windows. In the dining room hangs a portrait of the Austrian empress Maria Theresa (1717–1780), who had allowed them to build their factory in Rollingergrund and who had freed them from taxation for the first ten years. Now available for business conferences and receptions, the building is still used by the management, partners and clients of Villeroy & Boch when they are in Luxembourg.

Château de Septfontaines

Bettange-sur-Mess Castle is located in the village of Bettange-sur-Mess near Dippach in the southwest of Luxembourg. Built in 1753 by René Louis de Geisen, the castle has changed ownership several times. Since 1996, it has been a retraining centre for mentally handicapped persons run by the Association des Parents d’Enfants Mentalement Handicapés.

Bettange-sur-Mess Castle

Koerich Castle is a ruin located in the village of Koerich in central Luxembourg. With a history dating back to the 12th century, it is one of the castles in the Valley of the Seven Castles.
Location
Standing on level ground in the valley of the stream of Goeblange, the castle's impressive keep and external walls blend harmoniously with the Baroque church and the old houses in the centre of the village.
History
The Grevenschlass, now known as Koerich Castle, was built by Wirich I, Lord of Koerich and Seneschal of Luxembourg at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century in late Romanesque style. It was expanded in 1304 by Godefroid of Koerich who gave it a more Gothic appearance. The keep, now 11 m tall, was certainly much higher when it was built. With a base measuring 12 by 11.6 m and walls up to 3.5 m thick, it is one of the most impressive in the entire region. A spiral staircase inside one of the walls provided access to the different floors.
Surrounded by a moat, the castle originally had a fortified entrance with a portcullis. From 1380, Gilles of Autel and Koerich converted the stronghold into a more comfortable residence by building two 12-m towers at either end of the south wall. The south-western tower which still stands, houses a chapel on the ground floor. In 1580, the new owner Jacques de Raville made further changes, demolishing part of the property and adding two Renaissance wings. The stately fireplace on the first floor and large rectangular windows testify to the castle's palatial splendor at the time. The south wing was again altered in 1728, this time with Baroque additions.
After the death of the Ravilles in the second half of the 18th century, the castle started to fall into ruin owing to lack of maintenance. In 1950, Pierre Flammang, the last private owner, carried out some essential structural repairs before the castle finally came into the hands of the State.
The castle today
Although major repairs are still in progress, the site can be visited free of charge.

Koerich Castle

The Grand Ducal Palace is a palace in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and where he performs most of his duties as head of state of the Grand Duchy.
History
The building was first the city hall of Luxembourg from 1572 to 1795, the seat of the prefecture of the Département des Forêts in 1795, and then the headquarters of the Luxembourg Government in 1817.
From 1817, the palace became the residence of the Governor, the representative of the Dutch Grand Dukes. As such, it was used by Prince Henry, during his time as Lieutenant-Representative of Luxembourg. The building's interior was renovated in 1883, in preparation of a visit by Grand Duke William III and his wife, Grand Duchess Emma.
With the accession of the House of Nassau-Weilburg in 1890, the palace was reserved exclusively for the Grand Duke and his family. Under Grand Duke Adolphe, it was comprehensively renovated and a new wing, containing family rooms and guest accommodation, was built by the Belgian architect Gédéon Bordiau and the Luxembourgian state architect, Charles Arendt.
During the German occupation in the Second World War, the Grand Ducal Palace was used by the Nazis as a concert hall and tavern. Much of the palace's furniture, art collections and jewels were ruined. Large swastika flags were hung down the front. With the return of Grand Duchess Charlotte from exile in 1945, the palace once again became the seat of the Grand Ducal Court.
Under the supervision of Charlotte, the palace was redecorated during the 1960s. It was thoroughly restored between 1991 and 1996. The interior of the Palace has been regularly renovated to match modern tastes and standards of comfort.
From 1945 to 1966 the Grand Ducal Guard mounted ceremonial guard duties at the palace. From 1966 to today soldiers of the military of Luxembourg perform guard duties.
The Palace today
As the official residence of the Grand Duke, the palace is used by him in the exercise of his official functions. He and the Grand Duchess, together with their staff, have their offices at the palace, and the state rooms on the first floor are used for a variety of meetings and audiences. On Christmas Eve, the Grand Duke's Christmas message is broadcast from the Yellow Room.
Foreign heads of state are accommodated at the palace, as guests of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, during official visits to Luxembourg, and the Ballroom is the setting for state banquets in their honour. Throughout the year, numerous other receptions take place at the palace, such as the New Year's reception given for members of the Government and the Chamber of Deputies.

