CENTRAL EUROPE BLOG May 3rd, 2026 - LUXEMBOURG and CASTLES
5/3/26– We are going right back out into the grind today to Luxembourg airport. Not to fly anywhere but to grab a rental car for the day. An Uber would cost around 25 Euros each way, so we’re opting to take the bus for free. By the way, Luxembourg has free transportation… who knew!
We walk thirteen minutes through a back trail to the bus stop and take it to the airport. We’re the only ones there at 9am, get the keys and find the car in the garage. The entire process is very easy and soon we are on the road.
Our first destination is Schiessentumpei Waterfall, which takes about twenty-five minutes to get there. We park down the road and proceed to hike 500 meters. It’s a simple trek with some stairs as we maneuver past several families hogging up the trail.
The falls are beautiful (although small) but it’s overran with people leaping from one rock to another trying to get their selfies in. On the way back to the car we decide to take the toad to avoid going up the long wooden stairwell we came down earlier.
Next stop is Beaufort Castle, about a thirteen minute drive away. Dating from the 11th century, this castle is mainly ruins now, but is quite interesting to roam through it (especially the torture room).
At the end of the tour, they provide us a free sample shot of their liqueur which they make onsite. It’s surprisingly good and very sweet but nothing I would want to buy and take home with me.
The last location is to Vianden Castle (another twenty-five minutes drive). This is one of the largest fortified castles west of the Rhine with origins dating back to the 10th century. After purchasing our tickets the rain begins to fall, so we check out the visitor center first hoping to wait it out.
After about ten minutes we brave the drizzle only to have the cold wind blowing profusely. What a day to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt as I left my jacket in the car. Fortunately, the tour of the castle is mostly inside as we go from room to room. Occasionally, we will hit a balcony overlooking the town, which is a great view.
As soon as we leave to head toward our car, the rain and wind stops as the sun comes back out through the clouds. This allows me to get one more distance shot of the castle before heading back to the airport to drop off our car.
The drive takes almost fifty minutes. We fill up the small amount of gas used, although I did have a time trying to figure out the pin on a credit card thing with the outside machine. Americans don’t have pins. I am able to fill up and pay inside after which works perfectly. We then drop off the rental and take the bus back into Luxembourg City where the rain picks up again during our ten minute walk to our AirBnb.
We rest for about thirty minutes, change in warmer clothes and grab the umbrella, before heading out to the town center for an early dinner. We didn’t realize that the path to the old town center went back up the steep incline we walked up yesterday, so now our legs are really hating us right now. Somehow, someway, we get to the top in one piece.
We order the Kniddelen (a traditional Luxembourg dish with flour dumplings and served with ham and cream sauce). We were hoping the dumplings would be stuffed but it’s good just the same. As we explore the town we notice a pop-up carnival full of parents and kids playing around as if the rain doesn’t bother them.
Around the corner we see the top of Notre-Dame cathedral and go in. There’s no charge as we check out the basement crypt (converted to a prayer room) and the cathedral itself. Finally, we head back for the night, but not before getting a few grocery items from the Monoprix store (which is similar to our Target).
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