Via Botanica – Luxembourg’s daffodil forest

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils.
William Wordsworth, 1807

Wild daffodils as seen on the “Via Botanica”, Lelligen, Luxembourg

I sincerely doubt that Wordworth ever visited Luxembourg; his famous lines were written about the joy felt upon seeing the spring daffodils in his native Cumbria – welcome harbingers of colour and hope to an otherwise harsh landscape. But we can find a similarly stark beauty in our very own Eislek region, and it’s here, just outside the tiny village of Lelligen, where an astonishing natural event unfurls every March.

The only way to see this spring show is to take a hike on the “Via Botanica“, a 7.5km trail starting by the church in Lellingen. After passing centuries-sturdy farmhouses and a surprising number of artists’ cottages, the path enters a nature reserve. Then, after having walked about 1.5km, you’ll begin to see them…

Continuous as the stars that shine […]
They stretched in never-ending line […]
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance

Indeed, ten thousand seems a very conservative estimate when talking about the Via Botanica. At points of the trail, there are literally daffodils stretching in every direction – bursts of sparkling yellow lining the path and cascading up and down the steep wooded hill as far as the eye can see.

It’s perhaps worth noting that almost all of the wild daffodils can be found between kilometres 1.5 and 2.5 of the trail; the remaining five kilometres are tranquil and pleasant but – in March at least – can seem somewhat dull after the dazzling daffodil show.

But then again, didn’t Wordworth speak of the “bliss of solitude” in the final verse of his poem? Perhaps he did visit Lelligen’s Via Botanica after all…

Practical information

Parking in Lelligen is extremely limited. There are a few places at the entrance to the village (yes, there is only one entrance) just before the café. Otherwise, please be discreet and respectful of private property.
The 7.5km hike is moderately demanding and not recommended for pushchairs.
The trail is marked by silver-grey signs with a yellow arrow and a daffodil on it (see photo below).
Obviously, you should strictly stay to the marked paths. Please don’t be tempted to take a bouquet home, either…