Luxembourg E2: Some comments

Although Luxembourg looks like a small country the route of the E2 makes it seem longer. Running close to the German border for the length of the country, it takes a circuitous route at times, visiting two types of scenery. 

For most of the way it is through woodland, mainly of beech, often following river valleys in particular of the Our and Sauer. This section includes a day among the cliffs and huge blocks of rock of Little Switzerland (Petite Suisse).

For the last two days of the E2's journey south the route passes through extensive vineyards beside the Moselle River.

In both parts the trail moves up and down the slopes of the valleys. Steep climbs and descents must be expected. To help the weary lots of benches are provided often with waste paper bins and sometimes picnic tables and shelters. 

Waymarking of yellow circles in the north and yellow rectangles in the south (both on a blue background) is very good. Although someone has scrawled GR5 on a few signs the E2 actually follows four National Trails - Sentier de l’ Our, Sentier Maurice Cosyn, Sentier de la Basse Sûre and Sentier de la Moselle. Nevertheless it is easy to miss a crucial junction, and sometimes the waymarks are ambiguous or missing, consequently a GPS is needed with a suitable digital map and the track of the E2 loaded onto it, or else suitable paper maps.

There are a few larger towns on the route such as Echternach, but on many days facilities like shops are limited, nor were there as many cafes as I hoped. Stains left by old lettering and the remains of signs showed some bars and cafes had closed, whether due to Covid or the general decline in village facilities seen in Britain as well as Europe. Hotels and bed & breakfasts proved difficult to find with any vacancies and in consequence most nights I stayed at campsites. These all had restaurants attached or nearby although in one case the restaurants were closed. One night a full campsite and a lack of other accommodation forced me to wild camp. The remaining two nights were spent at Youth Hostels which provided clean and affordable accommodation with the opportunity to meet others.

In addition to beautiful countryside there are also historical sights such as Beaufort and Vianden Castles, plus the more recent history of the Second World War and the Schengen Treaty.

Its unlikely that I will ever master Luxembourgish however for most of the route German was widely spoken. Little surprise as Germany was often just on the other side of the valley. English was also commonly understood but if that failed French is one of the official languages of the country. Greetings on the trail varied, frequently a "Hallo", but it took me a while to realise that they were often saying "Moien", Luxembourgish for "morning".

The yellow circles indicate the route and there are frequent waymarks for the E2. For part of the way the E3 follows the same route as the E2. The E3 takes the walker to Santiago de Compostela and that is also the purpose of the scallop shell symbol.

Link to start of blog is here.

Remich to Sierck-les-Bains: Day 132

Today I left Luxembourg at Schengen, and after a brief visit to Germany, I am now in France.

Sometime in the night I was aware of thunder, lightening and rain, but it scarcely disturbed my sleep. Fortunately, despite a pessimistic forecast, there have only been a few raindrops since I packed away my rather wet tent this morning.

As I crossed the bridge over the Moselle from my campsite on the German side back to Luxembourg I noticed that the Café de Pont was open, allowing me the pleasure of a morning coffee. As I drank it I watched the CNN news on the bar's television. For some reason it was CNN Portugal with pictures of flooding. I am not sure what the people in the bar were speaking, not French or German two of the main languages used in Luxembourg, the third official language is Luxembourgish however there is a large Portuguese community according to my internet research. 

Leaving the bar I noticed a patisserie so I was able to buy something for breakfast and a salami sandwich for later on. Before tackling my croissants I climbed the first hill out of town to a handy picnic area at a high point. People were already out picking grapes, mostly by hand, putting the grapes in large grey containers which were being brought empty and removed full of grapes on trailers pulled by tractors, some of them looking quite old. The pickers were men and women of all ages, sensibly dressed for the outdoors complete with wellington boots. I only saw one case of machine picking. A tractor had a winch whose wire stretched down the slope between the rows of vines. The angle of the slope was such that I could not see what was at the end of the wire but I assumed a device picking grapes. Maybe the steepness of the valley sides made hand picking a more viable option. They certainly meant I put a lot of effort into climbing up roads. Today the route seemed have been planned so that I climbed the hillside out of some village, walked along the valley side on one of the many small, parallel roads through the vineyards, then descended down a long flight of steps starting at a shrine with the Luxembourg flag and ending at the next village.

