Discover Vianden

After your impressive visit to the Chateau de Vianden, bursting with suits of armour, period furniture and a restoration presentation, admission .35 adults, .10 children, it is time for exploration of the Petite Suisse hiking area and a chair lift ride to the summit overlooking the countryside. Later you can visit the Victor Hugo House located at the bottom of the hill next to the bridge where you will also find a bust of Hugo. The best is a hiking visit to the Le Mullerthal, a heavily wooded area of the La Petite Suisse,{Little Switzerland} along the Ernz Noire Creek with towering cliffs, sandstone rock formations, splashing waterfalls and superb hiking trails along the cliffs.

Quick Tips:

Local food here is excellent; visit some of the many restaraunts and hotel cafes lining the small streets winding down the hill. Also take the chairlift (Telesiege) located at Rue du Sanatorium, to the 1400 ft. summit,have a snack and follow the comfortable trail back down to the castle. Best time to visit is before July and after August. Stop by the toursit office at Rue de Vieux March 1, for info on kayaking and most of all maps for all the hiking paths in the vicinity of which there are 60 miles of carefully tended trails.

Best Way To Get Around:

Buses arrive from Echternach and Ettlebruck close to hourly. Almost the entire village can be seen on foot. For the Ardennes, however, I would recommend a car, which is also the best way to get to and from Vianden.

After inquiring at several hotels and the hostel, we decided that for our 25th anniversary and for this romantic town we should stay as close to the Chateau as possible, knowing that we would probably pay for the privilege. Located at the end of the Grand Rue just to the left of the entrance to the castle stands the Hotel Oranienburg, imposing with a wrought iron front terrace and geranium-filled window boxes. We entered through a tiny foyer flanked by the bar and breakfast room on the right and the elegant Restaurant Le Chatelain to the left. After choosing an economy room and then viewing said room which offered hardly any standing room we opted for the deluxe room which of course was an additional charge of 30 dollars. A well spent 30 dollars. Our second room was presented to us with much flair; it seems if you decide to upgrade, the service is also upgraded, which was unexpected. The gleaning granite tiled bath was only the start, as the bed was a canopy with curtains tied to each of the hardwood posts and a complete queen size mattress. A corner banquette with table and an Armoire with the TV concealed inside completed the picture. Two windows to the right of the bed offered a tilted view of the castle. Food and service were premium and delightful, even if a trifle on the expensive side. Breakfast was a buffet with all the tractional European food and plenty of hot coffee, tea, etc. Platters of cold cuts, the cereal and the best yogurt I have ever eaten. Service at the bar was efficient with all the pleasantries including waiters who spoke enough English for us to be comfortable.

Mine and Robert's favorite touring in Luxembourg is to go castle hunting. With map in hand from the tourist office we set out to see as many as we could even after the Chateau at Vianden. When the storm hit we were on top of the hill in Brandenbourg, exploring the ruins of the 10th century castle in the valley of the Blees only a few kilometers from Diekirch and Vianden, south on the road to Bettendorf on highway N17 and N19. At the bottom of the hill going down on the right you will find the flower decked terrace of the Cafe Op der Bakes and the owner May a Jos Schreiner-Jungles. After brushing aside the flannel cloth which repels the cold rainy wind, you immediatly see the bar, gleaning hardwood worn from years of use and to the right the pot-belled wood burning stove framed by heavy wooden round tables and on the left several banquettes with chairs in the front. All this was needed to hold all the mountains of food when served. The restaurant serves the daily special and that is all that is on the menu. Locals come from as far away Luxembourg City to eat the Ardennes ham, broadbeans in sauce and the delicate salad greens grown by May served with a special vingerette. The menu in the fall is their own hand-stuffed blood sausage a very local speciality. Jos compliments the lunch with a choice of the red or white wines of the Moselle Valley and if you can manage the wonderful tart with real cream please save room for the coffee served with the village's own Honey Brandy. Lunch is all inclusive except for the wine and brandy.

Usually Robert and I would much rather be tromping around the ruins of lesser castles like Brandebourg and Cleauvaux, however this beautifully renovated 9th century Chateau restored in the mid 19th century and in ruins since 1820 is worthy of exploration inside and out. The Chateau is open daily April-September 10-6 Admission $ Adults $3.35 and $1.10 Children . Guided visits on request.

Chateau de Vianden once the home of the Orange-Nassua dynasty and part of the Royal family of Luxembourg until 1977, is after it's massive restoration called one of the most impressive in Europe. After the entrance through the Horseman's Hall the P. Koltz and Charendent Rooms house all the documentation of the restoration with scale models of the castle and the grounds on display under glass in the center of the room and also hold a collection of various sized photographs sprinkled around the walls along with a complete history of the town. Some of the rooms remain empty like the Byzantine Room except for what seemed to be a family tree of the Orange-Nassua dynasty painted on the lofty wall. Medeival suits of armour stand in corners and guard doorways and I expected them to lover their lances and question "Who goes there?" Other rooms are furnished in period style like the Banquet Hall and the Counts Hall filled with 17th century wall hangings.

To experience the real spookiness of the castle take a peek at the bottomless well in the kitchen where they say a former count can be heard playing dice with the devil. Exiting through the gloomy unrestored dungeon may be the most moving part and upon leaving note the unrestored outerwall with crumbling guard towers encircling the town.

As Rick Steves would say "Sometimes you need a vacation from your your vacation." So we loaded the rental with Ardennes ham sandwiches, Mosel wine and our beloved backpacks and headed south from Vianden on Highway 17 and then east at Diekirch for 10 miles to the Le Mullenthal, aka La Petite Swiss, or Luxembourg's Little Switzerland.

We turned west toward village Mullenthal where the Sure River meets the Creek Erwz Noire, parked the car in the first slot and rushed to the trail on the other side of the creek almost hidden by the canopy of trees. What a treat! Cool refreshing non-city air, a wide slightly bumpy trail guarded on one side by carved sandstone cliffs and brushed by the splashing creek on the other. We strolled quietly for a while and then bound up the cliffs by stone stairs to admire the spetacular scenery from a lofty plateau.

Following the twisting trail below toward Mullenthal, the village gave its name to the area, lead to a beautiful waterfall called "Schiessentunpel" topped by a arched mossy stone bridge which crossed back to benches and a cool shade for our lunch.