Prejudice number one: Luxembourg is flat. "You're not the first people to believe that - and realise here on the spot that they're very wrong," says our friend Gian Marco Bartolini from Luxembourg City. One look around is enough to prove the opposite: We are standing on a hill in the EU and banking district of Luxembourg City. Opposite, the old city centre is enthroned on a rocky plateau. In between, the River Alzette has eaten deep into the rock. "Luxembourg isn't flat," says Gian Marco: "The mountains aren't high and the climbs are over quickly. But you can still get a good workout here."
Gian Marco wants to show us his home country over the next four days. At least the eastern part. Which brings us to prejudice number two: The Grand Duchy of Lëtzebuerg is small. Sure, Luxembourg is the second smallest country in the European Union after Malta, but the variety of landscapes is quite large, explains our guide: "In the north lies the Ösling, which is part of the Ardennes." In the national language Lëtzebuergesch, the low mountain range is called Éisleck. We want to explore its southern tip on day two of our tour. Otherwise, the tour takes us all the way through the Mullerthal in the east of the country, on the border with Germany.
Whereby one must correctly say: Mullerthal region. "In the past, the Mullerthal was actually just a single valley that owed its name to the many grain mills along the Black Ernz," says Gian Marco. Today, it refers to the entire 200 square kilometre region between Echternach, Beaufort and Larochette. And as the region is also known as "Luxembourg's Little Switzerland", it's clear what we can expect: Lots of climbs, some of which are tough, but mostly rather short, Gian Marco reassures us.
Cycle tour through Luxembourg: up and down the sandstone cliffs of the Mullerthal Valley
Luxembourg is criss-crossed by these sandstone cliffs from east to west. Over millions of years, the rocks of the Mullerthal have emerged from the sandy shores of a primeval sea. It is known for its bizarre gorges and cliffs. Our plan: to explore the region in four stages, starting from Luxembourg City.
To kick things off, we take a detour through the narrow, lively streets of the old town, winding past the bank towers and crossing the EU institutions district - a lively mix, but it quietens down in no time at all. Less than half an hour after we set off, we are travelling through quiet forests, remote villages and expansive fields. We let our gaze wander, what a panorama!
"The lovely landscape is deceptive," warns Gian Marco as we stop at the next viewpoint. The supposedly gentle-looking Luxembourgian permanent wave in the eastern tiered landscape is actually criss-crossed by deep valleys. At the top, undulating hills with sweeping views, but one level further down, the Our, Sauer, Weiße Ernz and Schwarze Ernz rivers have carved themselves into the ground and hewn rugged gorges out of the rock. This makes cycling a challenge. Because where it goes down, it logically goes up again.
Until shortly before the end of the first stage, we gain quite a few metres in altitude, but also quite a lot of unexpected impressions and views: there is hardly anything going on on the roads, but they nestle gently into the permanent wave and follow the landscape, not the other way round. As over 35 per cent of Luxembourg is covered by forest, as Gian Marco explains, we keep driving through shady woods, only to suddenly emerge on a hill with a far-reaching view or stand in front of a castle, such as in Bourglinster, where the old, perfectly renovated walls on a rock overlook the village and the valley.
The highlight of the day, however, is the cycle path along the White Ernz, on which we can take it easy towards the end. Through a small rocky canyon, swampy areas and over numerous wooden bridges, we reach our destination for the day, Larochette. Now it's time for cheesecake and coffee for our growling stomachs, says Gian Marco, so Kéiskuch mat Kaffi as it's called in Lëtzebuergesch. This is just as much on the menu at the Café de la Place in Larochette as Portuguese specialities. No wonder: almost 52 per cent of the inhabitants of Larochette come from Portugal, explains our guide.
Luxembourg: melting pot of European cultures
"Luxembourg has always been a country of immigration, a melting pot, due to its location between three large neighbouring countries," Gian Marco adds over coffee: "My family came from Italy in the 1960s, which is logical given my name," he grins. In the 1970s, many Portuguese immigrated to Luxembourg to work.
Even earlier, many Germans from the Eifel region, for example, settled in the Grand Duchy, although they did not have to overcome any major hurdles, at least linguistically. Lëtzebuergesch is not only spoken in the Grand Duchy, but also along the German-Luxembourg border, in the east of the Belgian Province de Luxembourg and in the north-west of the French department of Moselle. And it is closely related to the Eifel dialect "The great wave of German immigration was in the middle of the 19th century, and French, Belgians and, and, and . . ."
