On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the Moselle³ Trail, a cross-border tourist project, was inaugurated at the European Museum in Schengen. In addition to District Administrator Daniela Schlegel-Friedrich, numerous German, French, and Luxembourgish representatives from politics and tourism attended the official opening ceremony.
Ralf Uhlenbruch, mayor of the municipality of Perl, emphasized, along with his colleague Michel Gloden, mayor of the municipality of Schengen, and Armel Chabane, president of the municipal association Communauté de communes Bouzonvillois-Trois Frontières, the opportunities that lie in the joint development and marketing of tourist offers in the borderless tri-border region. The participating municipalities view the new Moselle³ Trail as a flagship project of inter-municipal cooperation across national borders. The idea of a cross-border tri-country circular trail has certainly been around for two decades. With great dedication and initiative, those responsible have succeeded in realizing this long-desired project.
The joint ceremony, during which a red satin ribbon was symbolically cut, marks – following the well-attended Festival³ on May 8, 2022 – another important milestone in the successful cross-border cooperation in the German-French-Luxembourgish border region.
33 kilometers through 3 countries without borders – that’s what the Moselle³ Trail offers
For those who want to explore the borderless tri-border region on foot or by running, the Moselle³ Trail is tailor-made. The 33-kilometer route through the German-French-Luxembourg border region connects interesting, historically significant places that span a bow across the centuries. Along the way, the path leads through a diverse landscape with numerous impressive viewpoints and through special, protected natural areas, each with its own character and charm.
Exciting stops such as the Europamuseum Schengen, the Château des Ducs de Lorraine in Sierck-les-Bains, and the Franco-German Peace Chapel near Perl are located along the Moselle³ Trail, which connects existing paths into a new, cross-border hiking experience. The historic landmarks provide insight into the region's eventful history, from the medieval feudal era through periods of border shifts, power struggles, and wars, to the current development of a shared, borderless living and cultural space. Even along the way, the natural landscape still reveals the scars of the war years upon closer inspection, with trenches, overgrown tank barriers, bomb craters, and hidden bunkers.
The M³ Trail passes through exceptional natural landscapes such as the Stromberg Forest Nature Reserve with the Stromberg Plateau, the German-French Hammelsberg Nature Reserve, known for its rich variety of orchids, the limestone meadows of Montenach at Maison de la Nature, and the quartzite outcrops in Sierck-les-Bains, which are also partially designated as nature reserves. A nature and cultural experience is guaranteed on the M³ Trail. Nature enthusiasts will be just as thrilled as hikers interested in culture and history. Since the starting point along the circular route can be freely chosen, the M³ Trail can conveniently be planned as a two- or three-day tour. Corresponding recommendations are published on the website at http://www.m3-trail.eu.
