After spending the previous day exploring Luxembourg’s industrial heritage we turned our attention to its beautiful Ardennes region. This is located in the north eastern part of the country and home to several magnificent castles. We drove along some winding roads and made our first stop at Bourscheid Castle, a 40 minute journey from the city centre.
We paused briefly at a viewpoint on the road leading up to the castle to admire views of it before finding a parking place in the free car park near to the entrance. Standard entry to the castle is €7 (£6.15) and free for holders of the Luxembourg Card.
Bourscheid is the largest castle in Luxembourg being enlarged in four stages, the last of which was in 1430 with the construction of its large curtain wall and many towers. In 1384 the Stolzemburger House was erected next to it as a residential building where the Lords of Bourscheid resided.
Abandoned in the 19th century, the imposing castle fell into ruins. Fast forward to 1972 when significant restoration work took place and the castle was opened to the public.
We took a self-guided tour starting in the Bailey with its infamous pillory where prisoners used to be chained and subjected to public ridicule. We then clambered over the ruins and up the steps to the top of the lookout towers from where we had some spectacular views across the scenic Ardennes region.
After viewing the dungeons and more of the ruins we ended our visit in the Gatekeepers House which is now a museum displaying castle artefacts.
On leaving there, we continued on to Vianden Castle taking about 35 minutes and parking in a free car park next to the chairlift. The Vianden Chairlift is the only cable car in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and offers panoramic views over the Our Valley at an altitude of 220-440 metres.
Tickets cost €7 (£6.15) and are included in the Luxembourg Card. I always enjoy a ride on a chairlift and the five minute journey up the hillside towards the castle was lovely with breathtaking views over the pine covered hills and of the pastel hues of the village below.
From the upper station there was a choice of two paths to the castle, one 1800m and described as easy and the other 600m and challenging. The start of the shorter route didn’t look all that challenging and as we were both wearing sensible shoes we decided to go that way. As it had been very dry, the loose stones weren’t slippery and we managed the path with ease and soon found ourselves at the castle entrance.
Vianden is one of the most beautiful feudal residences in Europe and a masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The castle was constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries to house the powerful Counts of Vianden.
However, after centuries of dominance in the region their descendants moved to the Netherlands and the castle was abandoned and laid to ruins until the second half of the 20th century. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg transferred it to the state’s ownership in 1977 and since then it has been restored to its former glory.
There is much to see in the castle starting in the courtyard and continuing on to the Arms Hall between the Knights’ Study and the Knights’ Hall, all of which display armour and weapons used in the Middle Ages. Another highlight was the Octagon Tower which houses the Upper Chapel, a masterpiece of the early Gothic period with its multitude of columns.
After enjoying cool drinks in the courtyard cafe we followed the path down to the charming village below and enjoyed a wander around its shops and by the riverside.
Overlooking the river is the Maison de Victor Hugo, (entrance €5 (£4.38) and included in the Luxembourg Card). This small museum arranged over several floors is where the famous French poet and novelist Victor Hugo lived.
It exhibits paintings, texts and exhibits of the author who spent several months there in 1861 during his exile and where he wrote Les Miserables.
We then followed the riverside path back to where we had left the car, stopping again for cold drinks at a cafe at the foot of the Chairlift. Feeling refreshed, we got back in the car and set off to visit the small town of Clerveaux.
We were so glad that we had decided to call there on our way back to the city centre as Clerveaux is such a pretty town nestled in a valley setting on the banks of the River Clerve. It’s dominated by the picture perfect Clerveaux Castle which, along with Bourscheid and Vianden, is another beauty.
Built during medieval times, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II it was almost completely destroyed by fire. The former fortification now houses ‘The Family of Man’ exhibition comprising a collection of over 500 photographs exploring ideas of what it is to be human.
Also of interest is the parish church, characterised by its twin spires and diamond shaped roof, which we thought was really beautiful.
A walk along its flower adorned streets followed and then an obligatory stop for ice creams before returning to our base in Luxembourg City centre. How we’d enjoyed visiting all three of these beautiful castles in the Ardennes region.
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Thanks for posting this interesting blog. There’s clearly more than meets the eye in Luxembourg.
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Thanks for your interest, Luxembourg is filled with so many interesting and scenic places.
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loved Luxembourg! such a wonderful place! I think i mentioned before lol
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Luxembourg is absolutely gorgeous and we enjoyed every minute of our time there.
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So good
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Thank you for your interest in this post.
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Pingback: Day 3. Exploring Luxembourg’s castles – NJCLAN
Cool
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Thanks Justin.
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Wonderful!! and a delightful blog to read. I wish I could visit this magnificent place soon too 🥰
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Thank you for your kind words Tanya. Luxembourg is indeed a wonderful place to visit and I hope you get there one day too.
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Amazing Marion each photo was more stunning than the last! The white castle especially. I love going on chair lifts you get to see so much
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Thanks for your continued interest in this series of posts Alison, for such a small country Luxembourg has some beautiful castles to explore.
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What a feast. As I’ve remarked before sad to see imposing buildings allowed to slowly rot. This is history needing preservation. I would love to have done that chair lift trip up and walking track back. 🙂
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The chair lift up to Vianden was so nice and after visiting the castle it was a pleasant walk down to the small town below. Thanks so much for commenting, it’s much appreciated.
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Oh what beautiful castles with beautiful views! Good on you for taking the long route and what a reward for your efforts from the top! How interesting to get to see where Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables. That book is such an emotional rollercoaster for me full of tender moments and complicated relationships.