Leaving Remich.

Grape pickers starting work.

First crate of grapes.

St Donat patron saint of wine producers.

Long flight of steps. 

By taking a circuitous route the GR5 kept me in Luxembourg a little longer than maybe necessary. Schengen is the final village which the GR5 enters from the south rather than a more obvious (and shorter) route from the north or west. Schengen is famous for the treaty signed here in 1985 to allow free movement between the signatory countries. The Schengen area now includes most European countries and is a great boon to travellers such as myself, as well as doing away with a lot of bureaucracy, which can only be good. Beside the riverside in the village of Schengen, flags were flying of all the countries who have joined the treaty (actually they were drooping due to lack of wind). Great Britain was noticeably absent, the English Channel separating Britain and Europe leads to a different approach. There was a European Museum dedicated to the history of the treaty but somehow it did not sound that interesting a subject for a museum and anyhow, I had a campsite to find.

Schengen was chosen as a place to sign the treaty as it is one of those points where three countries meet. I crossed the bridge from Luxembourg into Germany and at some point soon after I walked into France, and more particularly the Lorraine area of France. Waymarks returned to the white and red stripes of the GR5. The stretch from Schengen to Sierck-les-Bains was not that inspiring, running beside a railway line, the river hidden from sight. However Sierck-les-Bains is an interesting place. Castle walls brood over the riverside town. Narrow backstreets, canyons between four storey terraces, and shutters of peeling paint give the place a shady, run down appearance despite the boxes of flowers in the square. Being Monday the only choices for dining out were kebabs or pizza. Choosing pizza I found it surprisingly good, cooked in a wood fired oven it retained the smokiness of the wood, as well as the traditional flat base.

View of Sierck-les-Bains castle from my campsite.

Grevenmacher to Remich: Day 131

A day of walking through vineyards on the slopes of the Moselle River.

Despite the many knobbly bits underneath my tent groundsheet which forced me to lie in a particular position, I enjoyed a good night's sleep. On the occasions that I briefly woke I could hear rain hitting the flysheet of my tent, however by 6:30 am the only falling drops of water were drips from the trees overhead. Mist engulfed me as I packed up, somewhat disgusted by the orange slugs that were climbing up my tent. I carefully picked my way back to the trail, through trees both standing and cut down for some reason, trying to avoid low branches, tall plants and saplings which could make me very wet.

To begin with my route was high up on the valley side but at first there was limited visibility through the mist filling the valley below. The trail was mainly along single track roads, empty of traffic, through the vineyards that lined the valley slopes. One of the most noticeable features today were the extent of the vineyards, covering slopes on both sides of the river with lines of vines. Occasionally small signs would say who the vines belonged to, the grapes used or which wine they would produce. Periodically the route dropped down into a settlement. I kept hoping one of these would have a café or bar that would serve me coffee but I instead there were "caves" and wineries. Looked like they were setting up for something, maybe for the grape harvest which starts about now, or for tasting last year's wine, or both. There were crates around for collecting grapes which  looked ripe for picking to me or maybe even spoiling. Either way I had to wait for my coffee until I reached Ehnen where I manage to get a coffee at the Swan hotel and a free pain au chocolat left over from breakfast. 

Grapes ready for picking.

One of the extensive vineyards.

Vineyards both sides of the valley. 

Vineyards around the river and also a lock and weir on the Moselle. 

I saw a kestrel today hovering above the vineyards, and a heron which flew up to a tree. Yesterday I also saw herons, at least I thought that is what they were, there were two of them in a field, not their typical habitat. I have also seen a bird of prey making circles high in the sky and a few days ago two deer crossed my path. So although it is not a country full of wildlife there is some.

Reaching Remich, my destination for the night, I indulged in a McDonald's for lunch. Normally I would prefer to eat the food of the area, but it was difficult to find. My campsite on the German side of the river was fortunately not full! 

Rosport to Grevenmacher: Day 130

A long day with woodland walks and a promenade by the Moselle River. Unfortunately no room at the campsite on my arrival. 

