Random photos: Hotel du Moulin, Bourscheid, Luxembourg
In 2003, my Dad and I stayed for a few days at a wonderful hotel in Luxembourg called the Hotel du Moulin. Tucked away in a quiet corner of eastern Luxembourg, the hotel sits in a gorgeous, isolated valley below the ruins of the medieval castle of Bourscheid.
The location is idyllic; the hotel is a peaceful, well-run haven perfect for a few days in the country.
The hotel was established in the early 1930's by the grandfather of Charles Kremer, the current owner. Mr. Kremer runs the hotel, tends bar, and, most importantly, serves as head chef. He is without doubt one of the most talented chefs I've ever encountered. Every dish is perfectly prepared and exquisite in its presentation. During our stay, he served us fresh trout (which he caught himself from the river outside the hotel), duck, veal, and venison. Each meal was a unique experience, worthy of any Michelin-starred joint in Paris.
In my opinion, Charles Kremer's culinary skills are one of Luxembourg's best-kept secrets.
At dinner one evening, Mr. Kremer told us a little of the hotel's history:
At the onset of World War II, the hotel's proprieter was Joseph Kremer, the son of the founder and the father of Charles. At that time, the hotel generated its own electricity via the mill ("moulin") outside, after which the hotel is named.
During the Nazi occupation, the young men of Luxembourg were forcibly conscripted into the German army. Anyone who refused, of course, was shot. Joseph Kremer resented the invasion and occupation of his country, so at some point in 1942, he gathered nineteen young men from the community who were at risk of being conscripted, and he hid them in the basement of this hotel.
For two and a half years.
Had Mr. Kremer's actions been discovered by the Nazis, he would have been shot, and his hotel probably would have been burned to the ground. He knew this but hid those young men anyway. Mr. Kremer passed away in (I believe) 1963; two years later, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (the head of state) posthumously recognized Mr. Kremer's selfless act of bravery by awarding him the Ordre de la Resistance. Today, the medal and the award letter (signed by the Grand Duke) hang proudly in the hotel's dining room:
Today, the basement where those boys were hidden is the hotel's indoor pool and sauna.
My photos of the hotel and its surroundings are here.