How To Visit Vianden Castle in Luxembourg

Ties to the Roman roadways, Victor Hugo, the confessor to the Queen of Bohemia, the house of Nassau-Orange, and a beautifully rebuilt Gothic-Romanesque castle that allows your imagination to really run wild imaging what it must have felt like to live here during that time period. I personally think Vianden Castle is well worth the visit, but there are a few tricks to getting there & other things I recommend visiting while in the area. I'll guide you through how to visit Vianden Castle step by step so even the most directionally challenged (like me, and also riddled with travel nerves) can get there without a hitch. 

How To Get To Vianden Via Train & Bus

Grab the train from the main train station (located on the other side of lower town up the fanicular). The take the train to Ettelbruck.

Download the app Mobiliteit.lu, or visit the website to get your tickets for the bus, and for being able to catch the bus back to Luxembourg as well. 

You will catch the 181 bus to OBEREISENBACH, Bei der Baach - get off at Vianden Gare, it is about 14 stops. If you can't catch the 181 bus, don't worry, there are at least 8-9 buses that look like they stop at Vianden Gare stop. 

Both the buses and the train have Wifi as well as USB chargers for your phones. 

Tickets To Vianden Castle

It only costs about 10 Euros to get into the castle itself. I highly recommend taking an english tour or getting an audio tour though. There are so many people that owned the castle over the the centuries, I wish I had the time to go through with an audio tour. 

They do have a QR code you can use to read about each room that you go through, but with the remote village - my internet and the available wifi wasn't entirely fast or available. This may have just been my phone, but thought I would mention it so you allow time for a guided tour or audio tour if you can. 

Make sure you get there 1 hour before closing time, the hours are typically 10am -5pm. 

Early History of Vianden castle

A small Roman tower had been built here in the 3rd century, but because of numerous attacks was abandoned in the 5th century. 

A castle was re-established during the time fo Charlamagne and the basement of the tower was used a refuge of the Caroligen Empire people. It wasn't until the 11th - 15th century that it became a powerful seat for the Viaden counts that ruled the area. These counts were typically from the Franks or German descent and were quite influential because of the location along this road. 

The 13th century is when the Gothic Romanesque style & the castle design as we see it today was built. 

Abandoned and Restored

The castle was abandoned in the 16th century, and passed through many different hands. It was sold to an alderman eventually who decontstructed it, selling off the metal, wood, and parts that could turn a profit. 

The castle was left in ruins, abandoned, until the 19th century when the painstaking work of restoring it began. However, the Belgian Revolution, WWI, WWII all delayed restoration progress. It wasn't until the 1980's that it was finally fully restored. 

The Castle Today

To help with costs, the castle today is often used for weddings and other functions that can hold anywhere from 40-220 people in the great hall. 

If you choose to visit, I would allow yourself at least 2 hours for the castle, then a 4 hours to tour the small town of Vianden. 

The castle has many corridors, steps, a castle kitchen, indoor well with a. beautifully rebuilt mechanism to draw the water up. The kitchen shows how meats were smoked, different herbs and spices used, cooking pans/cups/spits. 

There is a room dedicated to armor of the knights through the centuries, two or three rooms with medieval & renaissance garb with traditional furniture from those time periods as well. The chapel is beautiful with gothic arches, colorful pillars, and a simple alter. 

Is Visiting Vianden Castle Worth It? 

If you look on Trip Advisor, or Google reviews, they can be a bit contradictory as far as how much people enjoyed the castle. 

For me personally, it isn't a castle that is richly decorated with numerous tapestries, gold filigree, or massive amounts of historical items. It IS a castle that is simple, charming, and allows the imagination to run wild because it give hints of times past, but allows enough room for you to imagine the rest. 

Personally, I think Vianden castle is well worth the effort to visit because of the incredible restoration job, that allows you to see how the castle would have looked in the 16th century. Often the gothic castles, by the 20th century would typically be changed so much, it makes it incredibly hard to envision how the flow of traffic of people living here would have worked. 

The views from Vianden are absolutely beautiful in the fall, and I'm sure in the spring as well. The town below the castle is just as charming, with small shops with traditional gifts sold at very affordable prices. 

