Vianden in the morning, Echternach in the afternoon! Sometimes I travel really fast, and on this 3-day trip…
Times visited: 1
Cities visited: Luxembourg City
Villages visited: Vianden and Echternach
UNESCO sites visited: 1/1
Luxembourg is a beautiful hidden gem nestled between Germany, Belgium, and France at the heart of Europe. It’s often overlooked by tourists due to its tiny size, but I’d always been curious about it. So when I had a few days off from my summer job in 2017, I decided it was the perfect time to go.
I only spent two days in the country, but I managed to see quite a lot. My first day was dedicated to exploring Luxembourg City, which quickly revealed itself as one of Europe’s most stunning and underrated capitals – full of dramatic cliffs, historic fortifications, and sweeping views.
On my second and final day in Luxembourg, I set out to explore some of the country’s smaller villages. First up was Vianden, a postcard-perfect village nestled in the Ardennes mountains. As the bus approached, my jaw dropped. A majestic medieval castle towered over the village from a hilltop, straight out of a fairytale. I hiked up to the castle, wandered around, and then took the chairlift back down, soaking in the spectacular panoramic views.
Later in the afternoon, I visited Echternach, the oldest town in the country. With its colourful buildings and riverside charm along the Sauer, it was easy to love – but I’ll admit, my heart was still in Vianden. In the evening, I returned to Luxembourg City for my flight. But since I had an early morning departure and didn’t want to splurge on a hostel, I pulled a classic budget travel hack. The airport closed from midnight to 4 AM, so I snuck into a bathroom and slept on the floor (don’t worry – it was clean!) 😂