life in conc

City and municipality of Konz

International LEADER excursion makes a stop on the Moselle River

The Kanzem community center and the cross-border project "Aquapilot" serve as models.

April 22, 2026 from Susanne Nenno
International LEADER excursion

International LEADER excursion makes a stop on the Moselle River

On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, a three-day international LEADER excursion to Luxembourg began for approximately 60 participants. The excursion, focusing on the "European Moselle Valley," was organized through German-Luxembourgish-Austrian cooperation. After visiting the "Multimodal Mobility Hub" currently under construction in Merzkirchen (Saarburg municipality), the group stopped in Kanzem. There, they experienced one of the LEADER flagship projects of the Konz municipality and the entire region: the Kanzem Community Center with its volunteer-run wine shop, "Books and Wine." The Kanzem Community Center was funded through the LEADER program, primarily with GAK (Joint Task for the Improvement of Agricultural Structures and Coastal Protection) funds, and was inaugurated in 2023. The following year, the project was recognized with the "Moselle Heroes 2024" award.

International LEADER excursion
Thomas Wallrich (Managing Director of GAL Miselerland, LEADER Luxembourg), Matthias Faß (Managing Director of the Local Action Group Moselfranken), Katharina Frey-Treseler (Mayor of Kanzem), Roland Müller (Supervisory and Service Directorate Rhineland-Palatinate in Trier, Department 4, LEADER), Mechthild Malburg (Volunteer Manager of the "Book and Wine" wine shop), Marcel Dawen (First Deputy Mayor of the Konz Municipal Association), Dr. Malte Awolin (Regional Manager of the Konz Municipal Association, Local Action Group Moselfranken). Photo: Martine Hemmer, LEADER Luxembourg.

In his welcoming address, Marcel Dawen, the full-time First Deputy Mayor of the VG Konz, highlighted the LEADER process as an important funding instrument for municipalities, which, as in the case of Kanzem, exemplifies "how town centers can be developed innovatively" when a finely coordinated concept combines "civic hall, wine bar and voluntary engagement, cultural and youth offerings as well as tourism".

In her welcoming address, Mayor Katharina Frey-Treseler explained the diverse uses of the community center and the high demand for the wine shop, thus having a positive impact on the entire village. Guests then learned from Mechthild Malburg, the volunteer manager of the wine shop, about the recipe for success that allows the "Book and Wine" establishment in Kanzem to be run both on a volunteer basis and economically.

Following this, the managing directors of GAL Miselerland, Thomas Wallrich, and LAG Moselfranken, Matthias Faß, provided insights into their cross-border cooperation. This represents a unique transnational LEADER cooperation in Germany for the joint development of rural areas, in this case the European Moselle Valley.

Finally, the group had the opportunity to visit the wine shop before the next stop was Oberbillig (VG Konz). There, they were welcomed by VG Mayor Guido Wacht, local mayor Beiling, and Martin Güdelhofer (Upper Moselle Valley Development Concept) to learn about the INTERREG project "AquaPilot" for the (partial) automation of the solar-powered Moselle ferry from Oberbillig (Germany) to Wasserbillig (Luxembourg).

The group dinner in Wormeldange-Haut (Luxembourg) was a perfect end to the first day. The remaining two days will take the group to, among other places, the Biodiversum nature conservation center in Remerschen and via other stops to Ahn, Mondorf-les-Bains, Schengen, Grevenmacher and Hinkel.