Auto-Pédestre Consdorf

10km – Intermediate – 3-4 hours
A Luxembourg classic: kilometre after kilometre of almost-unbroken forest and dramatic sandstone formations.
Highlights: the towering rocks of Goldfralay and Eulenburg, and the famous Schiessentümpel waterfall.
Start/parking: Consdorf Millen (Konstrëffermillen).
- Alternative: Heringer Millen, Rue des Moulins, Mullerthal.
- By bus: Consdorf Konstrëfermillen or Mullerthal Mëllerdall.
Refreshments: At the Brasserie Op Buergkapp in Consdorf and several cafés in Mullerthal.
Facilities: Public toilets available in Mullerthal.

This trail is so good, I used to give it to myself as a birthday present.

You read that correctly. Before my knee injury, I’d wake up early on my special day, take the short drive to Consdorf Millen, run the trail, and be back home again – usually a sweaty mess – in time for a relaxed birthday breakfast. Why this trail? I’m not sure exactly, but it’s probably because it offers one of the purest “Mullerthal” experiences out there.

Let me explain. Almost all of the 10 kilometres of the Consdorf Auto-Pédestre are rocky, undulating paths under towering sandstone cliffs. Almost all of it runs through deep, tranquil forest. Almost all of it captures the essence of the Mullerthal scenery that draws hikers from all over Europe to Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland.

Back then, I followed the “old” version of the Auto-Pédestre trail: a mono-directional loop running clockwise from Consdorf Millen. Like many others, it has since been upgraded with improved signage and a choice of directions. For the sake of novelty, I chose the anti-clockwise route this time… and for old times’ sake, I couldn’t help but break into a jog here and there.

Perhaps another reason I chose this trail as my birthday treat was the challenge factor. A word of warning: do not underestimate this hike. It may “only” be 10 km with 200 metres of elevation gain, but there’s barely a flat section anywhere and it will feel more like 15km. You’ll be constantly weaving, climbing, and descending through the rocky terrain. Good footwear is essential, especially on wet autumn days when slick leaves coat the smooth stone and hide ankle-twisting roots beneath. Mud can also be an issue, particularly on the busier southern section shared with the Mullerthal Trail between the Schiessentümpel waterfall and the Kuelscheier dark passages – a popular route for day hikers.

One upside of the frequent visitors is that this is one of the few trails in Luxembourg with refreshments en route. Starting in Consdorf, you’ll find Hotel Le Cigalon and the Heringer Millen restaurant roughly halfway through, plus public toilets, tourist information, and a great playground at the Heringer Millen complex. If you set off from Mullerthal instead, you can grab a drink at the Brasserie Op Buergkapp in Consdorf (a 200-metre detour), also conveniently placed around the halfway mark.

Truth is, my dodgy knee won’t ever allow me to run this trail again. But perhaps that’s no tragedy. Some trails are meant to be walked, not raced. Some places are supposed to be savoured slowly, rock by rock, step by step. And the Consdorf Auto-Pédestre, in all its forested, sandstone splendour, deserves exactly that.