Grand Ducal Palace

The Bock is a promontory in the north-eastern corner of Luxembourg City's old historical district. Offering a natural fortification, its rocky cliffs tower above the River Alzette which surrounds it on three sides. It was here that Count Siegfried built his Castle of Lucilinburhuc in 963, providing a basis for the development of the town which became Luxembourg. Over the centuries, the Bock and the surrounding defences were reinforced, attacked and rebuilt time and time again as the armies of the Burgundians, Habsburgs, Spaniards, Prussians and French vied for victory over one of Europe's most strategic strongholds, the Fortress of Luxembourg. Warring did not stop until the Treaty of London was signed in 1867, calling for the demolition of the fortifications. Ruins of the old castle and the vast underground system of passages and galleries known as the casemates continue to be a major tourist attraction.
It was in 963 that Count Siegfried, in search of a site from which he could defend his properties, obtained the Bock and its surroundings from St Maximin's Abbey in Trier in exchange for the land he owned at Feulen in the Ardennes to the north. The Romans, then the Franks, had probably already inhabited the Bock although there is only scant archeological evidence of their presence. There are however traces of a 4th-century Roman watchtower close to the point in the Fish Market where two major Roman roads used to cross, one from Reims to Trier and the other from Metz to Liège.
The first historical mention of the Bock is indeed in connection with a watchtower or fortification on the Roman road from Reims to Trier which, in 723, was ceded by Charles Martel, Duke of the Franks, to the Abbey of St Maximin in Trier. Two centuries later, Count Siegfried, who had properties "in Feulen, Hosingen and Monnerich in the Pagus Wabrensis, in Sarreburg, Berncastel and Roussy in the Pagus Mosellanus", was looking for a location for a castle able to withstand any onslaught which would serve as a central point for his holdings. After failing to obtain a site near the Abbey of Stavelot, now in the Belgian province of Liège, he approached the Abbot of St Maximin's for the purchase of the property high up on the Bock cliff above the Alzette River, described as a "castle by name Lucilinburhuc" (castellum quod dicitur Lucilinburhuc). It therefore seems as if there was already a castle on the site before Siegfried became interested in it and that it was not Siegfried who called it Lucilinburhuc. After the consent of Emperor Otto I had been obtained, the deed was signed by Viker, Abbot of St Maximin's, on 7 April 963. Siegfried acquired the site in exchange for some of his properties at Feulen.
Over the centuries, Siegfried's fortified castle on the Bock was considerably enlarged and protected with additional walls and defences. In 987, the castle chapel was built at the nearby Fish Market. Today's St Michael's Church stands on the same site. Under Conrad I, the castle became the residence of the Counts of Luxembourg. It was damaged, destroyed, captured and rebuilt on several occasions as the Burgundians (1473), the Habsburgs (1477), and the Spaniards (1555) attacked and took the fortress.
As time passed, the fortifications needed to be adapted to new methods of war based on increasingly strong firepower. During the 1640s under the Spaniards, the Swiss engineer Isaac von Treybach significantly reworked the defences. The Bock was also strengthened with three forts, the Large Bock, Middle Bock and Small Bock (from west to east), separated from each other by cuts in the rock and linked by bridges. As a result, little remained of the medieval castle.
A little later in 1684, on behalf of Louis XIV, Vauban succeeded in capturing the city of Luxembourg during a month-long siege under which the Bock fortifications were completely flattened. Thereafter Vauban, perhaps the most competent fortification engineer of his day, undertook major additions to the defences, realizing that underground passages and chambers were just as important as the surface installations. The Large Bock, connected to the old town by the Pont du Château, was further reinforced. Enclosed by a wall 12 m (39 ft) high, it was the major component of the new fortress.
In addition to these structures, the Bock also included a system of casemates which originated in the cellars of the medieval castle. In 1744, during the Austrian period, these underground passages were considerably enlarged by General Neipperg. The main passage, which still remains, is 110 m long and up to 7 m wide. Branches leading off on either side were equipped with no less than 25 cannon slots, 12 to the north and 13 to the south, offering considerable firepower. In the event of war, the Bock casemates, covering an area of 1,100 m2, could be used as barracks for several hundred soldiers. Water was supplied from a well 47 m deep.
Thanks to its defences, in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars, the city held out against a French siege for seven months. When the garrison finally surrendered, the walls were still unbreached. This led the French politician and engineer Lazare Carnot to call the Luxembourg fortress "the best in the world, apart from Gibraltar". As a result, it has often been called the Gibraltar of the North.
The fortifications were finally demolished under the terms of the Treaty of London in 1867. The demolition took 16 years and cost the enormous sum of 1.5 million gold francs.
The Pont du château
The two-storey bridge connecting the Bock to the old town was an important component of the fortifications. Technically, it is a rather curious structure. Built in 1735 by the Austrians, it provides no less than four ways of crossing between the cliffs: the road over the top, a passage by way of the four upper arches, a spiral staircase up through the main arch and a tunnel under the road at the bottom.
Famous visitors
Over the years, the Bock casemates have received several famous visitors. These include:
Emperor Joseph II of Austria (1781);
Napoleon Bonaparte (1804);
Prince Henry of the Netherlands (1868);
Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg (1936);
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Teresa (2000).
The legend of Melusina
There have reportedly been people that have seen Melusine in the waters nearby.

