The municipality of Habscht, which was recently created by the merger of the former entities of Hobscheid and Septfontaines, is careful to preserve its picturesque character while guaranteeing quality services to its citizens.

Located in the west of the country, in the canton of Capellen, the former municipalities of Hobscheid and Septfontaines chose to merge on 1 January 2009.^er The new municipality of Habscht was created on 1 January 2018. The municipality of Habscht now covers an area of 32.45 km² and is made up of five towns - Eischen, Greisch, Hobscheid, Roodt, Septfontaines - and four villages - Gaichel, Kreuzerbuch, Simmerfarm, Simmerschmelz.

" Planned for several years, this grouping should enable us to organise ourselves in a more rational manner and to benefit from excellent synergies, at the service of all our citizens "says Serge Hoffmann, the mayor of Habscht. The merger, which entails a specific subsidy of eight million euros for the municipality, will indeed enable it to develop new projects throughout its territory.

Projects for young and old

" The first concerns the extension of the Septfontaines school building and the integration of a halfway house in order to better accommodate children of all cycles of basic education "explains the mayor. The work, which began a few months ago, includes the construction of additional classrooms and extra-curricular facilities as well as the redesign of the playground.

With more than 470 children under the age of 10 living in the municipality, Habscht attaches great importance to its educational facilities. The community has three optimally equipped school buildings. They are located in Eischen, Hobscheid and Septfontaines. There are also two halfway houses in Hobscheid and Eischen. Two crèches, located in Hobscheid and Tuntange (outside the municipality), complete the offer in this area.  

Teenagers, young adults and senior citizens are not forgotten either. The "Maison des Jeunes", which opened its doors last October in Eischen, provides a place for young people between the ages of 12 and 26 to take part in daily activities. The "Maison des Générations", which opened in December 2016 in the former school in Hobscheid, is a real meeting place for people over 60.

In addition to this infrastructure, the municipality of Habscht wants to build an Integrated Centre for the Elderly (CIPA) in Eischen. " We want to create This adapted housing structure is intended to provide the best possible support for the elderly in our municipality - the over-70s represent more than 10 % of the population - and to respond to the shortage of beds in the region, underlines Serge Hoffmann. This project is currently in the planning phase with the Ministry of Family. "

Thoughtful real estate development

The municipality of Habscht, which today has some 4,430 inhabitants, 3,500 of whom live in Eischen and Hobscheid, has experienced a population growth in recent years equivalent to that of the country as a whole. " This is a natural development, which was not specifically sought. We have not set up any major housing projects or reclassification of land for this purpose "says the mayor. 

This means that there is still enough land available in the existing residential area, especially in the former Septfontaines area. Habscht does not intend to increase its population massively in the next few years. In this municipality, the political decision-makers are primarily interested in helping young people to acquire a home in their villages. " In this context, a housing estate meeting the criteria for social housing will be created in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing. The houses and flats will be sold or rented to young people in the community as a priority, says Serge Hoffmann. We will therefore continue to grow, but in a sensible way and always with respect for our environment and our historic architectural heritage. "

Habscht is located in the heart of the Eisch Valley, also known as the "Valley of the Seven Castles", and offers its inhabitants a privileged living environment. Together with the Mamer Valley, it is the largest nature conservation area in the country. " We are fortunate to live in an idyllic environment, and we must take care of it. And this includes thoughtful real estate development that preserves the picturesque character of our buildings, while making them compatible with our modern needs "says the mayor. 

Sport, music, culture and work

Although it is situated in a green valley, Habscht has all the necessary facilities. Every day there are many activities in the sports hall in Eischen. Musical, instrumental and vocal training courses are offered in Eischen and/or Hobscheid, while the "Jean Wolff" cultural centre regularly hosts cultural activities. This means that there is something for everyone.

Although the municipality of Habscht does not have a business park as such, it is home to a number of gastronomic establishments and several medical practices. Along with five other municipalities in the region, namely Koerich, Kehlen, Steinfort, Garnich and Mamer, it is also a member of the ZARO (Zone d'Activités de la Région Ouest). In this respect, Habscht participated in the financing of the new regional business park in Grass, which is only about ten kilometres away. Currently in the final stages of completion, it is expected to accommodate some 1,500 employees in the next few weeks.

Improving mobility

The commune of Habscht is also ideally located, near Mersch and Luxembourg City, two economic hubs of the Grand Duchy. " We have excellent, fast and regular bus connections to both citiessays the mayor. In order to meet the needs of our residents even better, we want to strengthen the connections between the various villages of the former merged communities, as well as those to the Kleinbettingen train station. "

Like many Luxembourg municipalities, Habscht is faced with mobility problems. Situated in the immediate vicinity of Belgium, the municipality sees many border workers pacing the narrow roads every day in order to avoid the congested motorway leading to the capital. This situation is not without consequences for the residents. " Every day, 8,000 cars pass through Hobscheid. This is why we have completely redesigned this road to encourage drivers to limit their speed "says the mayor. As you can see, everything is done in the municipality of Habscht to serve the citizens and to guarantee them an ideal living environment.