Luxembourg Continued

We loved Clervaux. The small, town nestled among the mountains of the Ardennes, towered by its medieval castle and abbey, was exceptionally charming. But, the sun had also begun to set, and we knew it was wisest to move on to Vianden, the last stop in the Ardennes region, where we planned to stay for the night.

Driving was rather easy and particularly pleasant in Luxembourg. The driver seat is situated on the left side of the vehicle, which is driven on the “right” side of traffic (pun intended), as is done in the States. The tree-lined lanes are long and windy, and the trees’ leaves provided a refreshing shade as we glided through quaint towns and grassy landscapes, peppered with cows, castle towers, and church spires. On occasion, we would drive by schools of cyclists in proper gear, spandex and all, causing us to wonder whether the Tour de France possibly routed through Lux.

Bridge over the Our River in Vianden

We knew we were close to Vianden when we rounded the bend and were awestruck by the view of the most fairytale-like castle we had seen yet- the 9th century Chateaux de Vianden.
Vianden straddles the Our River and looks across to Germany’s forested Eifel region. In 1871, exiled French writer and Vianden resident Victor Hugo described the village as a “jewel set amid splendid scenery.” We would have to agree with him. The entrance to the town is a small pebble lane that descends right into the heart of the town. The narrow lanes lined with the most charming homes, butcher and sweet shops, churches and cafes are pleasantly disrupted by the Our River that flows right through the town. Victor Hugo lived adjacent to one of the most charming bridges here. Living in exile suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

Chateaux de Vianden

Cobblestone lanes of Vianden

Victor Hugo's home in exile near the Our River

Another look at the Chateaux de Vianden

After waking up to the ringing bells of the church located right outside of our room window, we wondered through a narrow set of stone stairs squeezed in between two row houses. After roughly a 30 minute walk up, we came across one of the most stunning views of the entire town. After a few more minutes, we reached the base of the Chateaux. This is one of the few, completely refurbished castles of Lux, and it was surreal to walk through this stunning morsel of history as our imaginations ran wild.

Monastery of the Trinitarian order courtyard

Blossoms

Divinity in the Trinitarian church

Glass windows in the Trinitarian church

View of the chateaux from the Our River

The Chateaux up close and personal

View from the Chateaux

Fairytale Vianden

Another view of the fairytale

Chateaux by Night

REGION: PETITE SUISSE
The following morning, we took a slight detour on our way to Echternach in Petite Suisse and visited another stunning castle in Beaufort, at the recommendation of our hostess in Vianden. Locals were celebrating a medieval fair, reliving the period in full flare—attire and even food preparation over an open fire!

Castle at Beaufort

Another view of Beaufort

Our last stop before reaching Lux City was Echternach. From the itinerary: “This enchanting little town is a living open-air museum, from its patrician houses and picturesque market square to its medieval walls and towers. Echternach has been the repository of the ages since the missionary St. Willibrord arrived from England in 658 and established the abbey that made this one of the area’s earliest centers of Christianity.”

St Willibrord Rooman Basilica

The Saint Himself

After Petite Suisse, we came back full circle to Luxembourg City for our last day in the country. The city is yet another one of those charming little European cities full of beautiful old architecture, a pedestrian friendly environment, and café culture. With the aid of a walking map, we were able to leisurely cover the main attractions of the city, including the oldest and most picturesque areas of Clausen, Grund, and Pfaffenthal. After enjoying an Italian dinner at the Place d’Armes, where our hotel was strategically located, our mini holiday concluded beautifully at an unanticipated outdoor concert where we enjoyed a live performance by Ben Harper. It was a road trip to remember.

View of Lux from the Adolphe Bridge

Quirinus Chapel

Palace of the Grand Dukes

A Friendly Face?

Grand Duchess Charlotte in Clairefontaine Square

C.C.R.N. Abbaye de Neumunster

MicroInsurance in Paris and Luxembourg Castles

Transitioning back to life in the United States, to Washington, D.C., and to a headquarters-based development job with a new organization amongst many other things has been challenging to put it as mildly as possible. I suppose I might be lost in transition, but I’ll elaborate on this another time. My sole survival tool (or maybe it’s a coping mechanism), aside from my dear family and friends, originates from my healthy (at least, I think so) addiction to traveling the world. My new job continues to feed this wonderful passion for the 3 E’s- exploration, education, and exposure. Every other month, and sometimes even more frequent, I’m required to engage in field visits for projects all over the world. These days, I’ve been traveling primarily to India, but for a change of pace in July, my work took me to Europe. And, it really was a pleasant change of pace.