Bock

The New Castle of Ansembourg, in central Luxembourg is one of the castles belonging to the Valley of the Seven Castles. Located about one kilometre or just over half a mile below the Old Castle of Ansembourg, it was built by the industrialist Thomas Bidart in 1639.
History
In 1639, Thomas Bidart built the central part of today's castle as a comfortable house surrounded by walls and towers, two of which still stand. Originally from Liège in Belgium, Bidart, who was a pioneer of Luxembourg's iron and steel industry, named the building Maison des Forges (House of the Ironworks). During the Thirty Years' War, he tapped the region's many water sources and exploited its timber and iron, manufacturing arms at a foundry close to the old castle. As a result, his family prospered, earning rights to the title of Lords of Amsembourg which had belonged to the Raville family until 1671.
It was the de Marchant family who, after inheriting the property by marriage, undertook its astonishing transformation into today's modern-looking castle. In 1719, the courtyard was extended with two wings on either side of the original building. The southern gable was enhanced with a magnificent arch where four statues represent the four continents. Fitted with two small towers, the new façade overlooked the gardens which were connected to the castle through an arcade. The first-floor balcony above the porch provided an excellent view of the gardens, complete with flowerbeds and a fountain. Between 1740 and 1750, Lambert Joseph de Marchant et d'Ansembourg further improved the gardens and extended the buildings on the north side of the main courtyard so that they could be used as stables and lodgings for the castle staff. In 1759, Count Lambert Joseph added the impressive Baroque gateway bearing the arms of de Marchant of Ansembourg and Velbruck.
The castle today
In the early 1970s the castle hosted an foreign studies program for students from three American private Catholic Colleges. Students lived in the newly created dorms on the second floor, and took classes in Literature, Art History, Music Education, and Foreign Language. They also assisted with art restoration and teaching music at DuPont International School. One of the partner colleges, Mercy College of Detroit, sent professors. Students had complete access to the castle and its furnishings, including the Music Room that had pink gilt furniture and a grand piano.
Since 1987, the castle has belonged to the Japanese new religious organisation Sûkyô Mahikari which uses the castle as its European and Africa headquarters and holds monthly Ceremonies and seminars throughout the year for its members. Sukyo Mahikari promotes such concepts as "The Baptism by Fire." which can be survived with "Salvation by Divine Light." The members claim to be able to radiate Divine Light from their hands after attending a three day seminar.
Sukyo Mahikari has undertaken substantial renovation work with the assistance of Luxembourg's Service des Sites et Monuments nationaux. Initially work was centred on reinforcing the foundations and walls and on restoring the staircase of honour on the upper terrace in the gardens. From 1999, the statues and the fountains in the garden were repaired while the roofs over the two wings and the central section were rebuilt. Work is now concentrated on restoring the oldest part of the building which dates from the 17th century.
The castle gardens are open to visitors from 9 am every day. The castle also hosts a number of cultural events during the year.

