Nat’Our Route 5 Vianden

Brilliant! 13km of the finest hiking anywhere in Luxembourg.
Highlights include Vianden and Falkenstein castles, views over the Our Valley and the exhilarating “Lätgesbierg” ridge.
Park and start from the cemetery on Rue du Vieux Marché. By bus: Vianden Bréck (closest) or Gare.
Not recommended in wet or icy weather due to steep inclines and slippery rocks.

There’s no messing about on this trail. From the car park by the River Our, the path rises steeply up a Kreuzweg to the gates of one of Luxembourg’s most iconic landmarks: The Château de Vianden. Be careful though: arrive too early on a crisp autumn morning and the views may vanish in the fog.

From the castle, the path rises steeper still, switchbacking in rapid succession breathlessly up to Luxembourg’s chairlift station, where you can grab a coffee with an incredible view over the castle. Alas, the fog was even thicker up there during my visit (and the café not open yet), so the camera remained unused. Instead, I simply continued into the woods, watching the mist rise and the first rays of sunshine breaking through the canopy of trees, until I arrived at the pretty Bildchen chapel, a 19th century monument built to house a 17th century wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.

It’s worth mentioning again that the Nat’Our Route 5 is definitely a trail best savoured during dry weather. The ubiquitous Eislek slate paths and steep descents can be treacherous in places; the morning dew and a tiny lapse in concentration were enough to plonk me unceremoniously on my bottom on my way down to the Luxembourg side of the Our, and similar slip-ups in more exposed sections on the trail – particularly the Lätgesbierg – could be much more dangerous.

There is little chance of slipping on the flat, paved section from the road bridge over the Our to the village of Bivels, along the glassy waters of this man-made lake. From the village, a pedestrian bridge crosses over to the German side of the river; here begins another long, steep uphill section… but there’s good motivation to dig in and climb.

Unlike Vianden Castle, you can’t visit the Schloss Falkenstein, and at a first glance through ivy-clad, padlocked gates you’d be forgiven for thinking that it is merely another romantic ruin: decaying, long-forgotten, and in the process of being reclaimed by the forest. But the trail continues upwards and upwards – and as you rise and get better views over the castle, it becomes obvious that a section of this sprawling hillside fortress is well-maintained and clearly habitable. It’s somewhat pleasing to think that someone might still live here; a relic of the Middle Ages, still walking among us.

You’d also be forgiven for thinking that the castles must be the highlights of this challenging trail… but they’re not! That accolade is awarded, by me at least, to the exhilarating Lätgesbierg section, which you reach after a long, lofty meander through soft forest and peaceful farmland.

The path – so constant and steady until this point – just sort of… disappears, replaced by exposed rock sliding downwards towards Vianden in the distance. Navigate this safely – walking sticks to maintain balance may be useful – and you reach a rocky ridge. Here, stone steps rise and fall through a sea of stunted oaks: green safety railings and the river on one side; green canopy and absolutely nothing else on the other.

It’s the sort of experience that cameras simply can’t do justice to, and indeed you’ll be so busy watching your step that you may decide to leave your phone in your pocket until you’re back down on wider paths. Speaking of which, the Lätgesbierg marks the end of the heart-in-your-mouth excitement on this trail – from here the route widens, winds gently down the last inclines of the hill, and re-crosses the road. After all that drama, the gentle boardwalk-like Ourdall Promenade back to Vianden feels like a well-earned cooldown.