Nat'Our Route 5 - Vianden-Falkenstein

The Our valley is always a guarantee for a varied hike in the NaturWanderPark delux. It has the best stuff as a backdrop and stage for a Grimm's fairy tale, this adventurous low mountain landscape between two knight's castles. And indeed, the Count of Vianden and Kuno von Falkenstein once courted the favor of the noble Ida von Neuerburg, thus founding the legend of the Schwarzbildchen. This route not only connects the castles of those knights via spectacular rocky passages, paths through dark fir, across flowery meadows and along golden yellow broom, but also draws a bow to the present day, as you walk along the reservoir of one of the largest pumped storage power plants in Europe.

Like all other Nat'Our routes, this one is also cross-border, about half of it runs on Luxembourg and half on German territory. If you are attentive, you will discover mossy boundary stones at the Lätgesberg, marked by ancient oaks.

Enchanting Sleeping Beauty romance with castle view

The Nat'Our-Route 5 starts in medieval Vianden, a little south of the worth seeing St. Rochus church, which is clearly overlooked by the dam wall. You turn uphill towards the rebuilt castle of Vianden, one of the most important and powerful castles in Europe. The castle is worth a visit of several hours. Now you leave it on the left, quickly gain altitude via serpentines and reach the mountain station of the Vianden chairlift. From here, the route is a bit more leisurely through sparse mixed forest to the Bildchenkapelle, from where you have a magnificent view over the dammed Our and its valley. Downhill you circle the Turbine 10, which rises out of the mountain, and reach the "Ourdall-Promenade", which you follow to the blue bridge behind Bivels. After the bridge you are now on German soil. Uphill a forest path leads to the rocky spur on which the ruin Falkenstein is enthroned. The castle cannot be entered, but a small pavilion in front of the defiant entrance portal offers enchanting Sleeping Beauty romance with a view of the castle.

The further route leads through the slope forest over partly rocky, alpine-like passages to pastures below the village of Bauler, then later downhill again over the border path of the Lätgesberg with magnificent views. Surefootedness is required along craggy slate rocks and spectacular sections; a metal railing provides safety in difficult places. Back at the reservoir, turn south, cross the dam wall and you're back at the starting point of this fascinating circular hike.