Girl on a Trail: Luxembourg – Vianden

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Luxembourg is the only grand duchy in the world. Grand duchy is a state which head is a monarch who bears the title of a great prince, who rules independently. Despite a rather small area, of just over 2500 sq. meters, there are numerous beautiful castles.

Undoubtedly the most popular and the most beautiful is Vianden castle. It’s located in the north-eastern part of Luxembourg, close to the border with Germany.

To get there you can take a train to the village Ettelbruck and then switch to bus 570 towards Vianden/ Breck. Vianden is located just 55 km away from the capital of Luxembourg and it takes less than an hour to travel here. Trains run every half hour (driving schedule you can find here).

Luxembourg is definitely not a cheap country, food and accommodation costs are much higher than in other western European countries. However, I have to admit, that the low cost of travel tickets was a big surprise for me. Daily ticket for all public means of transport in Luxembourg costs ONLY 4 €.

The second option is to buy Luxembourg Card, which guarantees free access to more than 60 tourist attractions and rides in Luxembourg. The card can be purchased for 1, 2 OR 3 days and it costs accordingly 13, 20 and 28 € (more info you can find here).

The stop in Vianden cannot be overlooked, as the castle is clearly distinguished in the landscape of this small town. Located on a high hill and surrounded by fortifications and towers, it looks like from the Disney’s intro.

To get to there, you can use chairlift, but I do not recommend this option for those with fear of heights. One-way ride costs 3,9 € while return ticket 5,3 € (details here). The station is located above the castle, so you can imagine that the view of the castle from the observation terrace is literally breathtaking.

The second option is to climb the hill via lovely alley – Grand Rue, running along the city walls. To my mind, the best solution is to get to the top by the chairlift and walk back.

However, the castle is not the only one attraction in Vianden. The town has specific atmosphere. Cobbled streets, perfect maintained gardens, small cafes and colorful houses move to old times.

Vianden is an ideal place for a one-day trip from the capital of Luxembourg, especially given the low cost of journey. What’s more there’s another bonus of this trip – the amazing landscape of Ardennes and small, cosy towns along the way.