Windhof
Encyclopedia
Communes of Luxembourg
The communes of Luxembourg are the lowest nation-wide administrative division in Luxembourg. They conform to LAU level 2.Within the hierarchy of administrative subdivisions, communes come directly below cantons, which are directly below districts. Communes are often re-arranged, being merged or...
of Koerich
Koerich
Koerich is a commune and village in western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen, which is part of the district of Luxembourg., the commune of Koerich has a population of 2,075. The other small communities in the commune are Goeblange, Goetzingen and Windhof...
in south-western 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...
. It lies on the N6 road
N6 road (Luxembourg)
The N6 is a road in Luxembourg. It connects Luxembourg City, at its eastern end, to the Belgian border. At the border, it connects to the Belgian N4, which leads to Arlon, Namur, Wavre, and Brussels...
from Luxembourg City to Arlon in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Although it was just a small collection of houses until about 20 years ago, it is now expanding rapidly as a business development area.
Location
Windhof is located 15 km west of Luxembourg City at a strategic position for transport and communications on the N6 roadN6 road (Luxembourg)
The N6 is a road in Luxembourg. It connects Luxembourg City, at its eastern end, to the Belgian border. At the border, it connects to the Belgian N4, which leads to Arlon, Namur, Wavre, and Brussels...
from Luxembourg City to Arlon close to the busy European route E25
European route E25
European route E 25 is a north-south European route from Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands to Palermo in Italy which includes ferry crossings from Genoa to Bastia , from Bonifacio to Porto Torres and from Cagliari to Palermo .It passes through the following cities:Hoek van Holland –...
linking Luxembourg to Arlon and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. It stands on the crossroads where the N6 intersects N13 to Koerich
Koerich
Koerich is a commune and village in western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen, which is part of the district of Luxembourg., the commune of Koerich has a population of 2,075. The other small communities in the commune are Goeblange, Goetzingen and Windhof...
(north) and Dahlem
Dahlem
Dahlem can refer to:*Dahlem , a district of Berlin, part of the borough Steglitz-Zehlendorf.*Dahlem, North Rhine-Westphalia, a municipality in western Germany.*Dahlem, Rhineland-Palatinate, a municipality in south-western Germany....
(south). Windhof, at a height of 334 m, is the highest point in the vicinity.
History
The history of Windhof dates back to Roman times owing to its location on the Kiem or Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
to Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. Some years ago, a Roman milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
was found on the Kiem between Capellen
Capellen
Capellen is a town in the commune of Mamer, in south-western Luxembourg, 12 km west of Luxembourg City. , the town has a population of 1,336...
and Windhof. The road was probably constructed in the 1st century BC but it became particularly important in the 3rd and 4th centuries when Trier developed as an imperial residence.
A map from 1778 refers to today's Windhof as Koericher Heyde
The main road from Luxembourg to Arlon, now N6
N6 road (Luxembourg)
The N6 is a road in Luxembourg. It connects Luxembourg City, at its eastern end, to the Belgian border. At the border, it connects to the Belgian N4, which leads to Arlon, Namur, Wavre, and Brussels...
or the Route d'Arlon was built in 1790, slightly to the north of the Roman road. It was here that the first houses appeared in Windhof. American troops, liberating Luxembourg in September 1944, proceeded through Windhof towards Arlon along this road which became known as the Voie de la Liberté.
In the 1970s, the Autoroute d'Arlon with an exit just 1 km to the south of Windhof was built. Designated the A6 motorway
A6 road (Luxembourg)
The Autoroute 6, abbreviated to A6 or otherwise known as the Arlon motorway , is a motorway in southern and western Luxembourg. It is long and connects Luxembourg City, in the south, to Kleinbettingen, in the west...
or European route E25
European route E25
European route E 25 is a north-south European route from Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands to Palermo in Italy which includes ferry crossings from Genoa to Bastia , from Bonifacio to Porto Torres and from Cagliari to Palermo .It passes through the following cities:Hoek van Holland –...
it links Luxembourg to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and beyond creating excellent facilities for Windhof.
Windhof today
Windhof has now become a rapidly developing, increasingly prosperous centre of business activity. Over 30 small to medium-sized companies employing over 500 people have now been established there in a range of service sectors including information technologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
and telecommunications, construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, management consulting
Management consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
, warehousing and waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
. There is little recent residential development apart from a few houses on the western side.
There are two restaurants in the centre of the village, a pizzeria and a Portuguese establishment.
Windhof is connected to Luxembourg by regular bus service.
In 2010 a number of local companies founded Ecoparc Windhof. with the purpose to promote the zone. In addition the Ecoparc Windhof has joined an ambitious european research programm with luxemburgish and international partners in order to implement the C2C methodology in a development zone.