Museo The Slate Museum

"Living History, History live"

Experience the history of the slate, from its origins to the extraction and dismantling all the way to the final product, all this combined with the change of the industrial site to the actual Museum “Musée de l’Ardoise Haut-Martelange”.

At the end of the 18th century, the first underground mines opened in Haut-Martelange. Soon some companies were developed, belonging to several families and which, by the end of the 19th century, yielded a yearly production of around 6 million roofing slates. After 1890 all the mines and buildings in Haut-Martelange were bought by two German brothers: the Rother. The production facilities were modernized and the site as well as the village "Haut-Martelange" received its unique architectural image. Around 1900, Haut-Martelange was counting around 600 workers. 4 years later, they already erected their own energy center, so that with the help of the steam engines, they could produce their own electricity. During World War I, the company continued the extraction of the slate, as they were considered too important for the war effort.

After 1960 however, the collapse of the Luxembourgish slate industry had slowly arrived. New materials for roofing and the import of cheap roofing slates were the main obstacles for the domestic slate. Finally, in 1986 the last Luxembourgish slate mine had to be shut down.

After the last slate mine had been closed in 1986, the whole area of Haut-Martelange had been left unexploited. To avoid that this piece of Luxembourgish history disappeared, inhabitants of the surrounding villages united in 1992 and called up the association of the “Amis de l'Ardoise”. It's goal: to bring the slate mines in Haut-Martelange back to life by opening it up to the public. The cultural and touristic use, the daily opening, and the administration of the museum as well as the development of former slate mines of Haut-Martelange are the main points, the association is aiming for.

Since 1st January 2019, the Slate Museum is managed by the new administration "Musée de l’Ardoise ASBL", which is composed of the Luxembourgish State, the municipality Rambrouch and the "Amis de l'Ardoise ASBL".

Discover the history with the help of pictures, stories, anecdotes, and various documentaries!

You would love to experience the history on your own and explore the working techniques here on the site? Would you like to get hands-on experience yourself or explore the underground chambers at -42 meters? Or perhaps you'd prefer to take a short break in our bistro, just like a worker after their shift?

We are open year-round from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 AM to 6 PM. The museum is closed only on Mondays, January 1st, and December 25th.
We look forward to your visit and encourage you to embark on a journey of discovery!