My husband, our dog and I took a four-day road trip around Luxembourg, from Amsterdam, in July 2020. This itinerary is based on that experience. Want more visual inspiration? Check out the video of the trip!
Travel and Accommodation: It is my opinion that the beauty of Luxembourg lies in nature, so I recommend renting a car. The points of interest we selected were in the Mullerthal region, which is often referred to as the Little Switzerland of Luxembourg. There are lots of castles, hikes and is close to the capital city. As a result, we chose to stay in an AirBNB in the Altrier area.
Quick Facts: Luxembourg doesn’t have a King or Queen, as it is a Grand Duchy, the leader of the country is a Grand Duke or Duchess (only Grand Duchy of its kind in the world). Official languages include Luxembourgish, French and German.
Day 1: Travel, Dinant, Waterfall Hike, Beaufort Castle
About three hours from Amsterdam, we stopped in Dinant, Belgium to stretch our legs. We paid for street parking, with the plan to walk around and have lunch. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day so we ended up just having a small walk with the dog before getting back to the drive. Luckily, we had packed snacks for the trip so we did not go hungry. Highlights included Charles de Gaulle Bridge, Notre Dame de Dinant and the Dinant Citadel (pictured above). If you have time, there is even a museum of the birthplace of the saxophone; Maison Adolphe Sax. It was then another two hours until we reached our AirBNB.
Wanting to get into a hike as soon as possible, after checking in we went straight to the free parking at Parking Schiessentümpel. In total we spent about an hour and 10 minutes hiking, but of course you could do a much longer hike. Some highlights include; Schiessentümpel/ Schéissendëmpel Waterfall (pictured above) and Trap/Stairway Mëllerdall. This part is close to the parking lot, so if you are not into hiking, it is a great option. We then backtracked, and went to see the Kallektuffquell (pictured below). This was one of my favorite things of the entire trip.
Next, we drove about ten minutes to Beaufort Castle; a medieval castle (pictured below). It was after hours when we arrived, so we admired the outside. There are two castles; the fortified ruins can be visited by a self-guided tour while the Beaufort Renaissance Castle can be seen by guided tour only.
We then found a REWE XL in Echternach where we bought groceries, as we made most of our meals during this trip. They had a section with Luxembourgish wine; the few we tried were on the sweeter side.
Day 2: Hiking & Echternach
After breakfast, we headed towards Echternach and parked at ‘Parking Trooskneppchen’. There appeared to be three main loops/trails in this area, we took part of one. The entire large loop takes 14 hours, but we went for about 2.5 hours (we turned around and came back the same way). This was a well marked trail, and was beautiful. Highlights to mark and watch out for include Wolfsschlucht/Gorges du Loup, Perekop and Hohllay Cave (pictured below).
After the hike, we headed into the town of Echternach, which was the first town in Luxembourg! We paid for street parking, and highlights include; Denzelt: the former Justice Palace (pictured below), Willibrord Basilica, The Abbey of Echternach and The Orangerie. The town was quaint, with plenty of restaurants. We couldn’t pass up gelato at Gelateria Venezia. The rest of the day we spent at the AirBNB, soaking up the sun in the garden and relaxing.
Day 3: Luxembourg City & Larochette Castle
After breakfast, we drove 30 minutes to get to the city, and parked in the Parking Monterey garage (paid), there was even a free bathroom. We passed by views of the Adolphe Bridge as we headed towards the Cathédrale Notre-Dame; built between 1613 and 1621 with a Baroque-inspired north gate. Inside, there is stained glass dating from the 19th and 20th centuries (free to enter). Next was The Grand Ducal Palace; official residence of the Grand Duke and the royal family (pictured below).
Moving on towards the Archaeological Crypt and the Casemates du Bock; which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We did not enter due to COVID-19 restrictions, but there were some things outside, including the Dent Creuse. This also is a great location to get views of the Old Town of Luxembourg and to start the walk along the Chemin de la Corniche; this was my favorite part of the city (pictured below). Here you will also find the Gate of the Grund (from 1632).
If you cross the bridge (pictured below), you will be in the Grund, which has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Wander around this picture area; get lost in the maze of streets, explore and grab a drink in a café. Notable buildings include the Abbey of Neumünster and the Church of Saint John. We stopped by Scott’s Pub for a quick snack, and we were able to sit on the river.
We crossed back over the bridge and took the Ascenseur Elevator Plateau St. Esprit Grund up to Palais de Justice Luxembourg which offers some good view points. A major one not mentioned thus far is the historic Passerelle (the Luxembourg Viaduct). Once back in the car, we drove to the Larochette Castle; it was 5€ to walk within the remains (pictured below). We ended up having dinner at Lou's Diner; if you are looking for a good burger in Luxembourg, this is the place to go.
Day 4: Vianden Castle & Travel
After a calm morning with breakfast and a long walk with our dog, we checked out and headed back to Amsterdam. We decided to do a small pit stop in Viaden, to take in some views of the Château de Vianden; among the largest remaining feudal residences of the Gothic period in Europe (pictured below). We just found a spot on the road to view the outside, but that was enough for us.
If you have more time:
Roman Villa: sparse, over-neatened remains. Free 30-minute guided tours in English take place at 3pm on Sundays.
Lac d'Echternach:(Echternach Lake)
Pfaffenthal Lift: Glass bottom elevator that provides views of Luxembourg City. Free.
Local Food & Drink:
National Dish: Judd mat Gaardebounen; smoked and salted pork with broad beans
Others: Luxembourgish Wine (Moselle Valley), F’rell Am Rèisleck; fried trout, Bouneschlupp; soup with cream and bacon, Gromperekichelcher; potato cakes, Paschtéit or Bouchée à la Reine; pastry filled with chicken and mushroom, Quetschentaart; plum tart.
General Travel Tips:
Figure out an idea of sites you want to see; this will determine a centralized area for where you should stay.
Utilize Google reviews when looking for something to eat. General rule, stay away from streets with lots of neon signs.
Mark everything on your google maps. Google is also (in my opinion) the best pedestrian and bike navigation app.
Final Thoughts: Planning for a trip, especially overseas, can be stressful and overwhelming. Hopefully this gave you an idea of things to do on your road trip around Luxembourg! I try to do as many quick links as possible, to send you directly to the website so you can get the most accurate and up-to-date information possible (fees and timetables).
Comment with any questions, and if you found this helpful, subscribe!
Safe and Happy Wandering.
Comments