I walked the European long distance GR5 trail from Belgium to Switzerland 50 years ago. One of the highlights was the section that ran the length of Luxembourg, so it was time to retrace my steps.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to complete the entire journey and will have to settle for the southern half. I spend a day in the northern Eislek region to refresh my memory of its pine greenery, green hills, and deep valleys.
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DAY 1: 14 miles, 7 hours from Kautenbach to Goebelsmühle.
This is the final section of the Escapardenne Lee Trail, which is approximately 32 miles long and takes three days to complete. When I leave my camp site in Kautenbach, the early morning mist is still hugging the hill tops. The first section climbs steeply up through forest, the trail well marked and clear. There are clear views of the River Wiltz below, which I follow until it separates north east into pine and oak forests.
The landscape is all rolling hills, and I arrive in the small village of Hoscheid after a few too many steep ups and downs. I almost double back on myself from here, following a long ridge to reach the River Sûre. Then it's a long descent to Goebelsmühle, where the Sûre meets the Wiltz. Despite the fact that it is the end of my walking day, I take two buses across country to the small village of Berdorf, where I will spend the night.
DAY 2: 12 miles, 6 hours from Berdorf to Girsterklaus.
I'm now on the GR5, retracing my steps from 50 years ago. Because of its distinctive rock formations, the Mullerthal region is known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland. An amphitheatre, deep caverns, and the impressive Gorge du Loup are among the many stone structures that rest against each other. The narrow path is hemmed in by stratified rock walls here, and it emerges with a view of Echternach below.
The bells of the massive abbey ring to commemorate Ascension Day, and I cross the River Sûre once more. I follow it for a mile before climbing into the forest, passing the outskirts of Rosport, where there's a museum dedicated to Henri Tudor, who invented the lead-acid battery and died 40 years later from lead poisoning. After more forest walking, I arrive at Girsterklaus' church and descend to Hintel, my overnight destination.
DAY 3: FROM WATERBILLIG TO GREVENMACHER 12 miles in 6 hours
I'll have to make my way to get back on the GR5, so I'll take the bus to Wasserbillig, where I'll meet the Moselle River and its surrounding vineyards. After a few miles along the river, I take a minor road up into the countryside at Mertert. Apart from the occasional farmer, there is no one around, and the views over the river are spectacular.
I arrive in Manternach after a woodland stretch, crossing a stream and climbing up to a broken dolmen. The Groensteen, as it's known, could have been a Gallic warrior's grave. I enter the forest from here before emerging at vineyards clinging to the slopes above Grevenmacher. As I enter this pleasant town with an interesting old quarter tucked away on the banks of the Moselle, it begins to rain.
DAY 4: Grevenmacher to Stadtbredimus, a distance of 12 miles and a time of 6 hours.
I'm on the Route du Vin today, winding through steep vineyards spilling down the hillside. Some of the best wines in Luxembourg are made from native grapes such as Auxerrois, Rivaner, and Elbling. Germany is on the other side of the Moselle, where vineyards stretch to the horizon.
The path remains mostly above the vines, descending to small wine-producing villages along the river such as Machtum, Ahn, and Wormeldange. Each of these has wineries that offer tastings, and Ehnen also has a wine museum. The path climbs up towards the woods at Greiveldange, then up steps to a religious shrine in a clearing. The views across the Moselle are spectacular, and below me is Stadtbredimus, tonight's destination.
DAY 5: 7.5 miles (3 hours) from Stadtbredimus to Schengen.
My final day, and I'm heading to Schengen, a village at the bottom of Luxembourg on the border with France and Germany. I cross the river at Stadtbredimus and rise up into the forest to another shrine. The path then follows a stream on a boarded section, passing through a unique habitat populated by the rare fire salamander. It leads down to Remich on the Moselle, where passenger boats offer river trips.
Again, the GR5 differs into the hillside, but I choose to follow the river, first on a grassy path, then on a roadside cycle path, before rejoining the river bank. At the entrance to Schengen, there are displays celebrating the signing of the Schengen Treaty here on May 25, 1995.
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