Luxembourg Road Trip: Castles, Culture, and Quiet
Bloom Specialty Coffee
We always go to a specialty coffee shop in every country, so we decided to start off there. The shop we meant to go to was closed, so we instead went to Bloom Specialty Coffee as a last-minute backup. The capital city of Luxembourg is Luxembourg City, with a modest population of 130,000, so we weren’t expecting a lot.
The shop was very cute. The morning sunlight streams in the front windows giving it a bright homey feeling and the staff was nice as well. I ordered an espresso and Yemisi ordered a Chai latte. Overall it was not that bad, but nothing special either. We immediately got the sense that Luxembourg is a slow, easy country from the way patrons meandered in and out of the shop.
Chateau de Vianden
Our first big stop is Château de Vianden or Vianden Castle. This is a very large castle on a rocky outcrop overlooking a beautiful river valley. It’s safe to say this is one of Luxembourg’s main attractions. The castle serves as a walk-through historical museum of the Château and the surrounding areas. We walked up the hill, bought a ticket at the gate, and were free to explore at our own pace.
The castle was originally built around 1100 C.E. and was continually expanded over the years, which the museum helpfully explained. Eventually, it fell into disrepair but was reconstructed by the Luxembourg government in the late 70s and opened to the public. Each room has a different exhibit, showing ways of life in middle age times from cooking in the kitchens, Armour in the main hall, and various living quarters. There is also a chapel room, an upper spire, and many smaller rooms to get lost in.
We were very impressed, the castle is quite beautiful and you could easily spend a few hours, especially if you’re into history. The surrounding valley is also lovely, and we took several photos of the area before we left. It seems like there is more to do in the town as well if you have extra time. The drive to the castle is also amazing, winding through serene countryside lanes and large wooded hills, it was a complete 180 from the day before in Paris.
Mullerthal Trail
The next stop was the Mullerthal trail. This is a trail system that goes all over the country. It would take about 3 days to complete if you’re a hiker, with taverns and towns to stop along the way. We just wanted a short two-hour hike, so we found an especially photogenic area of the trail to stop off. Fittingly, we parked in the village of Mullerthal, the namesake of the trail, and hiked south.
The hike was very nice, and we luckily happened to choose the right direction, because we ended up near a stunning bridge over a waterfall, which we had seen images of but had no idea where it was so it was a great surprise. It was an easy forest hike, occasionally going over a slow-moving brook, we lovely mossy rocks. If you love simple nature, this is a great place to visit. It really reminded me of the hilly areas of the Midwest where I grew up.
Um Dierfgen Restaurant
At this point, it was getting a little late and we were hungry, so we found a place that served traditional Luxembourgish food back in the capital. What is Luxembourgish food? Basically German food, simply seasoned meats and potatoes. We got Kniddelen mat Speck, which is flour dumplings and bacon, as well as Saucissons, salade de pommes de terre which is sasuage and potato salad.
Much like food in America, it was simple and hearty. Not much seasoning with lots of meat and wholesome potato with pork bits. It was definitely good, but much like everywhere in Europe, we weren’t blown away. After living in Asia for so long, we’ve become accustomed to flavor-packed dishes with lots of spices and interesting seasoning and texture. It was not at all bad, just simple like we expected.
Luxembourg Old Quarter
Lastly, we decided to stroll around the old town, as Luxembourg has several very old structures just next to its Plaza. The Old Quarter is the main tourist attraction in Luxembourg and is where most people spend their day. If you only have a few hours, this is where we recommend you go, however, we do not regret our miniature country-wide road trip, as the old quarter is quite small.
Our first stop was Casemates du Bock, an Austrian-built fortress on a ridge over the city center from the 1700s. This UNESCO site has an ancient network of tunnels and views from the ridge, making it a popular spot. There are walking tours every 15 minutes all day, however, they were not running on the day we visited. You can still see the above-ground areas for free, thankfully.
Next, we visited several landmarks, the main one being Notre Dame Cathedral, not to be confused with the identically named cathedral in Paris. This cathedral is a grand Gothic construction downtown which is visible from afar thanks to its large spires. It is covered in beautiful stained glass and has a warm feeling which is refreshing from other cathedrals. The carvings are so intricate, and we enjoyed this cathedral more than others we visited in Europe, although they all tend to blend together a bit.
Lastly, we visited the main Plaza, which houses the parliament building. Next door is also the residence of the royal family. We took pictures in front, which we were a little nervous about but it was okay. The area is very nice, but the was not a lot to do, and it was getting late. Overall, Luxembourg is a lovely but quiet country. If you love peaceful nature, forests, and calm living in the countryside, Luxembourg is a very lovely country to visit.
Check out our Travel Diary
