Mullerthal (Luxembourgish: Mëllerdall) is a natural region in eastern Luxembourg. It is commonly referred to as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland. Its biggest city is Echternach, and the region consists of the same area as the canton of Echternach.
Cities and towns
- 1 Beaufort, small town with a large castle and its own liqueur.
- 2 Berdorf, small town with the Hohllay (Hollow rock) as its main feature.
- 3 Consdorf, small town with ~1.200 citizens.
- 4 Echternach, the oldest settlement in Luxembourg, founded in 698.
- 5 Larochette, small commune with a large castle as its main feature
Other destinations
- Bech
- Bourglinster
- Boursdorf
- Christnach
- Dickweiler
- Dillingen
- Eppeldorf
- Girst
- Haller
- Herborn
- Junglinster
- Medernach
- Mompach
- Nommern
- Osweiler
- Reisdorf
- Rosport
- Stegen
- Wolper
- Zittig
Understand
The Mullerthal is a region filled with nature. If you have ever visited Switzerland, then the region's nickname should give you a fair idea of what you'll find in the Mullerthal: Nature, sloping terrain and beautiful panoramas. You'll also find an abundance of hiking and cycling trails and routes. The Mullerthal covers about the same area as the canton of Echternach does. Occasionally cities as Diekirch are counted as part of Mullerthal, but generally speaking the Mullerthal is the same as the canton of Echternach, with, surprisingly, Echternach as its biggest city.
Get in
By car
Assuming you're travelling from Luxembourg City, head for the A7, which can be reached by using the A1 in the direction of Trier (Germany). Shortly after joining the A7, turn onto the E29 (rue d'Echternach) heading for Echternach. This road will take you to Echternach directly. When travelling from Frankfurt am Main, use the , followed by the , followed by the . At the Bitburg interchange, head onto the heading for Bitburg. Once having reached Bitburg, stay on the E29 and head for Echternach.
When travelling from the north of Germany, use the to go south. Once having reached the end of the A1 at exit 114, take a right onto the Bundesstraße 51/E29. Once having reached Bitburg (exit 6) on the , head onto the heading for Echternach.
By bus
There are direct buses to Echternach from both Trier and Luxembourg city.
Get around
Mullerthal can be travelled both by car, bicycle or foot. Bicycle paths have been built throughout most of the region, and more are being built to this day. Bicycles themselves can be rented at one of the many RentaBike locations around the region. At least one can be found in every town. For long distances, however, a car may be more helpful if you want to visit, for instance, a tourist attraction. Furthermore, many hiking trails are found throughout the region.
See
The natural beauty of the Mullerthal region is breathtaking, with on the one side the Mullerthal forest with sights such as the Schéissendëmpel a picturesque waterfall, the Hohllay, a hollow rock near Berdorf, once used to get millstones and the Beaufort castles, some of which are no more than ruins, but others are well-maintained and open for visits.
The Mullerthal features the city of Echternach on the other hand, which features several museums on the city's past in Christianity, a mostly intact city wall with housing built into the towers, and has several festivals to its name, the most biggest of which being the E-Lake Festival held annually by the Lac d'Echternach. Other man-made sighs include the Aquatower in Berdorf. It features a panorama deck at 55 meters high, giving you a good view of the Mullerthal.
Do
The Mullerthal is a region best fit for outdoor sports such as Hiking and Cycling or Mountain biking. Sports however, aren't the only thing to do in the Mullerthal. There are several festivals to attend as well as sightseeing, which can be combined with hiking or mountain biking, though it can very well also be done by car.
Buy
Eat
The Mullerthal region has a lot of regional products, varying from sausages to cheese to liqueur. For a full list of these products and where to get them, see the Mullerthal website.
Drink
The castle of Beaufort makes its own liqueur; Cassero. It can be bought in local produce shops, such as the bakery in Consdorf, but of course it can be bought in Beaufort as well.
Connect
- Beaufort Tourist Information, 87 Grand Rue, L-6310 Beaufort, ☏ +352 83 60 99-301. 8:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00 on weekdays, 8:00-20:00 in July and August.
- Berdorf Tourist Information, 3 Beim Maartbësch, L-6550 Berdorf, ☏ +352 79 05 45.
- Consdorf Tourist Information, 35 Rue Burgkapp, L-6211 Consdorf, ☏ +352 79 02 71.
- Echternach Tourist Information, 9-10 Parvis de la Basilique, L-6486 Echternach, ☏ +352 72 02 30.
- Larochette Tourist Information, 33 Chemin J.A. Zinnen, L-7626 Larochette, ☏ +352 83 70 38, +352 83 76 76.
- Reisdorf Tourist Information, Rue de la Sûre, L-9390 Reisdorf (in the former train station), ☏ +352 83 67 78. Available from the beginning of June to mid-way August.
- Rosport Tourist Information, L-6580 Rosport, ☏ +352 73 01 60.
Stay safe
- Stay safe when exploring a hiking or mountain bike trail. Even though they are well maintained an accident can occur at any moment. Wear the right shoes when hiking, and stay on the trail at all times. There are drops of a good 30 meters that are poorly visible, even from five meters distance. When cycling, always look around before crossing a big road and listen whether or not you hear any traffic approaching, as the trails occasionally cross major roads, with cars driving at speeds up to 90 km/h.
- When travelling by car or any other motorised vehicle, look out for other vehicles cutting corners by driving on the wrong side of the road. They aren't frequent, but be sure to not cut corners yourself, and be aware that some road users cut corners, especially motorbikers.
Go next
From the Mullerthal, Germany is quite close-by, specifically:
- Trier, the oldest city in Germany, dating back to Roman times.
- Bitburg, German town with beer and scenery to offer.
If you'd like to stay in Luxembourg, however, why not head for places such as
- Diekirch, city with beer and a museum on the Second World War.
- Luxembourg City, The country's picturesque capital. Historically being a unconquerable fortress, any tourist can conquer the city in modern times.
- Vianden, a delightful historic town with a stunningly restored medieval castle, spectacularly situated on a rock high above town.