Located at the top of St-Donat church, the belvedere offers a view of the slate roofs of the city and up to 50 km away on a clear day
The Capuchin convent has been located at the top of the Knippchen since 1625, on the ruins of the old count's castle. The cult of Notre-Dame d'Arlon was established in 1655, that of Saint Donat in 1727. The latter is invoked against lightning.
French incursions into Luxembourg followed one another at regular intervals, and when the troops of Louis XIV took the city in 1681, the French proceeded to fortify it as a bastion.
The French Revolution forced the closure of the convent in 1796, but the church was returned to worship in 1807, before its erection into a parish in 1825.
At the end of the 19th century, the church underwent a complete renovation and a considerable expansion with the addition of 2 side naves and a porch.
Between 1905 and 1907, the Capuchins bell tower was replaced by a belvedere tower offering, on a clear day, a panorama of the surroundings of Arlon and the three neighboring countries. The Belvedere has become an emblem of Arlon as a tourist town.
Source: Arlon Tourism