Travel Tips: Luxembourg, Vianden & Clervaux
Luxembourg - Vianden - Clervaux - Luxembourg city - Echternach
This was an art piece in a small gallery in Vianden
Mountainous forested hills of millions and millions of trees, this second smallest country in Europe, after Malta, has lots to see if you want to combine a nature, culture and relaxing holiday all in one. Being to close to Amsterdam, it's not a place one thinks of for holidays but as it was a Corona vacation, the near proximity was an advantage as still all countries carried code Yellow for travel. Belgium Antwerp and Croatia soon turned to orange (highest level) so I was glad I hadn't booked for Split.
The Belgian Ardennes and natural landscapes change into forests as you enter Luxembourg
The Luxembourg good morning “moyen” is a mixture of German and Dutch and the country, like Switzerland, uses three languages. Luxembourgen, French and German. So if you're a lawyer you need all three, as one litigates in Luxembourgen, the judgements are in French as they follow Napoleonic Law and all documentation is in German. Newspapers too include articles in all three languages! As I speak no German, I was happy to practice my lower intermediate French as this is also the fun of travelling! Speaking other languages. As in Belgium and Germany, Corona rules included masks while mobile, anywhere around hotels, cafes, restaurants or shops.
You could get a Corona test in Vianden for 60 euro. Here the tent where its done.
Staying in medieval Vianden is clearly the best option. The hotel was lovely, with an indoor swimming pool and terrace and views over the famous castle and hills from all over. Vianden is tiny but authentic, pretty and very green with trees, a river and rock cliff valley. It's a steep walk to the castle so best to take it after dinner when it's cooler and the same or early morning for a lovely 5 km stroll along the river. It has small rock pools and plenty of beautiful wild flowers. Vianden has a tourist office, a cute city hall, a little church, a few hotels, restaurants and cafes. That's it which is why it's such a nice natural quiet place to stay. What I loved the mostand in Echternach were the police stations. They have to be the quaintest on the planet! With a population of 600 thousand I suppose the police force is relatively small.
A close up of the castle and below the one and only main street of Vianden which crosses the bridge and rides to the castle. So old and quaint you can almost hear the horses' hooves on the cobbled stone streets.
Above the bus station and below, river walks and the village church 
Pretty skies
Clervaux is about 38kms from Vianden and the entrance is royally magnificant! One drives down a winding valley road with a bird's eye view of an old stone tall cathedral and black and white Clervaux Chateau/castle. Hidden among the high, heavily forested hills is an Abbey which you can drive to but I did the walking climb, which is fairly steep but doable, 3.5 km one way. Down is of course easier. It's pretty at the top with a large statue and view over the valley and small river below. Further up is the Abbey which has a cemetery and was hosting two photographic exhibitions.
The cathedral and castle
The Abbey from afar is where you're headed for the 3.5 walk up if you're an active holiday adventurer!
Views down below of the small moat/ river and campers and of the Abbey itself
In town there is one small square, a few hotels, restaurants and cafes
and a large monument with the American flag and bronze soldier,
honouring the American Battalion that set Luxembourg free back in
1944/45. The moat is behind and the concrete walls display all different artworks.
They cannot be that used to international travellers as after ordering an ice coffee at a small ice-parlour away from the main square, we got a kind of Ice Sundae with a coffee and cream on top and no ice, plus it was 8 euro! So be careful what you order. As coffee on a main square in Luxembourg city is 2.30 euro we were rather shocked! Last time I paid 8 euro for an iced coffee was on Pythagoras Square in Rhodes, Greece back in 2008, and our Clervaux iced coffee was not an iced coffee. But we just politely drank and paid as they must sure need the business with Corona and the waitress was doing a good job in the heat with her mask and the busy terrace.
Luxembourg is really about its nature. Many UK biker couples take its winding roads to enjoy beautifully landscaped mountains and dense forests. The air is pristine the trees are in their billions in forest akin only I think to Canada, with conifers and pines, sketching the land's contours. The mountains are not as high as Switzerland but the drives through them, for example on the way to Echternach, are called "Little Switzerland" because of their natural beauty. Echternach is a tiny village with a small centre, close to Vianden where many kayak along its alongside river or in the surrounding natural park with its rocks and waterfalls.
