The Ardennes: Luxembourg and Belgium

Route description

From Luxembourg City, with its casemates cut into the rock and the old quarter of Grund below, drive north to Vianden in the Luxembourg Ardennes. The land becomes forested and hilly, with narrow river valleys.

Vianden Castle, restored from ruins, stands on a hill above the river town; a chairlift runs up the opposite slope for a view of it. Then cross into Belgium and head west to Bouillon, where the castle linked to Godfrey of Bouillon sits above a loop of the Semois river.

Dinant lies below a cliff on the Meuse, with the onion-domed collegiate church and a citadel above the town; it is also the birthplace of Adolphe Sax. From here, kayaking on the Lesse is a popular way to see the valley.

Durbuy is a small medieval town with narrow streets and a topiary park, on the edge of the Ardennes forest. The roads in this region are winding and wooded, and spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons.