View from Castle Ruin at Esch-sur-Sure

It’s true that Luxembourg is really too small for you to get deep into the countryside, but just the same, I think it’s often an overlooked spot. Lots of travelers visit Luxembourg just to add another country to their list and initially, I admit my goals were pretty much the same and I hadn’t imagined doing more than spending a night in Luxembourg City itself.

But then I was attracted by a pretty brochure about the north of Luxembourg and ended up spending a day exploring the north – the Luxembourg Ardennes. It’s incredibly photogenic all over but my favourite spot was the village of Esch-sur-Sûre in the north-east.

Esch-sur-Sûre has a ruined castle looking down over the village set along the Sûre River. My big tip: take a picnic lunch and climb around on the castle ruins until you’ve got the perfect view for a relaxing mealtime. Rambling around the rest of the village will be your afternoon exercise before you find somewhere for a nice piece of cake. Apparently it’s a bit of a tourist hotspot during high summer but I was there in spring and it was quiet, peaceful and truly idyllic.