New Castle of Ansembourg

Ansembourg Old Castle, known as the Old Castle of Ansembourg, in central Luxembourg is one of the castles belonging to the Valley of the Seven Castles. Located high above the little village of Ansembourg, the medieval castle is the private residence of the current Count and Countess of Ansembourg.
History
The property is first mentioned in 1135 when the lord of the castle was Hubert d'Ansembourg. The fortifications were probably built in the middle of the 12th century. At the beginning of the 14th century, the south-western tower gate and the northern keep appear to have been built by Jofroit d'Ansembourg. Since the times of Jakob II de Raville-Ansembourg, the castle does not appear to have been significantly altered. The main entrance bears the date of 1565. In 1683, the castle was damaged by the French troops of Marshal de Boufflers. In the 17th century, repairs were carried out by the Bidart and the Marchant et d'Ansembourg families who built the New Castle of Ansembourg.
Recent developments
Today the castle is owned by Gaston-Gaëtan Count de Marchant et d'Ansembourg who moved into the property after the death of his father. At the end of 2008, the Luxembourg government acquired the family's library (around 6000 books) and were offered the family archives. Interest had grown in the collection after the Codex Mariendalensis manuscript telling the story of Yolanda of Vianden was found in 1999 by the linguist Guy Berg. The manuscript dating from the end of the 14th or beginning of the 15th century was especially significant as it was written in the Moselle Franconian dialect which is closely related to modern Luxembourgish.
The castle today
The castle is strictly private property and is not open to visitors.
In 2011, the Count of Ansembourg opened a very exclusive boutique hotel, in one of the buildings surrounding the castle.

Ansembourg Castle

La Fontaine Castle is the name of a former castle in Clausen, Luxembourg. The elaborate building was the residence of Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, governor of Luxembourg, who began its construction in 1563 and continued to extend it until his death in 1604. For this reason, it is also known as the Palais Mansfeld or Mansfeld Palace. Almost nothing remains of it to this day.
History
Mansfeld was appointed governor of Luxembourg in 1545 when he was only 28 years old. His successful military career combined with his interest in antiquity help to explain what drove him to embark on such an ambitious architectural project.
Construction started when Mansfeld and his second wife, Marie de Montmorency, bought the hermitage and the Margaret's chapel belonging to it, as well as twenty houses and additional land from Neumünster Abbey. To build the castle, the road from Neudorf to Clausen was interrupted and a new path built around the land. Mansfeld also rented and closed off the old park of the Counts of Luxembourg, and exchanged plots of land belonging to Neumünster Abbey for those he had purchased. In 1590 he started to surround the whole area with a wall.
The site itself offered not only magnificent views of the city from the front and of rocks and forests from the back but above all water from the River Alzette was available for the gardens, baths and fountains. Indeed, with a façade some 200 metres long, the castle was set back against the surrounding rocks in order to provide a maximum amount of space for the gardens. The gardens were decorated with antique statues, many of which were Roman works of art found in nearby Arlon. The estate, which also included a hunting park, had a 5 km perimeter enclosed by solid walls. Although the name of the architect is unknown, he appears to have been from the Netherlands, perhaps an associate of Hans Vredeman de Vries whose influence can clearly be seen. Some sources maintain that the castle was inspired by Château Fontaine in Forest near Brussels.
In the gardens, a Venus fountain was built. This was a rectangular pool with semi-circular apses, with a Venus statue in the middle, riding on a whale. This was surrounded by animal statues, spraying water. Later, a pergola was built around the pool. This fountain, or its remains, are being excavated since 2003.
Fall into ruin
On his death in 1604, Mansfeld bequeathed the furnishings of the castle to Philip III of Spain, who transported all the works of art and antiquities to Madrid. The Infanta Isabella did not accept the legacy of the palace, which was laden with debt. As a result, it began to decay, and was destroyed during the siege of 1684 by the French.
Little remains of the castle. From descriptions by Jean Guillaume Wiltheim, we know it was decorated inside. The castle appears on various old city maps. Knowledge of the castle's size and appearance mostly comes from period paintings by Georg Braun (with Franz Hogenberg) and by Joachim Laukens. They show the style was late Gothic with Renaissance influences.