I decided on a long day today to avoid two short ones, so I started early and made good progress up the first hill. There were rock outcrops in the woods, steps and bright green leaves on the trees as the morning sun shone through them. As usual the path climbed up and down the valley sides. I was now following yellow squares, which in places disagreed with my GPS track, which did not always seem to agree with my book. In one place I took a longer route missing an instruction in the guidebook about being very careful with the navigation. In another, my GPS took me a little shorter route. My legs felt that the author of the route spent too much effort taking the path up and down hills for a bit of extra woodland, attractive though it was.

Another beautiful woodland walk.

One impressive sight today was a road viaduct. Although many will dislike its intrusion into the valley, I thought the slender columns supporting the roadway had a certain beauty in the morning sun. I passed an apple orchard but more numerous were the vineyards that had started to cover the valley sides. Two huge tractors passed me pulling large trailers, in one the driver had a young boy sitting beside him, his grandson maybe, coming along for a Saturday treat. They were followed by a large vehicle, maybe designed to harvest something. Being Saturday there were a few picnickers about, enjoying lunch on one of the many wooden benches and tables by the path.

Motorway viaduct.

Around the town of Wasserbillig the E2 followed a cycle path. Lots of people were out for a Saturday ride. I liked the bikes with little trailers containing a dog or a young child. Wasserbillig lies on the confluence of the Sauer River and the larger Moselle, the latter being famous for the wine produced from grapes grown on its valley sides. To my eye the grapes, both red and white, looked ready to harvest but I did not see any picking in progress. The town also had an inland port for large river barges coming up the Moselle from the Rhine, it amused me as I had not thought Luxembourg, as a landlocked country, would have any docks. The railway line on the German side of the river was busy with passenger and freight trains.

Inland port.

Judging by the number of posters there will be an election in Luxembourg shortly. Smiling faces of candidates looked down on me. Each had a number for its "list", I assume this is because selection is by proportional representation. I was intrigued by list seven for a party called Piraten, which really does refer to the Pirate Party!

The last part of my day was tiring as I wanted to get to the campsite before 5 pm when the reception often closes. Sadly on reaching the site in the town of Grevenmacher a sign said "Complet" i.e. full. In the UK they would still squeeze in a few backpacker tents like mine, as they are very small and have no associated car, but the lady said "no". I was surprised as it is now the "low" season, and other campsites had plenty of space. So I phoned a Pension on the German side of the river but after I struggled with my German (they spoke no English) they said they had no free room. After checking online and failing to find any other options I decided to wild camp. First I filled up with water at the campsite and bought a meal at a Doner kebab place in the town. Grevenmacher had an attractive pedestrian area, a few squares and rows of terraced houses painted in different pastel colours. All very pleasant. 

A street in Grevenmacher.

Climbing out of town by a chapel, following the stations of the cross, and into vineyards I passed some viewpoints with benches and shelters from which I could see down to the river and across the trees, vineyards and villages in the surrounding valley. Then I reached the woodland I had been aiming for. I had hoped I would be alone, not knowing how illegal wild camping was in Luxembourg, but there were a few dog walkers about. Unfortunately the woods had impenetrable undergrowth but I eventually escaped the dog walkers and found soon more mature woodland with a few open spaces. The ground is rather uneven but the choice is limited. There also seems rather more traffic on the nearby roads than I was expecting. On the question of hunters thinking I was a deer in the twilight and shooting me, I was reassured on finding that the hunting season in Luxembourg did not start for another month.

Beaufort to Rosport: Day 129

A day climbing up and down, along gorges, beside sandstone cliffs and among large blocks of rock.

Last night, trying to go to sleep, I felt very hot in the triple glazed very modern Youth Hostel. Opening of windows was only possible to a very limited extent. So I was surprised after eventually falling asleep that I slept through to 7:00 am.

