Even more of the Müllerthal's geological treasures go on display

"Look at this …" Geologist Dr Birgit Kausch picks up a tiny stone from the dusty ground, about the size of a grain of rice. "… this is iron ore from the south of the country." We are standing in a flat field near Reisdorf in the east, which is set to become part of the UNESCO Global Geopark Müllerthal. You would not normally expect to find iron ore here. Or would you? "It must have been washed from the Alzette into the Sauer and ended up here at some point. Large deposits of this ore were collected by farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries as winter work. One of our geosites in Fischbach is the 'Aal Schmelz', a blast furnace in which such stones were processed using charcoal from the forest." It's the perfect example of the park's aim, says Kausch: "To show what's here, why it's here and what people have done with it."

The ground we walk on

As one of the country's best-known regions, the Müllerthal needs little introduction. Its diverse landscapes, hiking trails and wide range of cultural attractions make it one of the Grand Duchy's most important tourist attractions. Thanks to effective branding, anyone who says "Mëllerdall" almost automatically thinks "nature park" as well. Yet a second word is always prominently featured on the logos and information leaflets: Geopark.