Vianden Castle
Romanesque and Gothic palace over the Our
Restored halls and chapels; take the chairlift for the view down onto it afterwards.
ViandenCastle
Vianden & the Luxembourg Ardennes, Luxembourg
Ideal: 2 daysBest: May–OctPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Vianden & the Luxembourg Ardennes in 60 seconds
Luxembourg's north, the Éislek, is a high, wooded corner of the Ardennes cut by deep river valleys, and its castles are the country at its most romantic. Vianden Castle rises over the Our on the German border, restored from a ruin into one of the great fortified palaces of the region; a chairlift climbs from the river for a view down onto it, and Victor Hugo's house stands by the bridge. Clervaux, half an hour west, keeps Edward Steichen's exhibition The Family of Man in its castle, and Esch-sur-Sûre sits in a tight loop of its river beneath a ruined keep, close to the Upper Sûre lake for swimming and kayaking. It is walking and cycling country, with the memory of the Battle of the Bulge never far away. Two days, by car.
CastlesNature
Best for
- Hiking
- History
- Hidden gems
Known for
- Vianden Castle
- The Family of Man
- Esch-sur-Sûre
- Upper Sûre Lake
Skip if
You will not drive — the villages are linked by infrequent buses and the best of it is between them.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Vianden & the Luxembourg Ardennes fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
The Family of Man
Steichen's photographic exhibition in Clervaux Castle
The 1955 exhibition, kept whole in Clervaux Castle in Steichen's native Luxembourg.
ClervauxMuseumPhotography
Esch-sur-Sûre
Village in a loop of the river
Climb to the ruined castle for the view of the village wrapped in its river.
Upper SûreViewVillage
Upper Sûre Lake
Reservoir for swimming and kayaking
Beaches, paddling and lakeside walks in summer, with motorboats kept off the water.
Upper SûreLakeSwimming
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Vianden
Old town on the river below the castle
One steep street from the bridge up to the castle gate.
Clervaux
Valley town under its white castle
A compact town with an abbey on the hill above.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Vianden
ModerateHotels by the river
Stay for the castle lit up at night.
Castle views
Clervaux
ModerateA base with a railway station
The easiest base without a car.
Trains
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Trains run north from Luxembourg City to Clervaux; Vianden is reached by bus or car.
- Getting around
- A car makes the most of it; all public transport is free.
- When to go
- May to October; the castles keep shorter hours in winter.
- Taste locally
- Ardennes ham, Judd mat Gaardebounen and, in late summer, Quetschentaart.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 1871
Victor Hugo spends the summer in exile in Vianden.
- 1944–1945
The Battle of the Bulge is fought across the Ardennes; Clervaux is badly damaged.
- 1977
Vianden Castle passes to the state and its restoration begins.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Echternach & the Mullerthal
Abbey town and sandstone gorges
Echternach & the Mullerthal has its own guide.
40 min by carHiking
Luxembourg City
The fortress capital
Luxembourg City has its own guide.
1 hr by carCity