Luxembourgian Ardennes

Not only filled with stunning terrain dotted with countless panoramic points, but also full of well-preserved and restored castles giving the region a medieval look and feel, the Luxembourgian Ardennes are definitely a must-see. The region can easily be explored via one of many hiking or biking trails.

By car

The most notable roads in the region are the E421, N12 and N15. The first of which runs from the northern tip of the region to Colmar-Berg, where it links to the A7 heading for Luxembourg City. The road passes by Clervaux, Bourscheid, Diekirch and Ettelbruck. The N12 connects the same northern tip of the region to Luxembourg City, though it does so via Witz, Esch-sur-Sûre and Redange. The N15 connects Ettelbruck with Bastogne, crossing the N12 near Esch-sur-Sûre. Additionally, the N10 connects to the E421 near Clervaux, from which it connects to Vianden, Echternach, which allows access into the Mullerthal, and continuing towards Wasserbillig, which is the road's gate to the Moselle or Grevenmacher District.

By public transit

The train network in the region consists of one main line and several branches of it. These branches connect to most of the notable destinations. The line, CFL line 10, runs from Luxembourg City to Liège. The line connects to Mersch and Colmar-Berg in Central Luxembourg, and to Ettelbruck and Clervaux in the Ardennes. Wiltz can be accessed by train via the branch at Kautenbach, Diekirch via the branch at Ettelbruck and Troisvierges via the branch at Maulusmuhle. Busses, most of which stopping at the major stations listed above, connect to all other destinations.

Some tourist offices and campings or hotels rent out bikes and mountainbikes should you not have one. The prices tend to differ. A map of these rental locations can be found here. Travel between cities and towns is made easy by intercity busses, as well as the network of national roads consisting of the N10, 12 and 15, as well as the E421, which mostly offers easy travel from north to south and vice versa. Travel from east to west and vice versa will have to do without these national roads.

• The Family of Man, a collection of 503 photographs by 273 artists from over 58 countries has been travelling the globe since 1955. After having toured over 150 museums, it was permanently housed in the Clervaux castle in 1994, where it remains to this day. Since 2003 the collection has been a part of the UNESCO 'Memory of the World' register.
• Many castles are spread throughout the region, the most notable and popular of which is the Vianden castle. Others include Bourscheid and Esch-sur-Sûre. Additionally, some castles have failed to stand the test of time, though some, such as the Brandenbourg Castle, consist of only castle ruins with can be toured regardless.
• The Our and Upper-Sûre nature parks are a great demonstration of the untouched nature found in the region.
• Museums are also found throughout the region, though Diekirch has the most notable, such as the National Conservatory of Historical Vehicles and the National Museum of Military History.
• Some towns are worth visiting because of their general atmosphere, such as Esch-sur-Sûre, which only counts a few hundred inhabitants, yet its location in a narrow loop of the river Sûre with a castle in the center, gives it a fantastically beautiful appeal.

• The terrain in the region's countryside is filled with rock formations as you'll most likely have never seen before, making the marked hiking trails in the region to be considered the most beautiful trails of Luxembourg.
• The lake of the Upper Sûre (Lac de la Haute Sûre) has been created with the dam near Esch-sur-Sûre. The lake's surroundings have been adapted for tourism, featuring sporty activities such as kayaking on or off-road cycling around the lake.

• The terrain can be misleading, especially when outside of the urban parts of the region. Stay on the trails when hiking or cycling.

Nearby places within Luxembourg

• Central Luxembourg — The more business-side of the country, revolving mostly around the capital, Luxembourg City
• Mullerthal — Also known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland due to its stunningly beautiful terrain. The region is located around Echternach, which is the oldest city of Luxembourg. The city's basilica contains the crypt of Saint Willibrord.

Nearby places across the border

• Luxembourg — Though it doesn't particularly sound like this is across the border, Luxembourg is also a region in Wallonia, Belgium. The region is in many ways like the Luxembourgian Ardennes, though it does have Wallonia's somewhat industrial character. The region on the other hand, is the most sparsely populated region of the Benelux and features cities such as Arlon and Bastogne.
• Rhineland-Palatinate, specifically the Eifel can be found on the other side of the river Our featuring most notably Bitburg, known for its beer which is popular in Luxembourgian regions bordering Germany.