After breakfast and a chat with my companion in the dormitory (an American backpacking around Europe) I walked into town, admired the "infinity" pond reflecting the streets buildings and then continued into an area of sandstone outcrops. Initially I walked down a wooded gorge with rock rising each side. The rock formation was a sandstone where the grains of sand were cemented together by calcite (a type of calcium carbonate) it weathered in places to give a characteristic "honeycomb" appearance, elsewhere it was nicely layered reflecting how it was originally deposited. Massive lumps hung above benches on which I would be reluctant to sit for fear that a few tons of sandstone would suddenly fall on me. Wooden and rough stone steps were provided to help you over steeper sections. Climbing up the side of the valley from the low gorge, the path led me to a line of cliffs. On the taller cliff faces, rock climbers were making slow progress up the massive expanses of rock. The sandstone was split into large blocks by wide cracks, some wide enough to walk up, formed when a huge block of rock had tilted or slipped down the valley slope a little. Paths through these gaps had names, one was called the Labyrinth, although I had no difficulty finding my way through its two bends. In one instance the path took me to the top of the cliffs but the view, a thin strip of wooded hills beyond the trees immediately in front of me, was disappointing. There were also some caves, albeit manmade, where round millstones had been cut out of the rock long ago, you could see the circular gaps they left. All was surrounded by trees, mainly beech, their leaves made luminous by the sunlight shining through them.

Sandstone Cliffs in the woods.

A gap in the rocks to walk through. 

After about 11 am there were many people about: people with dogs, couples with babies strapped to their chests, elderly groups, younger backpackers walking with even bigger rucksacks than me, single men and women out for a day's walk. Repeatedly rising up and down, the path was tiring to walk. I hoped for a rest and coffee at the village of Berdorf, but the only place of refreshment was a busy restaurant with a sign saying "Please wait to be served". The menu had things like Nordic burgers. Not the kind of place for coffee and cake. Opposite was a café that had clearly been closed for some time, maybe one of many that ceased operating as a result of Covid. If open it would have done a good trade today.

Approach to Echternach. 

By the time I had reached the town of Echternach I was ready for a light lunch. A pedestrian street had many restaurants each side, many advertising Italian cuisine (pizza, spaghetti) but with Turkish and Chinese as well. I settled for a goats cheese salad with a bottle of Radler (a non alcoholic beer with lemon or lemonade), less cloyingly sweet than a soft drink. Echternach also had a Basilica I visited. Modern but built to a traditional design, it replaced a structure largely destroyed during the Battle of the Bulge. Germany is at the edge of the town, on the other side of the Sûre (or Sauer) River.

Tonight I am camped at Rosport on a campsite on the banks of that river, contemplating options for tomorrow. 

Bleesbréck to Beaufort: Day 128

Another short day, with magical, morning rays of sunlight through the trees, and a tour of Beaufort Castle.

A wet, misty morning seemed to have brought a collection of slugs to the environs of my tent. I carefully stepped around them to pick up some croissants from the nearby petrol station shop. Their coffee machine was unfortunately not working for me and on asking I could not understand what the shop assistant was telling me, so I settled for a bottle of what I thought was orange juice but was mango and pineapple. However my hopes were rewarded on finding an open bar at the first village I walked through. 

One small coffee later I was climbing up the hillside into beech woods. A mist hung in the air which highlighted beams of white light from the low sun, created by the shadows of the many trees. The manner in which they radiated created a beautiful picture, constantly changing as I moved through the woodland.

Morning light through trees.

Unlike most countries, the trails in Luxembourg are waymarked by simple geometric shapes; a green triangle, a blue diamond, or a more complex collection of shapes. Yellow circles were the symbols I was following, at least normally, although at one point my guidebook and GPS track diverted me onto a pretty path in the woods.

Walking across the countryside towards a stationary wind turbine. 

Leaving the beauty of the woods behind I followed single track roads over green farmland. Now the mist had dispersed the sun beat down on my hat but I did not have far to go today. Another woodland followed which included a curious arrangement of metal channels with an Archimedes screw to lift water from a brook, that could then be released to turn wheels. Unfortunately one of the "gates" was missing so sufficient water could not be collected to turn the other devices. Soon after this device I was at Beaufort.

