GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG 253Rustic beauty of the riverside landscape at Esch-sur-Sûre
Vallée des
Sept Châteaux y20 km (12 miles) SE of
Rindschleiden. Road Map F4.
n Hôtel de Ville; 3250231.
http://www.septchateaux.luFrom Mersch, the River Eisch
can be followed westwards
for 37 km (23 miles), on the
CR 105, to Gaichel, on the
Belgian border. This stretch is
the Vallée des Sept Châteaux
(Valley of the Seven Castles).
A footpath, the Sentier des
Sept Châteaux, also follows
the valley. The restored
medieval castle at Mersch is
now the site of the town hall
and tourist office. The second
castle is at Schoenfels, on
CR 102, by the River Mamer.
This is a tall medieval keep
revamped in the 19th century.
Ansembourg has two castles.
The one above the village is
of 12th-century origin, and
has been home of the counts
Marchant d’Ansembourg since
the 17th century. The other,
in the valley, is a fine 17th-
century Renaissance château
with numerous cone-roofed
turrets. The medieval-looking
Château de Hollenfels dates
mainly from the 18th-century
and serves as a youth hos tel.
Septfontaines sits beneath the
impressive ruin of a 13th–15th
century castle, and Koerich,
lying south of the route, has
another imposing ruin of a
medieval castle, as well as a
fine Baroque church.Esch-sur-Sûre r
10 km (6 miles) S of Wiltz. Road
Map E4. @ n Rue de l’Eglise 14;
This village is famous above
all for its spectacular setting,
on an oxbow loop of the River
Sûre that virtually performs
a complete circle around it.
Concentric rings of streets and
slate-roofed houses cluster at
the foot of a jagged outcrop
of rock and the ruins of the
castle that line the ridge. The
castle dates back to AD 927
and remained in use until the
French Revolutionary Army
destroyed it in 1795. West
of Esch-sur-Sûre, the river is
dammed, creating a serpen-
tine lake that is popular for
water sports. There are many
marked footpaths for walkers.
section on leather-tanning.
Both trades are historically
associated with Wiltz. The
museum also has its own micro-
brewery and a traditional-style
bar and bistrot called Café
Jhang Primus. Wiltz is also
well known for its Open-air
Festival of Theatre and
Music (see p35).
E Musée National d’Art
Brassicole et de la Tannerie
Château de Wiltz. Tel 957444.
# Jul–Aug: 10am–6pm daily;
Jan–Jun and Sep–Dec: 9am–noon
and 2–5pm Mon–Fri, 10am–noon
Sat. & 9 0Rindschleiden t
8 km (5 miles) S of Esch-sur-Sûre.
Road Map E4. n 889358.
http://www.wahl.luThe village of Rindschleiden
is best known for a little white-
washed church built originally
as a chapel in Romanesque
style in the 10th century, and
later extended. During the
15th and 16th centuries,
170 sq metres (1,830 sq ft) of
the vaults and walls inside were
painted with delicate murals
depicting saints. The church
was dedicated in the 16th
century to Willibrord, saint of
Echternach (see p251). Close
by is a spring which the saint
is said to have divined with his
rod – this is the focus of an
annual Whitsunday pilgrimage.Fairytale flourishes on the
handsome castle of Schoenfels