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All three of those castles was enchanting in its own way and could have come straight out of a fairytale Meg. A lovely day all round.
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What an incredible day! Beautiful castles and a chairlift with spectacular views, count me in! 🙂
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It was lovely Lyssy, with a combination of beautiful castles, charming small towns and a chairlift you can’t go wrong! Thanks so much for reading.
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Great post Marion! This reminds me of how little time I spent in Luxembourg and that castle hunting alone is probably worth the effort of going back. Love that shot of Bourscheid Castle nestled in the greenery, while Vianden Castle might be even more handsome with its valley and river views. I once went to a manor house wedding in The Ardennes, but have absolutely no idea where it was or what it was called.
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Thanks so much for your kind words and interest in this series of posts Leighton. The Ardennes region of the country is a delight with its fairytale like castles and charming villages. Attending a wedding in a Manor House somewhere in the Ardennes must have been very special, what a lovely place to tie the knot!
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The Ardennes region looks gorgeous. No wonder there are so many castles here. How fun to explore some of them. I love how they all have a different look and feel.
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The Ardennes region of Luxembourg is really beautiful Linda with its fairytale like castles and charming small towns. We spent a lovely day touring around this part of Luxembourg. Thanks for your continued interest, it’s most welcome.
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I do love castles. I’d definity enjoy visiting these
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Great!
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Beautiful – this is my kind of day out 🙂 It’s so nice to see more of Luxembourg beyond a 1 day visit, and definitely inspires me to do the same. Chairlifts always remind me of the one in Capri, Italy where I was merrily floating up the hillside, and then suddenly realised I was shoe-less. They had fallen off and I had to walk round bare foot for a good few hours!
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Thank you Hannah for your continued interest in this Luxembourg series. For such a small country it has some enchanting castles and coupled with wandering around the charming small towns of Vianden and Clerveaux we had a lovely day. What a pity your shoes fell off on the chair lift, that’s just the sort of thing that would happen to me!
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Castles, castles everywhere! For such a small country, it’s remarkable just how many castles there are to see in Luxembourg. That shot of the Vianden Castle especially captured my attention…looks like you had a lot of fun there! Should I have the opportunity to visit Luxembourg someday, I hope to visit at least one of the castles! Thanks for sharing, Marion!
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Yes, for such a small country, Luxembourg has more than its fair share of beautiful castles and charming small towns. I hope you get to visit at least one of them some day Rebecca.
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So beautiful Marion. Love the castles and the views. Who knew so much could be packed into such a small country (Duchy). Thanks for taking us there. Allan
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Luxembourg is definitely a hidden gem Allan and it’s castles absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Marion
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Wow the castles look so beautiful and the landscape is also so gorgeous! Thank you for sharing the interesting history of them as well.
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The castles are beautiful Allie and they look just like something out of a fairy story! Thanks so much for your interest and welcome thoughts.
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I haven’t been to Luxembourg for years, I need to go back and visit here it looks lovely.
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Luxembourg is gorgeous and I do hope you get back there sometime soon. Thanks so much for commenting.
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Nice pictures! Have you visited the Petit Suisse region of Luxembourg yet? Lots of short hikes and unique landscapes….
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Thanks for your interest in this series of posts on Luxembourg. Yes, we’ve also visited ‘Little Switzerland’. and loved it. Post coming up soon.
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Luxembourg’s castles are so interesting, with each one being so different. I am intrigued by them because I’ve never seen a castle, but I would love to someday. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy your posts of them and your lovely photos. Thank you for sharing.
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I do hope you get an opportunity to visit a castle one of these days as I’m certain you would adore the experience. The three castles we visited in Luxembourg were all enchanting and could have come straight out of a fairytale. Thanks so much for commenting, Marion.
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I loved Vianden when I went to Luxembourg a few years ago. A great castle to see, and such a lovely little town. Definitely a highlight of my trip.
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It was definitely a highlight of ours too Sarah. Such a delightful place. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
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Love the parish church in Clerveaux, very unusual. I’m impressed with how many attractions become free with the Luxembourg Card, especially if combined with free public transport.
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Luxembourg’s castles are all enchanting Helen and both Vianden and Clerveaux are charming small towns to enjoy a wander. Yes, the Luxembourg card is very good value for money as it covers the entire country. Perhaps you’ll be able to pop over to the Grand Duchy sometime when you’re back in Germany.
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I hope so! This year has been very much about duty coming first thanks to Putin and his shenanigans, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and I look forward to seeing a bit more of the world soon. Including Luxembourg, amongst other places!
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I also love castles and you have selected some real beauties. I’m not so keen on chair lifts, although perhaps I would have to face my fears to be able to enjoy those stunning views! I would have been very interested to visit Victor Hugo’s house and, as always, I’m totally in awe of how much you manage to fit in.
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Thanks June for your continued interest in this series of posts. Luxembourg’s castles were all beautiful and the small towns of Vianden and Clerveaux, charming too. Although public transport is totally free we opted for a hire car as otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to see and do so much.
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Oh wonderful, you know how I feel about castles!! It’s always interesting to read about their history (and then, to see the lovely views from the top). Clerveaux looks indeed like a charming town to visit – they’ve got a lovely church. And it really seems as if the Luxembourg Card is of great value on these visits. Thank you for taking me along – I enjoyed the castle strolls!
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Luxembourg certainly has some beautiful castles Corna and we enjoyed visiting them all. Both Vianden and Clerveaux are charming towns for a stroll around. Hope your week goes well and thanks so much for commenting. Marion
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