Explore the Ardennes

Explore the Ardennes. Take a dive into the scenic haven of tranquility & lush green landscapes of the Ardennes region, less than an hour to the north of the city of Luxembourg. The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills, and ridges formed by the geophysical elements of the Ardennes mountain range and the Moselle River basin.

The Allies’ generals in World War II were convinced that the region was impenetrable to mass vehicular traffic and especially tanks and heavy arms. That led to the German army twice using the region as an invasion route to Northern France & Southern Belgium via Luxembourg. Today the Ardennes Luxembourgeoise also known as Éislek is heaven for anyone looking for mountain biking, hiking, and thematic trails. The main hilly areas are interspersed with picturesque valleys, the most stunning of which are those of the Blees, Clerve, Our, Sûre and Wiltz Rivers.

One must add to the extraordinary natural beauties and the two natural parks, the Natural Park of the Haute Sûre (Upper Sûre) of about 162 km² and the Natural Park of the Our of 306 km² the fact that the Ardennes enfold some of the best-preserved castles & traditional little towns in the country. Bourscheid Castle (Château de Bourscheid, French / Buerg Buerschent, Luxembourgish) in Bourscheid village, about 45 minutes to the north of Luxembourg City was built around the year 1000 on earlier foundations that date back to the Roman times is the first one we come across in the Ardennes region.

It’s easily visible from afar since it’s built on the top of a hill 150 meters high above the Sûre River. That offers great views of the whole surrounding areas. Just 15 minutes to the west (15km) we find Esch-sur-Sûre, part of the Natural Park of the Haute Sûre, tucked neatly among the mountains, with the winding River Sûre defining its shape.

The village is dominated by the scale of its ruined manor house (927) and the cliffs which plunge down to the river. The road takes you via a first tunnel (1850) and then a second (1954) to the Sûre dam. The House of the Park in the former cloth factory in Esch-sur-Sûre contains the reception and information center about the activities in the region and is the first point of sale for buying typical regional products.

Another 15 minutes to the north we find another historic town that attracts many visitors, the town of Wiltz. Its Renaissance-style Castle, built in 1631, in the place of other fortified castles that dated back to the 13th century and were destroyed by the invading armies, is today the venue of an international music festival attracting artists and orchestras of international repute.

It also houses the National Museum of Brewing in what was the castle’s stables in the past. The museum traces the history of beer production over the past 6.000 years. It also houses a little tanning museum that presents the history of the leather industry in Wiltz from 1644. Wiltz is also the hometown of Simon Brewery in order to discover the town of Wiltz, two cultural routes have been developed.
More than 30 panels inform visitors about the most important sights of the town of Wiltz. City Hall, arms, war memorials and museums are among the sights to see along the trails cultural. More