Up until 30 years ago, the south of Luxembourg was a thriving industrial heartland. Mines, and forges spanned 200 kilometre region known as the Minett where life was hard.

As the local industry declined, the mines were abandoned. Nature began to reclaim the red earth that characterises the area, as did people and other industries. Today, over a third of the country’s entire population, 171,000 people, live in the Minett.

Last year, the region became the first in Luxembourg to become a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, an initiative helping to empower residents and visitors to be custodians for the area.

Coordinator of the man and biosphere programme for the Minett region Gaelle Tavernier explains some of the key elements in this podcast.

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