This is still the case today, explains Gian Marco, and no wonder: Luxembourg is right in the centre of Europe, bordering France, Belgium and the German states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, and the people speak Luxembourgish, French, German - and many other languages. "I love this diversity," says Gian Marco as we say goodbye, who wants to spend the night in his bed at home while we check into the local youth hostel. It's no problem: "It takes me 15 minutes by train, and all buses and trains are free - all over the country. See you tomorrow. Äddi."
Cycle tour in the hills of the Ardennes
The next day, the Ardennes are on the agenda. We prefer to take it easy and cycle a few kilometres on the flat river cycle path along the White Ernz before plunging into the hills of the Ardennes and working up a good sweat again. We take a short break on a hill behind the village of Fouhren and enjoy the sweeping views across the countryside. An old man shuffles leisurely up the road and then settles down contentedly on a wooden bench a few metres further on. "Moien", he greets us cheerfully: "Good day."
He walks the two kilometres from the village up here every day, he says: "It keeps me healthy." We strike up a conversation. Adolphe Betzen is the name of the grey-haired man, 93 years old. "My ancestors are also German, my grandfather came from the Eifel in 1910 and bought the farm down in the village." The Germans came again later, this time as unwanted intruders who occupied the country - for the second time after the invasion in 1914. They pursued a policy of Germanisation and forcibly recruited young people for the Wehrmacht and Hitler Youth.
Adolphe Betzen recounts how, as a 15-year-old, he experienced the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War, Nazi Germany's unsuccessful attempt to avert the threat of defeat in the winter of 1944: "In the early morning of 16 December, heavy shelling began from the other side of the Our. The next day, the Germans advanced. American soldiers were entrenched upstairs in our house, we civilians were all down in the cellar. Everything was shot up. The barn and the stable went up in flames. The cows were burnt alive. The Americans surrendered and the Wehrmacht conquered our village."
He often has these images of the battle for his home in his head when he looks at the landscape, says Betzen. "A dark time, but fortunately long gone. German militarism died with the Second World War. It's good that we can now enjoy this view together," he says as we say goodbye. We roll on thoughtfully and only shake off our gloomy thoughts on the long descent to Vianden.
The huge castle of Vianden rises on a rock above the valley of the Our - simply magical. It was built over a thousand years, says Gian Marco, but we prefer not to visit it. "It's very crowded today." We'd rather have a cold non-alcoholic beer in the old town before heading back towards Mullerthal. First, we cycle along the Our, the border river between Germany and Luxembourg.
But it soon becomes undulating again - or in other words: Mam Velo iwwer Bierg an Dall! Cycling over hill and dale. In the Mullerthal region, small roads wind their way through dense deciduous forests and past steep sandstone walls that were exposed long ago by the Sauer and Schwarze Ernz rivers. The most striking rocks have been given bizarre names, such as Piteschkummer, Geierslee or Huellee. We find the eroded rock landscape, shaped by erosion, simply spectacular. "Even from the road, the Mullerthal is something very special," says Gian Marco, "but to be honest: the hiking trails in the Mullerthal are even more beautiful because they lead deep into this enchanted green hell. The Mullerthal Trail is even 112 kilometres long." Well, then we already have our destination for the next trip to Luxembourg!
Travel Info: Luxembourg
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in the world - and combines great contrasts in a small area: here the metropolis of Luxembourg City with its prestigious buildings, lively old town and multicultural flair. On the other, small villages, undulating plateaus and surprisingly wild, dense forests full of bizarre rock formations, criss-crossed by deep gorges. And the best thing is the network of low-traffic side roads and signposted cycle paths, which offer plenty of opportunities for day-long cycle tours. The cycle path network covers around 640 kilometres and is set to be extended to 900 kilometres in five years' time.
We mainly explored the Mullerthal region, which is characterised by gorges and cliffs - Mëllerdall in Luxembourgish. We wanted to get to know the region in the east of the country in four one-day stages. It owes its name to the many grain mills that once stood on the Black Ernz river. Today, the entire 200 square kilometre area between Echternach, Beaufort and Larochette is known as the Mullerthal. As the region is also known as "Luxembourg's Little Switzerland", it is clear what to expect: Lots of climbs, some of which are tough, but mostly rather short.
