Fort Thungen

Fort Thüngen was built by the Austrians in 1732 and rebuilt in the nineteenth century as part of the fortress ring, and it is known locally as the Three Acorns for the stone finials on its three towers. Most of it was demolished under the 1867 treaty that dismantled the fortress; the towers and the foundations were excavated and restored from the 1990s, and the Musée Dräi Eechelen inside covers the fortress and the city's history. It lies within the inscribed fortifications.

Background

Built in 1732-1733, the fort takes its name from Adam Sigmund von Thüngen. Its works were enlarged and strengthened in 1836 and again from 1859 to 1860. When most of the fortress was taken down after 1867, only the three towers survived, along with the foundations of the remaining fort. During the 1990s the entire site was rebuilt, in step with preparing the ground for the Mudam, Luxembourg's museum of modern art, and after full restoration it reopened in 2012 as the Musée Dräi Eechelen. The fort lies in the north-east of Luxembourg City, inside Dräi Eechelen Park in Kirchberg, and its nickname appears in French as Trois glands and in German as Drei Eicheln.

Source: Wikipedia, "Fort Thüngen"

The main sights

• The three towers - the restored turrets with their acorn finials.
• The Drai Eechelen museum - the collection on the fortress and the city.
• The excavated foundations - the fort's outline recovered and consolidated.
• The Mudam contrast - the modern museum standing on the adjacent bastion.

When to go

Year round; the museum closes on Tuesdays and opens late on Wednesdays. The grounds are open and free. Evening lighting shows the towers well.

Before you go

Most of the fort was demolished in 1867 and what stands is restoration on excavated foundations. The museum closes on Tuesdays. Labelling is in French and German with some English.

Nearby

Mudam is adjacent, and the old town is southwest.

Key facts