The Echternach police station, a tiny little house with one door and elaborately decorated outside
Many artistic street lanterns and flowers, with its cobbled main street in green tall archways of ivy
Photographic habit to capture the city drains :) if I like the crest
The capital of Luxembourg, Luxembourg city is very green with a surgical business district as its main economy. The entrance is royal with a massive bridge towering over a forested park of trees. You can also walk underneath/through the bridge which is cooler but then you don't get to see the pretty gardens hosting their and European flags. The walk down to the park is viciously steep and about an hour so I didn't take it because it was 30 degrees. Instead, I took the hop on hop off bus which is how I discovered that the city plan seems to be centred around parks. Every time you think you're exiting the park to cross a street, the park entrance is on the other side. The city is kind of like one huge park, but each is landscaped different and they were beautifully shaded and taken care of.
Taking while crossing the bridge as cars as cyclists do reaching the city centre
The Luxembourg flag pole itself is so high you can't get a good photo with the gardens with it
Taken from inside the bridge and below the different parks of one central park
Statue and fountain of Princess Amela which was hard to find after having seen it from the bus and then needing to enter and exit many parks to get to it again! There is also a kids park with a huge old wooden boat and an exquisite art museum next to the first park
section in the centre amazing gardens.
I would not though take the hop
on hop off bus in this city as all it does is take you outside the city centre to the main
banking district which is famous for its modern architecture and European
parliament buildings. It was a waste of
money too because as of 1 March 2020, all public transport in Luxembourg
(the entire country) is free to everyone, to reduce traffic jams and
pollution. So far better to take an inner city bus/tram to the train station,
which is in the middle of the banking district. However, if modern architecture interests you it's worth seeing and I did it for my photography portfolio. There is also a gigantic Wooden Chair at the court room and the Tall Man in front of the bank, for fun monuments. (google is your friend.
A three columned building which all reflect each other well in different lights
The RTL buildings in tiny squares to resemble the digital age
There were a lot of constructions going on around town so
although just a population of 600 thousand, Luxembourg is doing well
economically, but this is due to its favorable tax haven practices for
hedge funds.All in all prices in Luxembourg are more reasonable than Belgium and German. Compare 2.30 for a coffee vs. 4.50 in Trier. Petrol also 1.08 a liter which is why the Belgians cross the border often obviously. Luxembourg offers a great holiday which combines culture, hiking, history and a bit
of shopping, close to home, plus the opportunity to talk and
practice other languages.
What is most wonderful of course is that one just drives into each country being welcomed by the big friendly blue European union flag with its gold stars, you don't have to change any currency and still you are in an entirely new country with its own history, culture, flag, language and landscape. So ... happy travelling in Luxembourg when you get the chance. This picture is of a painting to remind you that I am certain Luxembourg is worth visiting in all seasons!
Viva de l' Europe!
Vianden castle in autumn
This was an art piece in a small gallery in Vianden
Mountainous forested hills of millions and millions of trees, this second smallest country in Europe, after Malta, has lots to see if you want to combine a nature, culture and relaxing holiday all in one. Being to close to Amsterdam, it's not a place one thinks of for holidays but as it was a Corona vacation, the near proximity was an advantage as still all countries carried code Yellow for travel. Belgium Antwerp and Croatia soon turned to orange (highest level) so I was glad I hadn't booked for Split.
The Belgian Ardennes and natural landscapes change into forests as you enter Luxembourg
The Luxembourg good morning “moyen” is a mixture of German and Dutch and the country, like Switzerland, uses three languages. Luxembourgen, French and German. So if you're a lawyer you need all three, as one litigates in Luxembourgen, the judgements are in French as they follow Napoleonic Law and all documentation is in German. Newspapers too include articles in all three languages! As I speak no German, I was happy to practice my lower intermediate French as this is also the fun of travelling! Speaking other languages. As in Belgium and Germany, Corona rules included masks while mobile, anywhere around hotels, cafes, restaurants or shops.