Four cycling stages through the Mullerthal region of Luxembourg
Day 1: Luxembourg-Larochette, 54 km; 720 m
Luxembourg City, including the banking and EU institutions district, is really lively and a true European melting pot. Just outside the city limits, it suddenly becomes quiet and rural. We cycle along cycle paths and side roads to Bourglinster with its medieval castle. This is where the Mullerthal begins with its sandstone cliffs. The Celts and Romans were already fond of these rocks and used the impressive Härtcheslay rock formation near Godebrange as a place of worship. A Roman relief can still be seen in the rock today. The cycle path along the renaturalised White Ernz is really beautiful. Through a small rock canyon and over numerous wooden bridges, we reach our destination for the day, Larochette, where the castle towers high above the town, accessible via a steep cul-de-sac: well worth a visit!
Day 2: Larochette-Beaufort, 46km; 950 m
Quiet cycle paths, country lanes, minor roads - and extremely varied landscapes! No wonder, as you are travelling through the hills of the Ardennes. The many climbs add up to 950 metres in altitude: You need a lot of power in your legs or a powerful motor on your bike. The reward: Sweeping views and long descents such as the one to Vianden. It's worth visiting the castle there, which is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. After a coffee in the old town, we return to the Mullerthal region along the Our, the border river between Germany and Luxembourg. Our destination, Beaufort, is at the top again, so there is one last climb at the end.
Day 3: Beaufort-Echternach, 51km; 830 m
Dense, shady forest. Then again wide views over undulating hilltops. Shortly afterwards, you plunge into a sandstone canyon before climbing uphill again. In short, anyone wondering where Luxembourg's racing cyclists get their climbing skills from will find the answer on the cycle routes of the Mullerthal. It's a good thing that the route to Echternach, the region's main town, also has many sights and nice places to stop for refreshments, such as the Bech railway station, which has been converted into a brewery halfway along the route.
Day 4: Echternach-Luxembourg, 63 km; 830m
Mullerthal, Sauertal, Syretal. First we cycle on cycle paths along the Luxembourg-German border along the River Sûre. Before we then follow the Syre until shortly before Luxembourg City, we have to climb quite a bit near Born. It's a good thing that you can refresh yourself beforehand with some excellent apple cider. This is available (also non-alcoholic) at the Ramborn apple press house, which is reviving the old tradition of making cider from apples from local orchards - and thus contributing to the preservation of the cultural landscape that we are exploring on this day.
GPS data for the cycle tour through Luxembourg's Little Switzerland
You can download the GPS data for the cycle tour in Luxembourg download here for free or find them in the MYBIKE Collection at komoot:
Sights along the route
- Bourglinster Castle
- Häerdcheslee - Rock with Gallo-Roman relief near Godbrange
- Felser Castle in Larochette
- Vianden Castle and Old Town
- Beforter lock
- Mullerthal Rocks
- Heringer Millen, tourist centre in the restored mill with mill museum and refreshments, www.mullerthal-millen.lu/de
- Bech railway station: Echternach brewery www.echternacher-brauerei.lu/
- Schmalen cheese dairy (Berdorf cheese) www.berdorfer.lu/de/
- Berdorfer Eck (organic food shop) berdorfer-eck.lu/en/
- Old town of Echternach
- Ramborn wine press house in Born www.ramborn.com
MYBIKE tip: Free public transport
Ingenious for tour planning in the Grand Duchy: If you're not planning a circular tour but a long-distance tour, or if you get tired on the way, you can use the free buses and trains throughout the country to transport you and your bike.
Arrival
Luxembourg is located in the heart of Europe and can be easily reached by plane, long-distance bus, train or car from all directions.
Best time to travel
The climate in Luxembourg is temperate Western European, meaning that the conditions for cycling tours are usually pretty good from spring to late autumn.
Luggage transport
More carefree biking: Luggage transport for cycle tours. www.movewecarry.lu
Recommended accommodation in Luxembourg's Little Switzerland
- Luxembourg City: Parc Hotel Alvisse. Large shed, but perfectly located for an uncomplicated arrival and departure. You can even leave your car here.
www.parc-hotel.lu - Larochette: Youth hostel, quietly located on the outskirts of the village, simple rooms, nice people. www.youthhostels.lu/larochette
- Beaufort: Hôtel Meyer, quiet hotel and fine French cuisine at Meyer's Restaurant. www.hotel-meyer.lu
- Echternach: Hôtel Le Petit Poète, nice location in the centre, not quiet, but good breakfast. www.lepetitpoete.lu
Info
- www.visitluxembourg.com
- www.mullerthal.lu/de
