Musée Méindeg: the Musée de Maquettes des Châteaux et Châteaux Forts du Luxembourg in Clervaux

Méindeg, 18 January.

Good morning and happy Monday! Today on the blog, I'll be introducing you to my new favorite museum in Luxembourg, the Musée de Maquettes des Châteaux et Châteaux Forts du Luxembourg. Located in Clervaux Castle in northern Luxembourg, this museum is home to twenty-two models of Luxembourgish castles and fortified castles.

The museum brochure promises "a travel through time and dimension for the whole family, for the history lover, and for all those with a passion for scale models!"

I'll let you chuckle over that for a moment.

In all seriousness, the museum is an impressive piece of work. Each castle is presented, often along with the surrounding village, at a precise 1:100 scale. In addition to the models themselves, posters provide information about the location, history, and current status of the castles.

Do you recognize Buerg Fiels, or Larochette Castle from my October 2015 visit?

Information about each of the castles is presented in French, German, English, and Dutch. ("That's sooo Luxembourgish.") However, the posters give the names of the castles first in Luxembourgish. As it is relatively rare to see Luxembourgish in writing, this wound up being one of my favorite parts of the entire museum!

For example, did you know that in Luxembourgish, Clervaux is actually Klierf? Or that the Château de Beaufort, which I've visited on two separate occasions, is more accurately known as the Buerg Beefort?

 

I've visited Beaufort Castle twice (in November 2013 and October 2015) and loved seeing the scale model!

In addition to models of individual castles, the museum provides general information about the role of castles in Medieval Europe and traces the evolution from fortified medieval castles, built on hills to withstand attack and provide shelter, to the more architecturally ambitious Renaissance châteaux.

I learned that while some owners renovated their castles, others abandoned the drafty, crumbling structures entirely and instead built modern homes in the local village.

Practical Information.

During the summer (May 1 to October 31), the museum is open from 10-18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. Hours are restricted in the winter (November 1 to April 30), when the museum is open from 10-18:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

Admission costs 3.50€, but visitors can buy a 5€ "Ticket COMBI" that also grants admission to the nearby Museum of the Battle of the Bulge. Reduced price tickets -- 2.50€ or 3€ for the combination ticket -- are available for large groups as well as for students over 18. Children under 18 are admitted free of charge.

The Musée de Maquettes des Châteaux Forts du Luxembourg is located in Clervaux Castle. The town of Clervaux is easily accessible by train from Luxembourg City. Trains run frequently between the two cities and the trip takes approximately one hour. For more information about public transportation in Luxembourg, see the official website of the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois.

Learn More.

More information about the museum can be found online at Destination Clervaux.