Travel around the world: Western Europe Trip

Echternach Abbey

Today it is a day we want to spend mostly in Luxembourg as we drive through it and then into France the last country of our grand tour of Western Europe. We start with a daytime visit this time of Beaufort Castle in order to take some pictures during the daylight. This time we can also enjoy the sheep who look less menacing in the daylight.


Beaufort castle during the day	Lake with sheeps


There are also lambs	Close up of sheep

We leave Beaufort and start towards the "Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise" however almost immediately we find another castle that looks like a private residence so we stop and take pictures from a distance.


Castle in the Luxembourg countryside	Close up of castle

Soon we arrive at the Little Swiss area of Luxembourg a small area which allegedly looks like Switzerland. We have been here before and been impressed so today we returned for a short visit. Even from the parking area the view is impressive and as soon as we start hiking it becomes a hike through a narrow beautiful slot canyon. It is short but quite exciting.


Parking to visit la petite suisse luxembourgeoise	Mullerthal area is crisscrossed by trails


Yes the trail goes through there	Side canyon from main trail

Some of the trails lead over precariously looking bridges to overlooks and as we investigate them the bridges are actually precarious with missing steps but they can be navigated and the views are quite good. As we get to the top it is flat and it almost doesn't seem that all the slot canyons are so close by.


Is that really safe?	Trail through a narrow gorge


On the other side	View from above

We walk around at the top a bit and it is quite nice with the fallen leaves and there are quite a few fun orange snails crawling around. After some hiking we return to the car and continue to Echternach an important city in antiquity due to the Abbey which was founded by St Willibrord in 698.


At the top the trail is more open	Tree root


Same type of orange snail as the day prior	Another one

Finding a parking place in Echternach is difficult and we are not sure exactly where we are compared to the downtown area but in the end we decide to start along the Mosel which at this point is the border within Luxembourg and Germany. It is always interesting to see how close the two countries are even though now there are no real borders between them. After a short walk we arrive at the abbey garden which means we are on the right track in finding the abbey and we start wandering through it in the direction we assume the abbey is.


Mosel river at Echternach	Hidden kilometer stone


Former abbey garden	Trails through the park

On the way we notice quite a few interesting birds and a weird sign that prohibits throwing trash right next to a trash can.


That sign does not agree with the trash can nearby	A special sparrow

And then suddenly we are in the middle of the former abbey buildings which are now a school and are full of children. But as we walk around and get closer to the church it becomes quieter and the streets are almost empty when we reach the main church which is quite big and impressive.


Echternach abbey - now school	The abbey from the side


Austere looking building	Echternach Abbey from the front

We enter the abbey and it is spacious and empty it feels we walk an eternity through it until we reach the front where we discover some stairs going below. Of course we decide to go down and there we find literally some catacombs through which we wander discovering tombs and small chapels, quite exciting.


Inside the abbey - very spacious	Nice archway


Below the cathedral there were many tombs	and a few chapels

Next we stop right across the street from the abbey at the orangerie which again is not visited at all by the tourists even though it is great looking and it even has a fountain with colorful fish.


Orangerie from a distance	Orangerie with fish pond


Abbey from the orangerie	Fish in the orangerie pond

We then return to the car using a different route right through the central market square and the major shopping street of Echternach. It seems weird to us that we didn't notice how close we were to the downtown area until we get to the parking spot and see that the entrance to the street was hidden behind a bus station.


Central Market Square - Echternach	Echternach City Hall


Shopping street	Embellished sewer cover

Next stop and last stop in Luxembourg is the world renowned Schengen where the treaty was signed that ultimately made Europe a zone without borders. First however we go to the top of a hill which holds a vineyard where we can see the border of the three countries which made the signing here significant France, Germany and Luxembourg.


Vineyards in Schengen	View of Germany and France from Schengen, Luxembourg


Mosel River - Germany is on the other side	Bountiful vegetation

On top of the hill there is even a tower that likely was used to keep watch over the river. We cross it and soon are in France which greats us with a mini Eiffel tower. Nearby is a picnic area that we use to eat lunch before returning into Schengen.


Schengen Tower overlooking the countryside	Marking the France border


Borders of three countries meet here	Picnic area at the border

The center of Schengen is relatively small but it still has a castle and of course a lot of monuments related to the Schengen treaty.


Winery overlooking Schengen	Schengen castle now a hotel


Description of the Schengen treaty	Schengen treaty monument

The different monuments are interesting and we also discover the free European Museum which however we do not have time to visit as we have to move on towards France as our accomodation supposedly has no check in after 9PM.


The stars of the European Union	A star for every country that joined the union


Description of Schengen's role in European history	Schengen European Museum

On our way however we cannot resist stopping at Verdun to see the sights of the major battle of World War I. It is difficult to get there from the interstate as the signs are sparse and we have to pass through the city of Verdun first and then find the correct country roads. We arrive at a museum with quite a few guns in front of it which even has a few sparrows nesting under the roof however it is very expensive and it doesn't match what our guidebooks are describing about Verdun.


Guns from the Verdun battle	Close of up guns


Horses were still used extensively	Swallows nest nearby

As we look in the distance we notice a different building which matches more what we were expecting so we drive in that direction and arrive at the true Verdun Memorial. It is closing in half an hour so we visit it quickly it is sobering with names and names of French soldiers killed during the long Verdun battle.


Verdun Memorial from afar	Getting closer to the memorial


The Memorial is filled with reminders of all French killed	Entrance to the Memorial

Besides the monument are rows and rows of crosses and even so this accounts only for a small number of the fallen. It is uplifting however to read the message of peace between Germany and France hopefully something like that (And World War II) will never repeat itself.


Statement of peace between France and Germany	View in front of the monument


Rows and rows of crosses	Close up of the rows

We continue to investigate the area and find another memorial donated by the US which is still open and even has a few other tourists. It shows the conditions the soldiers fought in the trenches but quite interesting for us is also the surrounding forest full of potholes that are made by the bombs that were falling all around in the area.


Another memorial donated by US	Entering the zone which looks like a trench


Wouldn't want to crawl here	Forest is full of holes from the bombs that fell here

After this we drive as fast as we can toward the castle where we have reserved a room for the next 2 nights. As it becomes clear that we underestimated the distance and will not arrive in time we call them and they agree to wait a bit late. As it is already dark it is really tricky to enter with the car through the really narrow gate but with some help we manage it and then we find with some difficulty also a parking spot. The rooms are having a lot of character and are fun to explore it really feels like we live in a castle. We are tired so after eating dinner we try to go to sleep to prepare for the next day.