Things To See Near Vianden

If you have the time to take a side trip to Vianden, try to catch Mullerthall Castle and Mullterthall trail. While the Mulerthall Castle is in a bit of a ruin right now, it is still a unique castle to Luxembourg. 

Beaufort Castle

This 11th century castle is still undergoing repairs, but is open to the public with a unique experience, should you choose to visit. There is a renaissance castle (17th century) to explore, see the gilded interiors on a guided tour (only available guided), and end with a tasting of their famous Casséro liqueur. 

You will have your choice of Cassero-Kirsch is a mix of Cassero with cherry brandy. La Framboise des Bois is a fine liqueur of woodraspberries, delicious in flavour. La Vieille Prune is a first-class plum-brandy.

Mullerthall Trail

There are different variations to this trail, and loops you can take with varying lengths. It may be worthwhile to hire a guide, or use Alltrails to choose the hike you are wanting. If you hike the entire loop, it is about 15.6 miles located near Echternach. The hike itself is a bit hard, and takes about 6 hrs and 50 minutes to finish it at a steady moderate pace. 

The trail is only open between April and October, has unique rock formations like tall buildings with rocks stacked like an accordion. Moss covered trees, ferns, and beautiful ancient trees line the trail. Make sure you are following a map with GPS coordinates because some of the important or beautiful stops aren't readily seen from the trail itself. Some of those important stops are Schiessentümpel, Paulsplatte, and Breechkaul amphitheater.

Things To See In the Town Of Vianden

The town is just as charming and laid back vibe as the castle, so I would certainly allow yourself some time to see the sites in the small town of Vianden as well. Here are a few things that caught my eye as I wandered through town. 

Alstadt Vianden

Located along the Our River, 'Alstadt' or Old Town Vianden is a quaint side of Vianden. Once you get to Vianden, it is a very small town, and shops close earlier than they do in Luxembourg. Only about 2,200 people live here year round, so make sure any restaurants you want to visit while here, you check their hours and make a reservation. Have a meal at a picturesque spot along the river. 

Trinitarian Church

Built-in 1248 this Gothic church is a beautiful (and warm) place to reflect on the Rococo altar built in 1644. It is definitely worth a quick visit if you have the time, there is even a relief of a knight at the back that I was completely enchanted by. 

Bronze Bust of Victor Hugo

It is debatable that Les Miserables was written in Vianden, but it is confirmed that at least 50 of Victor Hugo's famous poems. There is a bronze bust of Victor Hugo (by Auguste Rodin) on the bridge on the way up to Vianden Castle right across from h is former residence where he stayed for several years while in exile from France. 

Le Badigeonneur, Le Musicien, Le Fou statue

As I was wandering around Vianden I found this statue, next to town Hal, called La Badigeonneur. When political ties and boundaries of the countries changed in 1851 it was hard to find work, so painting buildings, butchers, and especially musicians played and worked along this popular ride route. This sculpture represents those 'regular folk' and those who continue to keep this town alive. 

Saint Jean Népomucène

The white building over the river in the photo above is the building where the former confessor to the Queen of Bohemia once lived, Saint Jean Népomucène. When the King came to investigate what the Queen confessed, he refused to tell him. Saint Jean Népomucène was thrown from the bridge in Prague and drowned. 

He was later cannonized for his dedication, and is the patron saint of boatmen, bridges, priests, and all men who had something in common with water. 

My Takeaway Of Visiting Vianden Castle

While getting there on my own was WAY easier than I thought it would be, I definitely wouldn't take a tour that doesn't pick you up at your hotel - unless you are good with directions - which I am not. There are some reviews online that say Vianden is empty and boring, I didn't feel that way at all, while it definitely is NOT as cluttered as other castles - I enjoyed it more, being able to let my imagination run wild. If you have limited time in Luxembourg, there are plenty of things to see in the main city, but to me is worth a visit. When the cost is only about 10 Euros total to visit, is a 1 hour ride from the city with public transport, and a few hours at the castle and town - a 1/2 day to visit somewhere outside the main tourist attractions is something I will always advocate for in any country. 

If you have any questions about visiting, or other places you would recommend to visit close to Vianden - make sure to drop them in the comment section below. 

Have a great day, and never stop exploring. 

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