Seven decades after it first opened, the Parc Merveilleux in Bettembourg now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. But it was not always so popular, as a brief look into the history of the park reveals.
A site steeped in history
Between 1940 and 1945 the site, where today families and school groups stroll at leisure, play together and learn about a wide variety of animals, was a camp run by the Nazi Reich Labour Service (RAD). Barracks on the site would have housed conscripted RAD personnel, whose job during WWII was to provide auxiliary support to the German army. This chapter is little known to many visitors.
Just ten years after the end of the war, work began on transforming the 25-hectare site into a fairy-tale park modelled on Dutch examples and inspired by Dutch landcsape gardener Willem Ter Braake, who had previously created Luxembourg’s first major flower show in Mondorf-les-Bains.
With the support of local business people from Bettembourg, a company was founded to raise the necessary funds.
The park opened its gates for the first time on 17 May 1956, under the management of Jean Gales. Fairytale houses, animals and playgrounds quickly made it a popular destination.
However, the treatment of the animals reflected the attitudes of the time. The Parrot Avenue was home to macaws, which were often kept chained up and isolated from their fellow birds during opening hours. It was only with growing awareness of animal welfare and new scientific findings that the way the animals were kept gradually evolved.
Pedal boats and a funfair were also a regular feature of the park’s attractions in the 1960s and 1970s.
Crisis and a new beginning
After decades of success, the park increasingly found itself in financial difficulties in the 1990s. A lack of investment and a flawed concept had led to a decline in visitor numbers.
The turning point came in 1997 with the takeover by APEMH, a charity that provides support to people with intellectual disabilities and their families. “A park like this was naturally a challenge, but it was able to offer people who required care a wide range of roles in animal welfare, catering, technical workshops and cleaning,” said park director Marc Neu.
Under the new management, the park underwent a fundamental overhaul. The focus has shifted to vocational inclusion. A workshop is directly integrated into the park’s operations and offers a wide range of opportunities to people requiring support.
Around 100 people with disabilities are employed year-round, supplemented by more than 40 additional staff members as well as seasonal workers and students during the peak season. “When we took over the park, we started very small. There were perhaps 15 of us. It has developed steadily. Visitor numbers have risen sharply over the years, reaching around 290,000 visitors in the peak year of 2023,” said Neu.
It’s important to us that there’s no difference between an employee who needs support and one who doesn’t
Marc Neu
Director of Parc Merveilleux
A unique approach
However, the inclusive nature of the park is deliberately kept discreet. “There are many visitors who don’t realise that people with disabilities work here. It’s important to us that there’s no difference between an employee who needs support and one who doesn’t,” emphasised Neu. The focus remains clear: a family-friendly park in harmony with nature and its surroundings. “We won’t start building rollercoasters. That’s not part of our plans,” Neu added.
Including the fish, there are as many as 5,000 to 6,000 animals
Ruth Herber
Tourism Director of Parc Merveilleux
Instead, there is continuous investment. The Amazon House was established as a defining feature as early as 2003. The animal section has also developed significantly. As a recognised zoo and member of EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria), the park is home to around 200 animal species. “Including the fish, there are actually between 5,000 and 6,000 animals,” said Ruth Herber, the park’s tourism director.
The Amazon House was created as the park’s centrepiece © Photo credit: Sandra Packard
Looking to the future
The financial situation remains challenging. Revenue is generated for only around six and a half months, whilst costs are incurred throughout the year. “We have to make this season’s revenue last the whole year,” said Neu. Infrastructure and technology need to be constantly updated, often involving significant investment that is barely visible to visitors.
The water playground could be even bigger © Photo credit: Sandra Packard
Expanding the site is hardly possible. For years, attempts were made to integrate an adjacent former landfill site into the grounds, but these plans have not been pursued. The focus is therefore on further development within the existing site. “We are considering enlarging our water playground, as it is very popular. A new fairytale cottage is also to be added,” said Neu.
A key factor in the park’s success remains its location close to the borders with France and Germany, as well as its family-friendly ethos and reasonable admission prices.
The park’s 70th anniversary will not be celebrated until early next year, as this coincides with the 30th anniversary of APEMH’s takeover of the park and the organisation’s own 60th anniversary. “There are set to be a whole series of events during the anniversary year. A stamp, the giant as a Lego figure and a specially bred rose are in the pipeline for the park’s anniversary,” Neu said.
(This article was first published by the Luxemburger Wort. Machine translated with editing by Duncan Roberts.)