The journey started in Paris, where I attended a conference on micro-insurance (MI). MI is the latest craze in the broader industry of microfinance. Practitioners claim that the poor are in as much need, if not greater than those in the “developed” world, for insurance services that extend beyond credit life. My team at GF, Solutions for the Poorest, is exploring the value of MI as a risk management tool to protect the poorest from their greatest vulnerabilities, namely, in agriculture as a primary income source and health as their primary asset to engage in such labor-intensive activities. While there are clear benefits to MI products and services, ascertaining their true value, particularly from the perspective of the very poor, poses a real challenge. The exposure to the innovations occurring within this space and the passion with which these are being pursued by such talented individuals from both the private and public sector was inspiring.

Of course, all of this happening right in the heart of Paris made it evermore exhilarating. I love this city for the beautiful people, breathtaking architecture, the French language, thought-provoking culture and art, rue la la shopping, and the laissez faire café lifestyle. The cherry on top was the rendezvous with my younger sister as we enjoyed all that this city had to offer before beginning our road trip through Luxembourg.

Plaza Republique, Paris

Liberty in Plaza Republique, Paris

Paris

Off into the distance

Pensive

At the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at Le Petit Palais

Classic metro sign in Paris

A Walk in the Clouds

La Notre Dame

"Foot soldiers" of La Notre Dame

Spires and gargoyles of Notre Dame

Paris, je t'aime

Lux turned out to be an unexpected, delectable treat that left us wanting for more by the end. This 999 square mile country with a population of just over half a million offers a tasty variety to the visitor from the wine country of Moselle Valley and the red earth mines in the Land of the Red Rocks to the castles and churches of the middle ages in the Ardennes and more castles and ancient Roman camps situated in Petite Suisse or Little Switzerland. With our rented cute, yet very powerful Audi hatchback, we covered nearly 2/3 of the country during our 2 day road trip.

We followed a loop itinerary that was planned out well in advance by my sister. We began our journey from the capital city and traveled north to the Luxembourg Ardennes, cutting mid east to Petite Suisse, before heading back down to conclude our visit in Luxembourg city. Presenting the itinerary for day 1:

The Valley of the Seven Castles (10 miles total)

Steinfort (Stengefort), 16 km northwest of Luxembourg City on N4 is entry point to the valley. Thereafter, follow the route northeast to Koerich (Käerch), and its ruined medieval castle. As we follow the course of the river (which is really no more than a stream), next up is Septfontaines (Simmer), a high-sited village dominated by its ruined 13th-century castle. Below the castle are the seven springs that give the village its name.

Church at Steinfort

Septfontaines

From here, the valley road turns east to Ansembourg (Aansebuerg), which has two castles, a 12th century one with later modifications high on a hill, and a 17th-century one in the valley. A little way north is Hollenfels (Huelmes), with an 18th-century castle constructed around a 13th-century keep dramatically situated on a cliff top (it’s now a youth hostel). From there you go north-east on a minor road to the castle at Schoenfels (Schendels).

Go north now, to Mersch (Miersch), the geographical center of the Grand Duchy. In addition to the early feudal Pettingen Castle, we find here the remains of a Roman villa that exhibits mosaics, sculpture, and wall paintings.

Schoenfels Castle

Castle at Ansembourg

Luxembourg Ardennes

DIEKIRCH (DIKRECH):
Standing mostly on the north bank of the Sure River, Diekirch was a Celtic stronghold in the days before the Roman legions arrived. Here we visit the Eglise St-Laurent, a church dating back to the 6th and 8th centures, Musee Minicipal on place Guillame II for old Roman mosaics, and then into the hills to a prehistoric Celtic dolmen (stone tomb), dubbed the Deiwelselter (Devil’s Altar).

WILTZ (WOLTZ):
Wiltz is split right down the middle, with a difference in height of 150 m (500 ft) between Oberwiltz (uptown) and Niederwiltz (downtown). This popular vacation town, which lies in a beautiful and heavily wooded setting and is a great place for hiking and other outdoor activities, witnessed fierce fighting in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.

Here, we see the 12th century chateau, modernized in the 1600s, and the Romanesque and Renaissance Eglise Niederwiltz.

Town of Wiltz

CLERVAUX (KLIERF):
The handsome old village occupies an incredibly scenic location in a steep valley of the Clerve River. It is the main tourist center in Luxembourg’s northern reaches (one of our favorites!). In their 12th century castle, we relished in the Edward Steichen photo exhibit “Family of Man.”

Clervaux Castle

Abbey at Clervaux

The one day felt like ages, and in a very good way, as we raced through Luxembourg’s countryside and centuries of history. We could only imagine what awaited us on day 2.