The Vianden Castle and other Vianden, Luxembourg Things to Do Tips

The castle of Vianden (Château de Vianden)
was constructed between the 11th and 14th century. It was original the resisdence of the counts of Vianden. The counts had close connections to the royal families in France and Germany. In those it was common for important royals to marry royals and by doing so enlarge their country. At some point Vianden came into the Nassau family, and from then it went backwards. William I of Nassau (King of the Netherlands and Count of Vianden) sold the castle to the highest bidder and that merchant dismantled the castle to sell the expensive parts. The House of Nassau bought back what was left to please the villagers of Vianden.
But nevertheless the castle fell into a state of ruin. It was a pile of rubble until it became State owned in 1977. It was restored and today it is absolutely worth visiting.

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Phone: (00352) 83 41 08-1 / (00352) 84
Address: B.P. 26 L-9422 Vianden
Directions: The castle rises above the town of Vianden and can't be missed.
Website: http://www.castle-vianden.lu/
Other Contact: info@castle-vianden.lu

The touristoffice provides several walkingroutes around Vianden. Most of them are in the hills surrounding the town. Through forests and green meadows and always coming back in town. They are signposted with letters. Get a map at the touristoffice to find out the perfect route for today.
But they also have a route along the walls of Vianden. It is called 'intra muros extra muros'. It is only 1.4 km long and can be shortcutted to 0.6 km. Along the route you will find infopanels telling you about the life inside the walls.

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Directions: Start at the touristoffice. Find your map here:
http://www.freewebs.com/tompt1/vianden.html
More pictures in the travelogue
Website: http://www.tourist-info-vianden.lu/english/vianden/50184193a611b7906/index.html

Adjoining the church of the Trinatarians is an ancient Gothic cloister. It belonged to the monastery of the Trinitarians, founded in 1248. The Trinitarian order aimed at freeing prisoners in the Holy Land. The habit of the order was a white coat, bearing a red and blue cross.
The monastery of the Trinitarians was abolished in 1783 by the emperor Joseph II of Austria. The cloister was partly destroyed then. In 1955 it was finally restored.

Do walk into the garden and enjoy the quiet and cool surrounding.

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Directions: Next to the Trianitar church. Coming from the Grand Rue from the direction of the castle turn right just before the church in about 100m there is a gate to the cloister. It may appear closed but it is not locked during the day.

The Trinitarians built this church in 1248. Count Henry I, whose father had been freed from Saracen captivity by Trinitarians during the Crusades, asked them to come to Vianden.

Above the entrance-portal of the church there is a statue representing the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus, dating back to the 14th century.

The altar of the Blessed Sacrament in the left side of the church, dates back to the 15th century. The main altar was built in 1758 by the Vianden artists Daleyden and Goldschmit.

Since 1988 diggings have discovered numerous tombs under the church. The floor was lowered almost half a meter to restore the original proportions of the gothic church.

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Address: Grand Rue

In the lower part of Vianden you can find the St Nicolas church. Built around the end of the 13th century as a subsidial church to the Roth Basilica. Up to the year 1801 this part of the town formed part of the parish of Roth.
The St. Nicolas Church burnt down in 1723 and was rebuilt the next year.
The church is not large, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth getting inside.

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Directions: From the center cross the bridge pass the Victor Hugo house and the small church is right in front of you at the other side of the road.
Website: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/

In the middle of the woods a small chapel was erected in 1848. In this chapel you can find the lower part of the altar from the Castle Chapel.
Each year on the first Sunday after 16th August, the whole congregation of Vianden goes on a pilgrimage to the miraculous statue of Our Virgin of the Bildchen, sheltered in this chapel.

Located on the slopes of the hill the view from the chapel is great.

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Directions: Walk into the woods from the castle.

This little chapel stands very close the Trinitarian church. It is a church of the Sodality Congregation of the Blessed Virgin. This congration was founded by the jesuits. The sodality in Vianden was established in 1736. The chapel was built in 1761 by Johannes Hell from Tirol, on top of an old schoolbuilding.
In 1999 the chapel was restored.

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Try the door, and see if it is open, the chapel is small, but a look inside will not disappoint you.
The baroque altar is probably made by Michel Weiler around 1761.

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This building was already used in 1469 as a govenment building of the county. The nobel families Ziewel and Veyder gor possesion of the building later and lived here. in the year the building was restored and rebuilt untill it got its present form in the 17th or 18th century. Since 1950 it is used as the Vianden cityhall.

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