Filet American. Its not a steak. No. If you order filet american at a restaurant they may serve you a very large block of ground beef mixed with seasonings. Raw.
Getting around on public transportation is NOWHERE as near complicated as it seems. You pick a target, hop on the bus/tram/train, and just go! Its free in Luxembourg, and not expensive anywhere else.
We had been hearing a lot about this beautiful town called Vianden from our friends here, but at first it seemed like something we had to put off. Our car isn't here yet, our belongings aren't here yet, and sometimes we still feel a little underwater. However, things have changed sao much since the days Phil and I used to wander around Germany, Austria and Italy. Now there's an app for everything. Its almost impossible to get lost and its exceedingly easy to travel around safely.
I picked a few trains heading north on Saturday from my mobiliteit app and with the weather looking mild we set out for Gare Central, the main train station in the city. It turns out you can take pretty much any train heading to Ettelbruck, and when you reach Ettelbruck Gare you can just follow the crowd to the bus stop and pick up the 181 or 180 right into Vianden. It was really too easy. I made everyone grab sandwiches and snacks in case we got stranded, but that turned out to be entirely unneccesary.
Rolling into Vianden, I walked about ten steps before the breathtaking Chateau de Vianden came into sight about this picturesque little town. We enjoyed strolling into the center past a bookstore, some sausage and pizza shops, and even a cute doorway decorated with a cheerful "Moien!" made by chrochet and hung from a piece of wood. Turning left, we stepped down to the promenade along the riverway and watched the ducks. Then as the restaurants came into sight, we began to think about our stomachs.
We hastily agreed to save the sandwiches for later, and decided upon a large restaurant perched right next to the water, called Cafe du Pont and scored a great table at the open windows where we could people watch and the boys could especially ogle all the cars passing over the stone bridge in front of us.
Cafe du Pont is perfect for anyone, as it offered breakfast until the afternoon, sandwiches, burgers, a dozen different ways of serving schnitzel, pasta dishes... We enjoyed a few chilled Dekierch pilsners and a hefty lunch since we had all skipped breakfast.
Determined to work off the meal, I found the walk up to the castle was invigorating. Along the way you could admire the town center with its fountain and sculptures, stop again if you get thirsty (hey no judgment from me), peer into shops and admire the houses and storefronts. It really reminded me of our adventures in Germany!
Reaching the castle, we paid a small fee, and entered the first "circuit" on the outskirts of the giant structure. The circuit, or tour route, brought us down below the current restored structure so you could see the remains of what was built here as far back as the 11th century, and then envision how the castle was expanded and developed into the structure that stands today. I definitely recommend you not miss the first part.
The second and third circuits took you throughout the main castle, through giant chambers, outer courtyards, and various galleries that contained restored furniture and relics. Although it was a Saturday during the high season for tourism, the spaces were not crowded and it was a really enjoyable tour that you could take at your own pace.
Xavier was totally over this drama.
Leaving the castle, we took a right at the bend before Mont du Chateau and followed a short steep wooded trail back down to the main road. Only .5km and nicely shaded it was marked in several spots by some interesting stone friezes of what must have been religious scenes. The trail went right under the Nope Lift (my term) which is a steep chairlift you can ride for about 5eur that takes you up close to the castle to a hilltop cafe that supposedly has a spectacular view. I'll take their word for it, as heights are really not my favorite thing.
I was really glad we took the wooded route down, though, because we arrived at a different end of the promenade and got to walk back to the busy area by following the water again and admiring our surroundings.
It will be really nice to go back and explore more of the hikes, shops, and try out the other restaurants, and with the short trip its a great idea to keep handy when you're looking for something for just a day. For us, the first visit to Vianden ended with some pretty amazing ice cream sundaes for the boys, and some refreshment for the adults outside the Brasserie des Arts.
You can find information about where we visited at:
www.castle-vianden.lu
www.cafedupont.lu
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