At the edge of this village there are two castles; a medieval castle ruin dating from the 11th century with subsequent additions. Then, no doubt in need of something more modern, a Baron von Beck built a Renaissance castle in the 17th century behind the older one. This later castle was occupied until 2012 by its last owner, who died aged 98 having lived there alone for her last 20 years. Her hobby was her rose garden which had neat box hedges. Sadly these have been badly affected by box blight, despite the treatments with "disinfectant" that the guide told me they had received. The castle and its contents were gifted to the state by its owner on her death. She seemed to have changed little since her marriage so furniture and decor are from the 1930's and earlier. 

Beaufort Medieval Castle.

I am now at Beaufort Youth Hostel. Unlike the hostel at Vianden this is a modern building at the edge of town, so not quite the same atmosphere....also no school children. 

Vianden to Bleesbréck: Day 127

A short day to rest my knee.

I could have combined two of the stages in my guidebook today, but decided to give my knee a rest so planned a short walk today and tomorrow. As I arrived at Bleesbréck, my destination for the day at one pm, with no-one at the campsite reception I did wonder if it had been a good idea, but my Youth Hostel for tomorrow was already booked so I was committed. Probably a good thing as I will be walking for the next month and need my knee to do so.

Lacking anyone at the campsite I rang their telephone number. As the lady answering spoke no English I struggled on in French. Languages were never my strong point but I gather she said pitch your tent where you like, and she would be there in 40 minutes. After pitching, it transpired I was in the way of a man with a big mower (and an even bigger machine for hoovering up the grass clippings). He let me stay though.

Last night there was thunder and subsequently rain, and showers were forecast today. So far, although the sky is overcast it has stayed dry, and was a little cooler than recently which made for more pleasant walking. There were also fewer steep slopes as I walked across farmland and through woods, climbing (gently) away from the Ours River. Only 14 kilometres to reach my destination today but I added another two by missing a turning. Sites included an old railway station, a roadside shrine (one of many I have passed) and an elaborate shelter to sit under a roof. Dull weather rather spoilt the impact of the pleasant views over the countryside. Although at the end of the Second World War it would have looked more threatening with fighting between German and American troops as part of the Battle of the Bulge.

Obereisenbach to Vianden: Day 126

A strenuous, sweaty day in which I had almost reached my destination before I found an open café (which did however have gorgeous apple pie and a great view).

Last night, with every café and restaurant within 13 kilometres closed, I ate most of the remaining food in my rucksack, a strange combination of tortilla, salami snacks, dry roasted peanuts and a packet of fruit and nuts. Breakfast was a repeat of the same except for the tortilla, as the packet said they should be refrigerated and eaten within two days of opening. I managed the two days... 

As is becoming a habit, today began with a very steep climb, from my campsite close to the river, right to the top of the valley and onto the farmed plateau beyond, an area of cow pasture and hay fields. The trail then descended down to the river again. It rose up the valley side and dropped down to the base of the river a number of times today. With the temperature in the mid twenties sweat was soon trickling down my face and neck. Repeated wiping of my brow with my handkerchief was required to avoid a mixture of sweat and sun tan lotion getting into my eyes causing them to sting. My tee shirt was wet with sweat and my trousers sticky, resisting the bending of my knees. While trees provided some shade, under them a cloud of tiny insects swarmed around my head. As my knees were not too happy, I made an effort to use my trekking poles, pushing them backwards on the uphills, using the strength of my arms to drive me upward. On the steep downward paths I put the poles in front of me, pushing down to take some of the weight off my knees.

Climbing up the valley sides did have two advantages. A good cardio workout, my watch telling me my heart beat was 122 as I struggled up the slopes (though with the amount of effort I was putting in I might have expected higher). There were also some views across the wooded valley of the Our and the green fields above. A haze prevented any really good photos of it.

View from plateau of Our valley, haze whitening the distant trees..

Our River.

Wooded slopes of the Our valley.

In the latter part of my journey I passed a reservoir which unusually I had to climb up to. Perched high above the valley floor it was a pumped storage scheme. Despite my tiredness I climbed the observation power to have a look at the water with the concrete banks. After the reservoir the path dropped down to river level before (inevitably) rising up to a small chapel on the hillside. 

