- Park and start at the castle car park: Rue du Chateau, Bourglinster.
- By public transport: Bourglënster, Am Duerf. Bus 221 will take you there directly from Luxembourg City (e.g. Pescatore) in less than 25 minutes.
- Good for kids (short) but not pushchairs. Supervision required in places (cliffs).
There are five magnificent viewpoints around the historic village of Bourglinster; this short hike manages to take you right past four of them. That’s a lot of punch packed into a trail of less than four kilometres.
Pick up a useful leaflet on the hike at the starting point and you’ll immediately find yourself on atmospheric ancient cobbled paths leading deep into the woods. Within no time at all you’ll be at your first viewpoint – the “Schéiferei” – and the second (“Altlinster“) comes just a few hundred metres later.
After crossing the cherry blossom-lined Bourglinster to Gonderange road, the path leads to the best viewpoint of them all, the “Beddelsteen“, set within the subtle remains of an ancient Celtic ringfort. Admire the views over the château and village, but then pay close attention to your surroundings as you leave: you can just about make out the old fortifications as you pass through a small gap, then head out into open farmland.
The trail quickly plunges back into woodland, a verdant canopy of fresh green leading towards the fourth viewpoint of the hike, the comically named “Mouk“. Whilst the vantage point at the bench is superb, it’s the views on the steep descent back down into the village that really steal the show.
You’ve seen the castle from almost all angles by now, so there’s just one thing left to do: time for a close-up. Through the quaint cobbled streets of Bourglinster, the trail takes you right to the drawbridge of this ancient fortified manor, from where you can wander into its inner courtyard (Michelin-starred restaurant, anyone?) and explore its grounds.
Leaving the castle behind you, you’re almost immediately back at the car park. Four viewpoints and thousands of years of history in less than four kilometres. One of the very best short hikes in Luxembourg, and very accessible from Luxembourg City.
- Link to further route descriptions: https://www.visitluxembourg.com/tour/local-hiking-trail-j10
- Link to official map on Geoportal: http://g-o.lu/3/o3Rh
(c) Jonathan Orr 2024
Luxembourg Outdoors 