Day 1 – Friday
Arrival in Luxembourg-city
Lunch in a restaurant in the city center.
At the end of the meal, meeting with a local guide and departure for a guided tour of Luxembourg City.
First part: guided walking tour of the historic center (approx. 1 hour 30 minutes):
Luxembourg, the former “Gibraltar of the North”, is a city steeped in history, overflowing with artistic treasures and cultural venues just waiting to be admired, full of interesting sights and picturesque corners that beg to be explored. During this tour, participants will discover some
specific sights of the old town: Place d´Armes, Place de la Constitution, Plateau du Saint Esprit, the Corniche, the Old Town, the Grand Ducal Palace (from the outside), etc.
Pick-up by your bus and continuation of the city tour to discover the European district (approx. 1 hour)
The district of Kirchberg, initially accommodated the buildings of the institutions
European institutions located in Luxembourg: European Investment Bank,
Court of Justice of the European Community, Court of Auditors, Commission
European), etc. (no interior visits).
But today it has become a residential, cultural district (Philharmonie et Museum of Modern Art Grand-Duc Jean) but also business buildings with buildings often equipped with
extravagant architecture.
After the city tour, transfer to the hotel, check-in and installation in the rooms.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 – Saturday
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with a local guide at the hotel
Day trip: The Moselle, Echternach & Müllerthal:
For Luxembourgers, “d’Musel”, the Moselle, is much more than a drawing river, a 42 kilometer natural border between the Grand Duchy and Germany. It is a whole picturesque and vibrant region in the east of the country, stretching from Schengen to south to Wasserbillig in the north. Protected by winds, with a relatively mild climate and
steep sunny hillsides, the Moselle valley is primarily a region wine with a long tradition.
First stop in Schengen. It is the cradle of Europe without borders. It is in this small winegrower’s village on the banks of the Moselle that an important page in European history was written in 1985: signed on board the Princess ship Marie-Astrid, the so-called Schengen Agreements launch the process leading to the disappearance of borders, in most of Europe. It is to this historic event that Schengen owes its reputation now international. The village was chosen because of its position in the region of the three borders.
Self-guided tour of the European Museum. The building, designed by the architectural firm Hermann & Valentiny from Remerschen, was erected near the Schengen Palace. On 200m2 the visitor receives interactive information and documentation on the Schengen Agreements and the European Union.
Continuation of the journey along the Wine Route.
Visit of a cellar with tasting, for example at the Caves Saint Martin in Remich
Continuation to Echternach
Echternach is a small town of 5,200 inhabitants located at the entrance to the Mullerthal region (otherwise called the Little Luxembourgish Switzerland). The town was founded in 698 by Willibrord, a native Irish monk. The Abbey that houses the city was an important center of Christianization in the Middle Ages.
Lunch during the excursion.
After the lunch break, guided tour of the city (approx. 1.5 hours)
Return to Luxembourg-city via the Müllerthal
This region is called here the “Little Luxembourgish Switzerland. This is one more
important tourist area of the Grand Duchy located on a vast plateau, overlooking the
both the Ernz Noire, the Sûre and the Aesbach valleys. Network of good walks
maintained and marked (65 km) through chasms, gorges, caves, rocks towards
points of view.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3 – Sunday
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with a local guide at the hotel.
Day trip: Esch-sur-Sûre (Eisch Valley) & Clervaux
Departure for Haute Sûre via the Ansembourg châteaux (subject to reservation; the gardens maybe visited except on days when the site is rented) & Hollenfels (now a Youth Hostel, only
outside visit) which are located in the Valley of the 7 Castles (most castles cannot
be visited).
Esch-sur-Sûre (member of the Haute-Sûre Natural Park) is a small
village set in the mountains and surrounded by the Sûre. Site among the most remarkable of the country. The locality is dominated by the mass of its ruined mansion (927) and the
cliffs falling steeply into the river.
Continuation in the Luxembourg Ardennes at Clervaux.
Lunch during the excursion
At the heart of the Ardennes, the village of Clervaux is surmounted by a 15th century castle, a Romanesque church and a large monastery of the Benedictines of Saint-Maurice and Saint-Maur. The castle stands splendid on a rocky outcrop surrounded in a horseshoe by the dwellings of the village. The picturesque character and natural location of the town in the valley of the River Clerve have made it a very busy place of attraction.
The old castle, superbly restored after its destruction during the 2nd World War is today a venerable witness to a prestigious past housing interesting exhibitions including the remarkable collection of artistic documentary photos “The Family of Man” by Edward Steichen.
Guided tour of Clervaux & the ‘Family of Man’ exhibition
Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 4 – Monday
Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out and departure.
End of stay.
Minimum 15 pax
Program subject to modifications