Laura et Seb, les Globe blogueurs
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Slow travel with the family
RobbeSscheier or how to bring the rural traditions OF THE ARDENNES to life
4 minutes reading
Not far from Clervaux, in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, lies the village of Munshausen. In this quiet village, it feels as if time is standing still. In the Robbesscheier Living Museum, local enthusiasts pass on the area’s traditional know-how. An unusual visit, perfect for discovering local culture and traditions and reconnecting with nature. This is the tale of this creative and peaceful interlude.
When we arrive at Robbesscheier, we don’t really know what to expect. As we arrive near the church, we catch a few glimpses of what lies ahead. A stunning vegetable garden at the height of its summer glory thrives, surrounded by several buildings and greenhouses.
A little further on, a few peaceful donkeys and impressive Ardennes draught horses are awaiting the arrival of interested visitors. But before taking a closer look at them we decide to visit the visitor centre to inquire about the different activities available to us.
Robbescheier's beautiful vegetable and ornamental gardens - L. Le Guen
One site, but a variety of activities for a tailor-made visit
It turns out that all day long, the centre offers a variety of workshops relating to traditional local skills (ceramics, candle making, bread baking, wool working, carriage rides….). This way each visitor can enjoy a tailor-made visit to the centre, depending on their tastes and preferences. We were about to have had a hard time choosing, but were saved from indecision by our son, who already had his heart set on a number of workshops. He has always been fascinated by clay modelling, so we decide to go for it. He was also very interested by the art of candle making. Off we go for a day of crafts!
From bee to candle
When we arrive in the main building, we receive a warm welcome from Christian, the instructor in charge of the candle making workshop. There are quite a few tell-tale signs scattered around the workshop and our son can’t wait to handle the candle moulds or watch the beeswax form a candle, almost as if by magic.
We pay close and earnest attention to the several stages necessary to making a candle. Hélio is adamant he wants to see the appliance that heats up and liquidises the wax as well as the one that makes the wax slabs (for the wax foundations that will be used for the hive frames in the future bee hives). A subtle honey smell pervades the atmosphere. Hélio makes his very first candle using a heart-shaped mould. For the second candle, we roll a slab of wax into a long candle. The candle needs to dry for a couple of weeks before we can light it. Hélio makes sure I have safely put away the candles we just made, which he now considers his treasured possessions.
The candle making workshop - L. Le Guen
From sheep to bobble
Enthralled by our first workshop, we continue our day of discovery with the wool workshop. Even though he is only 4 years old, Hélio is quite familiar with all the instruments and tools used to transform sheep fleece into a ball of wool. He knows everything there is to know about carding combs, spindles, spinning wheels and weaving looms. Nonetheless, he still finds it fascinating to see them in action. Christian suggests creating something out of a ball of wool. Hélio instantly nods his head in agreement and carefully follows his instructions. When we remove the pieces of cardboard, he is amazed to see that when the threads (that are linked together) are cut, they turn into a bobble. Candle making is a simple and fun activity, easy to do again at home.
Of rabbits and Ardennes draught horses
After our first two craft-oriented activities, we decide to pay a visit to the centre’s animals. The tiny rabbits literally melt our hearts as do the three donkeys that amble towards us as soon as they notice we have brought handfuls of fresh hay. One of the particularities of the centre is that they maintain the age-old traditions relating to the Ardennes draught horses alive.
As we approach their pen, we fall under their spell; they are impressive, majestic and serene. Thanks to their incredible strength, they effortlessly take the visitors for carriage rides. Traditionally, they were used to perform hard agricultural labour like pulling tree trunks. A traditional activity of the Ardennes, one that the centre strives to keep alive. We won’t have the opportunity of watching them pull tree trunks, but it isn’t hard to imagine how spectacular it must be.
From clay to jigsaw puzzle
From clay to jigsaw puzzle
The moment that our son has longed for all day has finally arrived: it’s time for the ceramics workshop. As soon as he is seated, he gathers all the material and immediately sets off to work. A rolling pin in one hand, he rolls out the clay and rummages through the many cookie cutters in order to choose his favourite. He singles out a heart-shaped cutter and proceeds to painstakingly decorate the pieces of clay he has cut out. But he doesn’t stop there; he makes several different shapes, which he ends up cutting into pieces. The result? A totally unique jigsaw puzzle... A rather interesting choice, but the whole point is to let his creativity roam free and this workshop is perfect for that. As the day goes by, we collect many little keepsakes to remember our visit by, which is the cherry on the cake for our budding craftsman.
Time for the ceramics workshop and the keepsakes keep accumulating - L. Le Guen
From wheat to apple turnovers
At the start of our visit to the centre, we took a look at the bread oven that had just been lit. A couple of hours later, it has reached the ideal temperature for baking bread and other delicacies. Our timing is absolutely perfect as Christian suggests we take part in a bread baking workshop and make some apple turnovers. Our hungry bellies decide for us: we agree like a shot. The brioche-like dough has been made in advance and so have the stewed apples. All we have to do is to shape and fill the apple jacks. Hélio is very generous with the apple filling, so we have no other choice but to eat some of the stewed apples so we can seal the edges. When the door to the bread oven opens, we are hypnotized by the crackling embers, and we watch as our creations slowly turn golden brown, our mouths watering...
Our apple turnovers are finally oven-ready! - L. Le Guen
From vegetable garden to plate
To round off this beautiful morning, we have lunch at the Robbesscheier restaurant. The restaurant serves healthy, seasonal dishes with produce straight from the vegetable garden and local organic farms. The helpings are generous; the food looks tasty and satisfies both our starving stomachs and our gourmet taste buds. We thoroughly enjoy these simple yet meaningful family moments.
It really was the perfect way to round off our joy-filled day! These moments are essential to recharge your batteries and to reconnect with the nature that surrounds you.
Enjoy this experience
La Robbesscheier
1, Frummeschgaass L-9766 Munshausen (Grand Duchy of Luxemburg)
Tel: +352 92 17 45 1
www.robbesscheier.lu
Opening times:
The Robbesscheier Living Museum has seasonal opening times: winter and summer. The activities are available every day, from 10:00 to 18:00 during the summer season and from 10:00 to 17:00 during the winter season.
The restaurant is open every day of the year from 08:00 to 01:00, the kitchen is open from 11:00 to 14:30 and from 18:00 to 21:00.
Key moments that help us recharge, find harmony and reconnect with our surroundings