Before investments in and around the castle planned for the coming years can begin, the property must first be reassigned to another municipality – and even to another canton.
In 1964, Pol Gilson, who served as municipal secretary of Mertzig and several other municipalities, purchased the plot of land surrounded by nature to realise his dream of building a refined holiday home. A fire destroyed the original wooden structure in 1973, but it was later replaced by a stone building resembling the initial castle. Over the years, the Turelbaach festivities held at the site became a long-standing tradition.
After Pol Gilson’s death in 2007, his family continued to maintain the property and, in 2017, approached the municipality of Mertzig to explore a potential sale of the 5.8-hectare site, including the castle. While the municipality could not initially afford the asking price, an agreement was eventually reached in 2020 on a purchase price of €450,000.
To enhance the site’s touristic appeal, Mertzig’s mayor, Mike Poiré, explained that the castle could be converted into so-called “unusual accommodation” (logements insolites).
“This would include three to four sleeping quarters, some of which would be inside the castle itself. In addition, we would like to create something exceptional on the water outside – an inclusive accommodation in the form of a floating structure, accessible via a small footbridge”, he said.
Plans also include the construction of a small stage, which could either be integrated into the bridge or float on the lake, though final decisions on this aspect have yet to be made.
At present, the nature conservation association Sicona (Naturschutzsyndikat Sicona) is working on the surrounding area, while renovation of the castle’s roof is scheduled to begin in the spring. As the building is currently listed as a national monument, the state is providing financial support for renovation and restoration works. Additional funding could be made available if the project is incorporated into the national five-year tourism plan.
An additional complexity lies in the castle’s location: while most of the property is situated in the municipality of Mertzig, part of it extends into the neighbouring municipality of Groussbus-Wal. As municipal ownership of land spanning two municipalities can be administratively challenging, discussions were held to redraw the territorial boundaries.
“We would like to thank the municipality of Groussbus-Wal for its excellent cooperation and for approving the territorial exchange unanimously”. Poiré said. As in Mertzig, the decision was voted on and approved by both municipal councils.
The matter must now be addressed at the national level, with the ministry preparing a legislative proposal to be voted on by the Chamber of Deputies. Further adjustments are required because Groussbus-Wal belongs to the canton of Redange, while Mertzig is part of the canton of Diekirch.
However, the territorial exchange will have little practical impact. “We are essentially talking about forest land changing hands”, Poiré explained. “In total, around nine hectares are affected, with only the basis tax having an impact on the exchange. While the tax rate is slightly lower in Groussbus-Wal than in Mertzig, the difference amounts to only a few euros.”
In such cases, private landowners do not need to give their consent.
Municipal officials are currently unable to provide estimates regarding the duration or cost of the renovation works. While the interior of Turelbaach Castle is not open to the public, the surrounding grounds are freely accessible and form part of the Mertzig walking route (auto-pédestre Mertzig).
