The next day I rode over to Vianden to visit the ancient castle that sits high above the town. A wooden castle was established here in Roman times, which was replaced by a stone built castle in the 1100’s. It underwent expansion all the way up to the 1600’s to what you see today. By the 1700’s it’s importance had declined and it became a private residence, eventually being bought by the Luxembourg state. Since then the castle has undergone renovation, and to visit costs only 15eu, including the audio guide. Well worth the visit. There is a car park about half-way down the hill with a path that leads you straight to the castle.
I then rode back to Bourscheid to visit their castle. Starting with a wooden castle around the 900’s, this was replaced with a stone castle about 100 years later. This was improved and enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries and after it’s final rebuild, this was one of the biggest and most impregnable castles in Europe. By the 17th century the castle was in disrepair and by the late 1800’s, roofless and unused, it was sold for it’s stone. It was bought by the state in 1932, and much of the castle no longer exists, such as the outer walls, some ramparts, and many of the buildings. But over the years the state has renovated what is left, including the tower, which you can climb to see stunning views around the local area. The cost to visit was 9eu including the audio guide, which is excellent. It’s well worth visiting this castle, just for the views over the green valley. It was also here that several local women were tried as witches during the middle ages, sadly.
