For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp274–5 and pp300–301GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG 251Echternach 8
35 km (22 miles) NE of Luxembourg
City. Road Map F4. * 5,000. @
n Parvis de la Basilique 9–10;
- _ International Classical
Music Festival (May–Jun and Sep).
http://www.echternach.lu
Capital of Luxembourg’s Little
Switzerland, Echternach is also
the country’s oldest town. An
abbey was founded here in
AD 698 by St Willibrord, a
Yorkshire missionary monk
who was said to cure chorea
(or St Vitus’s Dance), a disease
of the nervous system. This is
believed to be the reason for
the curious motion of the par-
ticipants in Echternach’s dance
parade, the Sprangprëzessioun
(see p35). The town is domin-
ated by the massive abbey,
which dates mainly from its
makeover in austere Classical
style in 1727–31. Until its
closure in 1794 by the French
Revolutionary Army, it was a
Benedictine monastery of great
influence, noted for its illumin-
ated manuscripts produced
during the Middle Ages. These
can be seen at the Musée de
l’Abbaye, laid out in the cellars
of the old Abbot’s Palace. The
crypt of the accompanying
Basilique St-Willibrord
contains the sarcophagus of the
saint, as well as 11th-century
frescoes. The town’s centre-
piece, the Place du Marché,
is an ensemble of traditional
buildings, some old, some
reconstructed, including the
Gothic 15th-century law
courts, the Dënzelt.
E Musée de l’Abbaye
Parvis de la Basilique 11.
Tel 727472. # daily. ¢ Nov–Feb.
& http://www.willibrord.luVianden 0
22 km (14 miles) NW of Echternach.
Road Map F4. * 1,500. @
n Rue du Vieux Marché 1A;
834257-1. http://www.vianden.luThe delightful little town of
Vianden, on the River Our, is
famous for the large medieval
Château de Vianden that is
perched over the town on a
rocky outcrop. This château
was the seat of the counts of
Vianden and the Orange-
Nassau family, until it was
given to the state by Grand
Duke Jean in 1977. The build-
ing dates mainly from the
12th and 13th centuries and is
interesting for its Romanesque
and Gothic structures.
Vianden also has a charming
Musée d’Art Rustique, with
rustic furniture, domestic arti-
facts, clothing and dolls. The
Gothic abbey church, Église
des Trinitaires, dating mainly
from 1250, has a double nave
with Baroque flourishes and a
tranquil cloister. Also of interest
is Maison de Victor Hugo,
which recalls the author’s stay
here in 1871. Luxembourg’s
only télésiège (chairlift) rises
220 m (720 ft) from Rue du
Sanitorium and offers views
over the town and castle.+ Château de Vianden
# daily. & http://www.castle-
vianden.lu
E Musée d’Art Rustique
96-98 Grande-rue. Tel 834591.
# Easter–Oct: 11am–5pm
Tue–Sun. &The Château de Vianden towering over the eponymous riverside townEchternach’s Place du Marché, with
cobbled streets and old buildingsDiekirch^9
21 km (13 miles) NW of Echternach.
Road Map F4. * 6,000. £ @
n Place de la Libération 3; 803023.
http://www.diekirch.lu
Located on the River Sûre,
Diekirch is an attractive base
from which to explore the
surrounding area. The town
was badly damaged during
the Ardennes Offensive
(see p231), a subject that is
covered by the National
Museum of Military History,
through photographs and
film, various artifacts and life-
size dioramas. The museum
also covers the history of
Luxembourg’s army. The
Conservatoire National de
Véhicules Historiques, a veter-
an car museum, displays
changing exhibits mounted by
collectors and includes bikes,
fire engines – even children’s
cars. It shares premises with
the Museum of the Diekirch
Brewery; Diekirch is a famous
brand of beer. Also of note is
Église St-Laurent, a Gothic
and Romanesque church built
over the site of a Roman villa
and containing Roman and
early medieval sarcophagi.E National Museum of
Military History
Bamertal 10. Tel 808908. # daily.
& http://www.nat-military-museum.lu
E Conservatoire National de
Véhicules Historiques
Rue de Stavelot 20-22. Tel 2680
10am–6pm Tue–Sun. &