I had been disappointed that the two cafes that I had passed were closed as I was missing my coffee today (caffeine addiction). However shortly before arriving at Vianden I walked under a chair lift. I immediately thought it must go to a café, and so it proved. Indeed it was a café with a view. Below was Vianden bisected by the Our River, above it was the Castle, a grand affair with towers with pointed roofs. 

View of Vianden.

Vianden Castle.

One coffee and apple pie later (full of apples with a bit of lemon somewhere in it) I was making my final descent to the Youth Hostel. Once booked in l returned to the castle to have a look around. The original fort was Roman and was rebuilt several times since then. One room had a display of landscape photos of Luxembourg. I was envious of the photographer's skill although in addition to playing with exposure he or she had obviously got up early some mornings to catch the light. It also helps making the photos really large.

After walking down the cobbled streets of Vianden to the river I had diner at the Youth Hostel. A real experience as there was a group from an International school. The kids were really excited, chatting away to each other, however the teachers had them under control giving real clear (and helpful to me) directions on where to put your dirty cutlery etc.. The teachers kindly shared a bottle of red with me. One of the them had an E-type Jaguar and he approved of my wife's choice of classic car, an MX5. Funny how you forget the tiredness of the day with wine, food and good company.

Ouren to Obereisenbach: Day 125

A longer, more strenuous day than I expected climbing up and down the steep, wooded side of the Our River valley.

Today and tomorrow I am following the valley of the Our River. With steep, wooded sides the valley wanders this way and that. Probably an incised meander created when the land rose, or the sea level fell, allowing the serpentine river to cut down into the landscape. At the base of the valley the modern Our has created flat meadows of grass within its bends, one of which houses my campsite for the night.

I delayed my start this morning to wait for the bread delivery so that I could enjoy two croissants for breakfast, no coffee as the on-site brasserie is closed on Mondays and there are no facilities in the village.

First stop today was at the point where Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg meet. There was a large grey stone there commemorating signing the Treaty of Rome, which was the start of what is now the European Union. An information board beside it was a little out of date, still showing Britain as a member. A little beyond a strange, rectangular, rusted metal structure of crossing wires that you could climb inside was part of some art project. 

Once in Luxembourg the red and white waymarks disappeared, replaced, I guessed, by yellow circles and an occasional E2 sign. Towards the end of the day the E3 joined the E2, coming in from the west where it starts (or more likely ends) in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Frequent scallop waymarks also indicated I was on the Way of St James also known as the Camino de Santiago. 

By quiet roads, forest tracks and paths, the E2 climbs up and down the valley sides taxing the muscles as you are led through deciduous and coniferous woodland. Rock outcrops form one side of the trail in many places. Sometimes the slope is so steep the trail is cut into the rock. Sadly the trees get in the way of good views. At the top of my final, exhausting climb of the day railings had been constructed around what was once a place to view the valley, but since then the trees have grown hiding whatever beauty lay beyond. In one area trees had fallen across the path making the going particularly difficult. 

I had been hoping for a coffee at Dasbourg-Pont, but today is Monday and the café is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This was also true of the café at my campsite tonight and seems a general trend now we are no longer in the "High Season" for tourists. There was a shop by the Petrol Station at Dasbourg-Pont so I bought a Coke and ice cream there. Fearing (correctly) the restaurant at my campsite would be closed tonight I would have bought some food but most of the shop seemed to be devoted to selling coffee and sparkling wine. The Our River is the border between Luxembourg and Germany, so one assumes Germans cross the bridge at Dasbourg-Pont to stock up on items which are cheaper in Luxembourg. There are many benches on the paths in Luxembourg but by the Petrol Station there were none, so I sat on the ground in the car park to enjoy my purchases feeling slightly pissed off. Two kilometres of walking beside a busy road followed before the trail again headed off up into the woods again.

I was tired on reaching my campsite and annoyed that the distance today was greater than given in the guidebook. However I then realised that the guidebook had ended the stage at an earlier campsite a few kilometres up the road. As tomorrow's stage is described as especially challenging it is perhaps just as well that I completed extra distance today.

Rare view down the valley.

Path along valley side.

Our River.