Are you planning a Europe trip? Do you live in Europe and thinking of your next vacation?
Chances are that you are going to give Luxembourg a miss. But wait, did you know that the fortified country of Luxembourg, often dubbed as ‘The Gibraltar of the North‘ has more than 100 castles? Did you also know that Luxembourg has not just the highest per capita GDP in the world but also has the highest per capita Michelin star restaurants too.
And now that you have decided to make a much wanted stop at Luxembourg, read on to know why Clervaux should make it your list of things to visit while in Luxembourg.
How to reach
Luxembourg sits in the centre of Europe with great train and road connections from the most important cities in Europe. It can be covered as a day trip from Paris on the high speed TGV, from Brussels, Frankfurt and Cologne by road and as a weekend trip from Amsterdam. Clervaux sits in the north of Luxembourg, well connected by trains (CFL) from the capital city of Luxembourg.
Why go to Clervaux
Clervaux provides a compact experience to its visitor by combining a museum of the castles of Luxembourg, a military museum and one of the greatest photo exhibitions, all within a few metres of each other.
Tips: You can buy the Luxembourg Card which gives you free entry to almost all the tourist attractions all across the country. This card can be purchased for 1 day, 2 days or more.
The Family of Man – The greatest photo exhibition
This exhibition can probably be the only reason that you travel to Clervaux. This photo exhibition is part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, an ‘international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and willful and deliberate destruction’ [source: wikipedia]. It houses about 500 photographs by 273 artistes from 68 countries. A full ticket with cost EUR 6 and it is open Wednesday to Sunday between 12 noon to 6pm. The ticket includes a multimedia guide on an iPad mini so do ask for it while buying your ticket. There are also free guided tours every Sunday at 4pm. [This information was valid at the time of writing this post].
Museum of the Battle of the Bulge
This museum is also housed within the Clervaux castle and is an excellent memoir of the WW II. You will find here newspaper clippings, personal effects of the soldiers and many other memorabilia which will interest if you are not a WW history buff. The museum, which is more a house display, may look small when you enter but there are 3 floors to it and it manages to display an astonishing numbers of artefacts. You can buy the EUR 5 combo tickets at the Museum of Castles to visit this museum.
The Battle of the Bulge, in 1944-45, was the last attempt of the Third Reich to nullify the allied forces of the West. It was fought in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg, and subsequently freed Luxembourg from Hitlers forces.
Museum of Models of Luxembourg Castles
This is the first museum when you enter the Clervaux castle complex and though nothing extraordinary but well worth a visit just to get a glimpse of the numerous castles that dot this country.
The entry just to this museum costs EUR 3.5 (free with your Luxembourg card) but I would recommend buying the combo at EUR 5 which will allow you inside the Museum of the Battle of Bulge.
Where to eat in Clervaux
While the small city centre has a number of options, we dined at the Restaurant Rhino Steakhouse et Pizzeria and really loved it.
Our Clervaux travel at a glimpse
