Wiltz Castle located in Wiltz

Wiltz

Wiltz is a commune with city status in north-western Luxembourg, capital of the canton Wiltz. Wiltz is situated on the banks of the river Wiltz. It was also a battleground in the Battle of the Bulge, near the end of World War II...

 in the north of Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, dates back to 1573. It is now known above all for hosting an annual music festival.

History

In the 13th century, the Lords of Wiltz built a fortified castle on a rocky promontory, initiating the development of the upper town of Wiltz. In 1388, the French attacked the town and burnt the castle down but it was soon repaired. In 1453, Wiltz was again attacked, this time by the troops of Philip of Burgundy. The round Witches' Tower to the east of the gardens is the oldest part of today´s castle. Under Count John VI of Wiltz, the construction of today's Renaissiance style

Renaissance architecture

Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...

 castle was begun in 1631. After delays caused by the Thirty Years War, the main building was not completed until about 1720. The old chapel was finished in 1722 and the monumental staircase leading down to the gardens was completed in 1727. The castle premises were acquired by the State of Luxembourg in 1951 for use as an old people's home.

The music festival

Since 1953, Wiltz Castle has been the venue of an interational music festival attracting artists and orchestras of international repute. Not only classical music but also jazz and rock is included in the festival which runs for three weeks from late June to mid-July. In 1991, a removable roof was installed, covering most of the stage and sheltering the hundreds of spectators who would otherwise have been bothered by bad weather.

Brewing and tanning museums

Since 1999, the castle's stables have housed the National Museum of Brewing (Musée National d'Art Brassicole). The museum traces the history of beer production over the past 6,000 years, especially more recent developments in Luxembourg. It is open on weekdays from 10 am to noon and from 2 pm to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to noon.

The little tanning museum (Musée de la Tannerie) presents the history of the leather industry in Wiltz which dates from 1644. In 1887, the town had 28 tanneries

Tanning

Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...

. The two largest producers closed in 1953 and 1961.