Luxembourg
 

We will be in Trier near the end of this month. My wife believes it would be nice to go to Luxembourg for a day. Does anyone have any opinion on whether this is worthwhile and where we should visit?

Ed, <BR>We did the same day trip last year. It was nice to visit, as it is a pretty city. You will not need more than 3-4 hours there. Maybe combine it with another side trip. Easy drive from Trier. <BR> <BR> <BR>Steve

Yes, I have an opinion! Last year, we also drove to Trier and then later in the day to Luxembourg. We took the tourist train ride since we didn't have a lot of time. It was very rough - too rough to take a single good picture while it was moving. It gave us a quick overview of the park below the city which was not particularly spectacular. We then ate dinner at a huge area of sidewalk cafes (they even had McDonald's and Pizza Hut - yuk). Being so close to a "different country" we had to go, but a few hours is more than enough time. A day would be much too long. Trier is much more interesting.

Depending on your time, I believe a good day trip out of Trier could be into north Luxembourg and the city of Vianden. I believe a car would be best for this. You would drive across the Luxembourg border, then take N10 north along the west bank of the Sure River, direction Echternach, itself a charming little town with a great history and an annual dancing festival that attracts thousands. <BR>After Echternach, you could continue on the N10 for a few more km's, turning right on the N17 to Vianden, located in the pretty valley of the Our River. <BR>Vianden's castle is arguably one of the most beautiful, and is being faithfully restored by the Luxembourg government. It is open to the public, and very well done. We stayed a night there last spring, staying at the Hotel Oranianburg, just below the castle. The town is truly charming. There is an overlook above the town, and it looks like a movie set. After breakfast, we toured the castle, which opened at 10.00, drove liesurely through the "petit suisse" area of Luxembourg, late lunch in Echternach, and were in Trier by 16.00 or so. I believe if you got an early start from Trier, you could add more to the itinary. <BR>The 'petit suisse' area of Luxembourg is almost like a rain forest, with hiking trails galore, and just plain beautiful. The drive is very peaceful, and beautiful green colors surround. <BR>Echternach is a wonderful little town, with a great little square. We lunched on soup and salad at a restaurant named Beim LaangeOeit, on the square. We felt like we were in medevil times. <BR>That day of travel, plus the tour of the Vianden castle, was one of those surprise pleasures of our trip last spring. We did not go to Lux City, but truly enjoyed our brief trek through north Luxembourg.

Thanks for the comments and advice. <BR>Ed