Hikes in Éislek, the north of Luxembourg

The Nat’our Route 1 starts in the real heart of Europe. A large stone block stands in the Europe memorial park for each of the six founding nations of the United Europe. The Our valley becomes narrower, steeper and more pristine as it travels southwards. The river has embedded itself deep into the Rhenisch Slate Mountains. The Our used to be home to thousands of river pearl mussels. To help their numbers recover, a breeding station for these rare river inhabitants has been established in the Kalborner Mühle mill. After a short, steep climb to the Königslei, there are fabulous views over the treetops. The stream happily winds its way along its course. Dragonflies shimmer in the sun and stream trout glitter in the pure, clear water. The Our is flanked by its alluvial forest areas. They count among the richest habitats in Europe for plant and animal life! Here, kingfishers and herons hunt for fish. You might even catch a glimpse of a black stork.

The Our Valley can always be counted on for a varied hiking experience. It meanders through a grandiose, ancient landscape of tall hills and low mountains. The Our has shown itself to be a master in the art of landscaping. The rocky trail along the Lätges Mountain at the German-Luxembourgish border provides almost Alp-like vistas. And after all the ups and downs, the Our Valley artificial lake – the lower reservoir of the Vianden pumped-storage hydroelectric plant – with its shore promenade and the roads along the Our in Bivels are a welcome opportunity to take a restful stroll. The ruins of Falkenstein Castle hold court on a rocky promontory high above the Our bend. And just a few steps downriver is the medieval town of Vianden with its restored castle – one of Europe’s largest and most beautiful.

Besides magnificent nature, this tour offers plenty of manmade artefacts. Until the 1950s, the Our, only a small stream at that point, looped around the village of Bivels, which used to look very different. The Saint Nicolas Mountain still had a top, and there were no artificial lakes. The present-day landscape is testimony to one of Luxembourg’s most ambitious construction projects of the mid-20th century. Almost invisibly, the site now harbours one of Europe’s largest pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants. Far below our route, huge amounts of water surge between the lower reservoir on the Our and the upper reservoir on Saint Nicolas Mountain. Many old mining stories are told by the copper mine in Stolzemburg. Even older is the history of Falkenstein Castle, of which the residential house and some ruins still stand today (in private ownership). Besides technical wonders, this tours offers some of the loveliest postcard motives far and wide.

Hiking this route is like travelling back in time. In the last century, a considerable number of mills still rattled along the Our. Weirs were built in many places to channel water to them and create pools for the use of residents. Recently, however, a cross-border project removed the weirs and built fish ladders. Now the trout can once again swim upstream to their spawning grounds. In addition to making flour from grain, the mills ground up oak bark, which contains tannins used in the leather industry. The bark was obtained from coppiced oak forests. This was a welcome source of income for the local population, which used to be very poor. The ruins of the old Dasburg fortress proudly preside over the valley and the town of the same name. An old tannery still stands there, making a side trip to this picturesque site well worth your while.

When entering the atmospheric Kammerwald, keep in mind that you are retracing the steps of smugglers of old. The paths still impart a sense of adventure. It’s impossible to resist the mysterious aura of this forest, which belonged to the counts of Vianden until the end of the feudal era (in 1794). Imposing oak trees give a fairytale-like touch to the forest. Especially the magnificent 350-year-old Royal Oak, one of the most ancient living trees of the Western Eifel, deserves a visit: it broadcasts majesty with its trunk circumference of five metres and height of 32 metres. The pretty, open valley of the Gaybach has its own special brand of magic. From the Scheierhaff, there is a stunning view of Vianden Castle on the opposite side of the Our.

Weite Wiesen im Gaybachtal, aber vor allem die Tiefen des mystischen Kammerwaldes prägen diese Wanderung.

Along the rushing stream 

On historical paths 

Over castle and valley 

Past splendid buildings