Vianden

Revitalized after a 24 hour R and R, I was ready to hit the road and set off for pocket-sized Vianden in the north-east of Luxembourg, close to the German frontier. First I took the train to Ettelbruck, where the American general, George S. Patton, is revered for driving the German Wehrmacht out of Luxembourg in the latter stage of WW2. From Ettelbruck I took a local bus through the lush, verdant countryside to Vianden to see its famous hilltop château. Victor Hugo lived here for a time after he was expelled from France for supporting the French revolutionaries in 1848 and there is a bust of him on the tiny bridge spanning the River Our. Adjacent to the bridge was the Église Saint-Nicolas dating back to 1256. To get to the Castle I took the easy way on the Grand Duchy's sole télésiège or chairlift. The castle was originally the feudal residence of the Counts of Vianden from the 12th to the 15th centuries and has a blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg transferred ownership to the State in 1977. Here are some photos of the interior, the ancient dining table, one of the tapestries, a period bed and some medieval armour. Tomorrow I leave the Grand Duchy and return to Belgium, to Namur in the south-west.












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