The Luxembourg Ardennes offers 23 hiking trails for a whopping 400km of trails! Castles, medieval villages and themed paths make it worth a visit.

1. Hiking the Luxembourg Ardennes
monkeysandmountains.com /hiking-luxembourg-ardennes
You
know
it’s
Vi e w o f Vi a n d e n Ca s tl e fr o m Vi a n d e n , th e s ta r ti n g p o i n t fo r m y h i ke .
going to be a good day of hiking when your trail includes a visit to Luxembourg’s most f amous
castle and a jaunt into Germany. I love my two peak hiking days, but a two country hiking day?
T his would be a f irst.
My hike starts in the medieval village of Vianden. I will be hiking the Nat- Our Route 5 Vianden- Falkenstein trail for a
total of 12 km and 684 meters of elevation gain. The elevation is not gained all at once as is typical of hikes in the Alps,
but over the course of the hike as the route goes up and down the rolling hills.

2. The trail is part of the NaturWanderPark delux, named not for its luxurious or elegant features, but because the trail is in
both Luxembourg and Germany (in German, Germany is Deutschland, hence the de part of the name).
The first part of the trail leads up a steep hill to Vianden Castle, Luxembourg’s most famous castle. I didn’t stop, but
returned to it later. The castle with roots back to the 10th century is also one of Europe’s largest west of the Rhine. It’s
definitely worth checking out.Travel t ip: I tested an audio guide that had just been released and really enjoyed it. I
would recommend purchasing one as it will make your visit to the castle more meaningful.
I continued on along a ridge with views overlooking Vianden Castle:
Then

3. Then
it was
a
Lo o ki n g d o wn a t Vi a n d e n Ca s tl e
gradual decent into the forested slopes and back up again where my reward was views over the Our (pronounced Or)
River:
I
Vi e w o f th e O u r Ri ve r a n d va l l e y

4. crossed a bridge and found myself in Germany, indicated only by a small emblem:
While
I love
the
idea
of a
two
A s i g n a t th e G e r m a n /Lu xe m b o u r g b o r d e r .
country hike, to be honest, this part of the hike, looked more or less identical to the part in Luxembourg. Still a two
country hike sounds rather impressive, especially to this Canadian.

5. Without a doubt my favorite part of the hike was walking along the ridge of Löctgesberg. This part of the hike is at the
edge of the forest and you are offered views of the Our River snaking along in the valley:
I
ended
in
Th e Lö ctg e s b e r g , m y fa vo r i te p a r t o f th e h i ke
Vianden where the hike had started. Viaden is a village that was known for its’ craftsmen in medieval times. The village
first referenced as far back as 698 is worth exploring in its own right – or at least grabbing a drink at one of the several
cafes/restaurants that line the Our River.
I

6. I
O u r Ri ve r s e e n fr o m Vi a n d e n
enjoyed my hike in t he Luxembourg Ardennes. It’s much different from hiking in the Alps – my usual terrain, but
offers its own rewards: i.e.: castles, medieval villages and views of the idyllic country side. It’s very peaceful, but you
can easily work up a sweat should you choose to. The 23 different trails in the NaturWanderPark delux ensures there is
something for everybody’s ability. The Luxembourg Ardennes is not just of interest to hikers either. There are also plenty
of mountain bike trails. There was a mountain bike enthusiast in my group who was itching to come back and try out
some of the trails.

7. In addition the Luxembourg Ardennes also offers numerous thematic trails. There is the the Remembrance Path which
traces the different places of confrontation during the Battle of the Bulge or Geological Paths, which point out places of
nature and geological interest. There’s even a Cultural Trail in the town of Wiltz !
The

8. The
Ch a p e l s e e n wh i l e h i ki n g .
Luxembourg Ardennes would not be the first place I would think of when it comes to hiking, but I was pleasantly
surprised by the number of trails, the thematic trails and the condition of the trails. It’s definitely worth exploring.
See the Luxembourg Ardennes for further info.
Travel t ip: I stayed/ate at Hotel- Restaurant Dimmer, in Wallendorf- Pont which is a great base when hiking in
Luxembourg. The dinners were especially delicious!
Thank you to the Luxembourg National Tourist Office for making my visit possible. As always, all opinions expressed
are my own.