- Park and start at Parking Groussebësch, Niederanven, Route de Trèves.
- No public transport option near the starting point. See below for alternative.
- Relatively flat and easy 9.5km hike on well-defined forest paths.
Orchids.
The “Aarnescht” Guttland Trail doesn’t have any spectacular rock formations. It hasn’t got a single waterfall. It is very much lacking in rugged cliffs, ancient monuments and pristine gorges.
But, for May and June at least, it does have orchids. Lots of orchids.
Like just about anything else good in life, you need to show a little patience to feast your eyes on this orchidy prize. From the parking spot and starting point – right beside the memorial to the 2002 Luxair disaster – you’ll first have to wander several kilometres through orchid-free (but very pretty) woodlands, then out into open farmland with sweeping views over the unaffordable mansions of Niederanven.
You’ll have noticed by now that the trail is remarkably well-signposted, with the green swirl of the Guttland Trails hardly ever out of sight.
You can start your orchid-spotting once the trail rises up gently into the open grassland of the “Aarnescht” Natural Reserve. These south facing limestone slopes dry up quickly in late spring / summer, and this semi-arid microclimate is a delight for flora and fauna that don’t usually thrive in this cold and rainy corner of Europe.
However, whilst the rare butterflies and bats can be difficult to reliably spot, the orchids are a different story: they are everywhere at this time of year. There are apparently twenty different types of orchid that grow in this Mediterraneanesque landscape, but I only spotted three during my visit: the Military Orchid, the Lady Orchid and the Early Purple Orchid.
TIP – Take a short detour
Since the orchids are (by far) the most interesting highlight of this trail, I recommend taking a short and very simple diversion (<500m in total) to maximize your chances of finding them.
Instead of following the Guttland Trail signs in the “Aarnescht” reserve, follow the green and white arrows of the “Sentier Nature et Forêt” (below). The two trails will split for a while but keep on going around the edge of the woods and you’ll soon re-join the Guttland Trail having had better views and (many) more orchids.
Quite frankly, the remainder of the hike is nothing more than a very pleasant stroll through the woods. I’d spent so long admiring the orchids that I’d failed to notice the darkness descending like a shroud, enveloping the trees and bringing deer and other woodland creatures out in their droves. A red deer positively barked at me as I disturbed its dusk feeding ritual, and a cabin in the woods with one solitary orange light felt like something straight out of a low-budget Netflix thriller.
Public transport alternative
- As mentioned in the summary, there is, sadly, no public transport at the starting point of this trail.
- As a viable alternative, use the Bus Stop “Niederanven Op de Wolleken“, then walk uphill on the “Op de Wolleken” street. You’ll soon see the arrows of the “Sentier Natur et Forêt” which will lead you to the Guttland Trail.
Link to Geoportal route of the Guttland Trail .
(c) Jonathan Orr 2024
Luxembourg Outdoors 