Things to see and do Echternach

The Wollefsschlucht is one of the most visited natural sites in Luxembourg's Little Switzerland. It is a 10 m wide, 150 m long canyon with 50 m high walls. It is located on the route of several hiking trails, including the Mullerthal Trail (Route 2), but especially on the beautiful E1 hiking trail which forms a 15 km loop (12.5 km with shortcut) Echternach-Berforf-Echternach. A unique site that impresses young and old!

The Abbey Museum, housed in the vaulted cellars of the former abbey, is a must in Echternach. You will admire the magnificently illuminated manuscripts from the scriptorium of the abbey of Echternach, one of the most famous in Europe from the 8th to the 11th century. These are facsimiles which are presented because the original works were scattered throughout Europe. For example, the evangeliary of St Willibrord is in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. A second part of the museum evokes the work of Saint Willibrord, his time and his provenance.

It is one of the largest Roman villas in Central Europe! The Villa of Echternach was discovered in 1975, during the earthworks of the artificial lake in the place called Schwarzuecht: vestiges of walls are touched by excavators. Excavation work then began. It is the original name of this house, the Villa Epternacum, which would have given the name of the city of Echternach.

The museum.Located at the entrance of the site, it exhibits reconstructed scenes of Gallo-Roman daily life with life-size models and models, which give a glimpse of the luxurious interior of the house.

The Hortus Amoenus, the adjoining garden, contains no less than 70 species of medicinal and ornamental plants grown in Roman times. A pergola covered with vines is also accessible.

The Roman villa.The main buildings were 118 m long and 62 m wide and had nearly seventy rooms on the first floor. The villa, extremely luxurious, was composed of rich materials and perfectly decorated: frescos on the walls, marble and mosaics for the ground, bathrooms heated by hypocaust, fountain and large ornamental basin. The 10 hectares of land also included ten annex buildings. The villa was modified and enlarged several times between the 1st and^5th centuries AD before falling into ruin and being used as a "quarry" for reused stones.

The Notre-Dame Chapel was built in 1654 and consecrated in 1658. It served as a place of pilgrimage for the inhabitants of the surrounding area. Above the portal is a beautiful polychrome Virgin and Child. The interior, with its cruciform plan, is in late Gothic style. The keystones represent the Marian monogram, the coat of arms of the abbey and those of Abbot Fisch, founder of the chapel, and the monogram of Jesus with the nails of the Passion. Inside there is also a Dutch portable organ from 1845.

The garden pavilion, or parlodrome, is a small building of a few square meters that originally proposed the listening of historical texts, thanks to a fixed audioguide system. Although the system is out of order, the place deserves a detour because three historical maps and an explanatory text allow a better understanding of the evolution of the city. At the entrance, you can see one of the 12 steles that were erected in Luxembourg to commemorate the new millennium.

This abbot's palace was built from 1727, according to the plans of the Lorraine Benedictine Léopold Durand. The monumental buildings were intended above all to express the position and importance of the imperial abbey of Echternach. Founded in 698, the monastery was abolished in 1796. Inside, only the monks' refectory has largely retained its original decoration. The former abbey is now occupied by the classical and technical high school of Echternach. Part of the vaulted cellars have housed the abbey museum since 1987.

If you come to Echternach, don't forget to visit the tourist office to learn more about the destination and to get some good ideas for excursions. You will find good advice, but also various brochures, including the cultural tour "Via Epternacensis Echternach". The tourist office also manages the official camping site, a gothic house for rent, as well as two medieval towers of the old city wall that have been transformed into lodging. The latter can accommodate between 4 and 6 people.

The city walls, built between the 10th and 13th centuries, were 2 km long and had four gates and 20 towers. Damaged in the 19th century, only a much shorter part remains today (count 500 metres when following the cultural circuit). Most of the towers were also destroyed, while those in good condition were sold at public auction in 1813 and converted into apartments, three of which are now available for rent as charming accommodation.

The market square, which is on the route of the dancing Procession, is a major area of the city center. Its particular form comes from the route of two major Roman pathways that crossed there. At its center, the Cross of Justice, called "Urtsel" (the column of the judgment), affirmed the secular power of the abbey. Destroyed by the French revolutionary troops in 1794, it was not until 1938 that she rose… to be destroyed again in 1944. It was finally rebuilt in 1982, according to the plans of the eighteenth century.

This exciting cultural tour through the city is well worth following! The brochure is available at the Tourist Office but can also be downloaded from its website. In total, 15 points of interest are to be discovered during this beautiful walk, which starts in front of the Tourist Office. Examples include the rococo pavilion (18th century) in the city park, the basilica and the Roman villa (one of the largest in Central Europe!).

The Lower Sûre Trail leads walkers from Echternach in the Mullerthal Region to Wasserbilig in the extreme northeast of the Luxembourg Moselle. The 23 km long tour can be done in one day. But if you want to enjoy the landscape and the views along the way, you can also opt for a stop in Born. The scenery is typical of Luxembourg's Little Switzerland, with its beech trees, ferns and rock formations, before the final plunge into the Moselle valley.

Located inside the basilica itself, the museum exhibits a large painting, images and historical texts on the procession and traces the key dates in the history of St. Willibrord's Basilica. You will also find many remains of St Willibrord. In the corridor there is also a lapidary museum exhibiting the remains of the burial chambers of the former abbey. A most interesting visit.