You could get a Corona test in Vianden for 60 euro. Here the tent where its done.Staying in medieval Vianden is clearly the best option. The hotel was lovely, with an indoor swimming pool and terrace and views over the famous castle and hills from all over. Vianden is tiny but authentic, pretty and very green with trees, a river and rock cliff valley. It's a steep walk to the castle so best to take it after dinner when it's cooler and the same or early morning for a lovely 5 km stroll along the river. It has small rock pools and plenty of beautiful wild flowers. Vianden has a tourist office, a cute city hall, a little church, a few hotels, restaurants and cafes. That's it which is why it's such a nice natural quiet place to stay. What I loved the mostand in Echternach were the police stations. They have to be the quaintest on the planet! With a population of 600 thousand I suppose the police force is relatively small.
A close up of the castle and below the one and only main street of Vianden which crosses the bridge and rides to the castle. So old and quaint you can almost hear the horses' hooves on the cobbled stone streets.
Above the bus station and below, river walks and the village church 
Clervaux is about 38kms from Vianden and the entrance is royally magnificant! One drives down a winding valley road with a bird's eye view of an old stone tall cathedral and black and white Clervaux Chateau/castle. Hidden among the high, heavily forested hills is an Abbey which you can drive to but I did the walking climb, which is fairly steep but doable, 3.5 km one way. Down is of course easier. It's pretty at the top with a large statue and view over the valley and small river below. Further up is the Abbey which has a cemetery and was hosting two photographic exhibitions.
The cathedral and castle
The Abbey from afar is where you're headed for the 3.5 walk up if you're an active holiday adventurer!
Views down below of the small moat/ river and campers and of the Abbey itself
They cannot be that used to international travellers as after ordering an ice coffee at a small ice-parlour away from the main square, we got a kind of Ice Sundae with a coffee and cream on top and no ice, plus it was 8 euro! So be careful what you order. As coffee on a main square in Luxembourg city is 2.30 euro we were rather shocked! Last time I paid 8 euro for an iced coffee was on Pythagoras Square in Rhodes, Greece back in 2008, and our Clervaux iced coffee was not an iced coffee. But we just politely drank and paid as they must sure need the business with Corona and the waitress was doing a good job in the heat with her mask and the busy terrace.
Luxembourg is really about its nature. Many UK biker couples take its winding roads to enjoy beautifully landscaped mountains and dense forests. The air is pristine the trees are in their billions in forest akin only I think to Canada, with conifers and pines, sketching the land's contours. The mountains are not as high as Switzerland but the drives through them, for example on the way to Echternach, are called "Little Switzerland" because of their natural beauty. Echternach is a tiny village with a small centre, close to Vianden where many kayak along its alongside river or in the surrounding natural park with its rocks and waterfalls.
The capital of Luxembourg, Luxembourg city is very green with a surgical business district as its main economy. The entrance is royal with a massive bridge towering over a forested park of trees. You can also walk underneath/through the bridge which is cooler but then you don't get to see the pretty gardens hosting their and European flags. The walk down to the park is viciously steep and about an hour so I didn't take it because it was 30 degrees. Instead, I took the hop on hop off bus which is how I discovered that the city plan seems to be centred around parks. Every time you think you're exiting the park to cross a street, the park entrance is on the other side. The city is kind of like one huge park, but each is landscaped different and they were beautifully shaded and taken care of.
Taking while crossing the bridge as cars as cyclists do reaching the city centre
The Luxembourg flag pole itself is so high you can't get a good photo with the gardens with it
What is most wonderful of course is that one just drives into each country being welcomed by the big friendly blue European union flag with its gold stars, you don't have to change any currency and still you are in an entirely new country with its own history, culture, flag, language and landscape. So ... happy travelling in Luxembourg when you get the chance. This picture is of a painting to remind you that I am certain Luxembourg is worth visiting in all seasons!
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