Things to see and do Wiltz

Built on a rocky outcrop, like many castles in the region, the present building dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, although its origin probably dates back to the 13th century. The first fortress did not offer sufficient security, and in 1631 Count Jan VI ordered the construction of the castle we see today. The former castle chapel was built in 1722 and the monumental external staircase, which led to the gardens, in 1727.

Driven out of the castle by French revolutionary troops, the last Count de Wiltz had to flee in 1793 and died abroad. All his properties were then confiscated and sold. Ceded by the French state in the mid-19th century, the castle was subsequently used as a boarding school for young girls from 1851 to 1950. It has been the property of the Luxembourg state since 1951 and was initially used as a centre for the elderly, run by the nuns of the Carmelite order until 1985. Today, the State symbolically rents it to the municipality.

In addition to the town's museums (the National Museum of Brewing and Tannery Art with its micro-brewery and the one devoted to the Battle of the Bulge from 1944-1945), it houses the office of the International Scout Centre, an international management school for the hotel and tourism industry, as well as the town's Tourist Office. Every year, the castle park hosts the Wiltz International Music and Theatre Festival.

On January 13, 1945, ten people who had taken refuge in a cellar in Wiltz in the midst of the atrocities of war made a promise to build a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. The monument was inaugurated on 13 July 1952. The first official pilgrimage of Portuguese families to the monument took place in 1968. Since then, every year, thousands of fellow Portuguese citizens make their way on Ascension Day from the Church of Saints Peter and Paul (or Church of Niederwiltz) to the shrine.

This beautiful decanal church was erected in 1510 on the foundations of another sanctuary, dating from 1417. The church presents a curious mix of styles: Gothic for the old part which dates from the 16th century and modern for the 1937 extension. The two side altars were donated by brotherhoods at the beginning of the 18th century and a series of wooden statues represent the patron saints of these orders. The last restorations (frescoes) took place in 2006 and 2010.

The Syndicat d'Initiative et de Tourisme welcomes you to the castle. You will find information and brochures on the attractions, accommodation and restaurants of the town and the region. Hiking maps are also available there, as well as for download on their website. The tourist office also organises guided tours of the Wiltz Garden and the National Museum of Brewing Art, and offers torchlight evening city tours as well as guided walks through the woods around Wiltz.

In addition to the Battle of the Bulge Museum, Wiltz Castle houses four beer and tannery-related establishments within its walls, all of which can be accessed with a single ticket.

National Museum of Brewing Art.

Created in 1999, this is the first beer museum in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located in the former stables of the castle. The exhibits not only give an insight into the 6,000-year history of beer production, but also document the exciting development of the art of brewing in Luxembourg. On the ground floor, the most important steps in the production of beer are explained (crushing of malt, filtration, fermentation, etc.).

Musée de la Tannerie.

This museum gives an idea of the importance of the tannery for the town, whose leather work dates back to 1644. In 1887, Wiltz had 28 tanneries, the last of which, the Ideal, the most important luxury leather factory in Western Europe, closed in 1961.

Micro-Brewery.

Installed in 2000, this part of the museum works in conjunction with the Simon brewery. Its role is mainly educational in order to give an overview of the different production cycles, but it can still produce up to 50 litres of beer. It is one of the smallest breweries in the world.

Jhang Primus Coffee. End your visit with a beer in this charming café, decorated with objects from various regional cafés that are now closed.

This museum, installed in the grounds of Wiltz Castle, is dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge from 16 December 1944 to 21 January 1945 and to the sacrifices made to regain freedom, particularly during the Von Rundtstett Offensive but also during the 1942 strike. You will be able to see American and German weapons, uniforms, documents, as well as numerous photographs and paintings, complemented by maps showing the front lines.

On August 31, 1942, in response to the military obligation decreed by the German occupier, the inhabitants of Wiltz decided to start a general strike. 21 patriots (20 Luxembourgers and 1 German) who refused to submit were then shot in Hinzert. To pay tribute to the heroism of the population and its resistance, this monument was erected in 1956 by the Luxembourg architect Roger Wercollier and his brother, the famous sculptor Lucien Wercollier.

Like the other regions of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Ardennes (the Eislek) has its own regional tourist office. Its website gathers information on all the towns in this region (Wiltz, Vianden, Insenborn, Clervaux, etc.) and the events organised there. Brochures and hiking maps can be downloaded free of charge. The ORT Eislek also offers guided tours. More information is available on its website.

Plantations, earthworks, water, sculptures, paths, and stone fields form a very beautiful 2.5 hectare complex in which it is pleasant to walk. The "Wiltz Garden" project was initiated in 1983 by Luxembourg and foreign artists who wanted to develop models of intervention in the public space and the social environment. Thus, this garden has been laid out by disabled people, long-term unemployed people, participants in temporary workshops and artists, some of whom continue to provide for its upkeep.

The town of Wiltz has set up two cultural trails to discover the Upper Town and the Lower Town. About thirty panels mark out the two overlapping trails (some places are therefore common) and are complementary. The numbering therefore goes from 1 to 33.

Cultural Trail 1: This walk (yellow route) is about 3 km long and includes 21 sights in the Upper Town. You will learn, among other things, why Wiltz received the honorary title of Martyr City. You will get acquainted with the Prabbeli socio-cultural centre and stroll through Wiltz's garden. You can also admire the 300-year-old baroque high altar in the parish church of Our Lady. The route forms a loop: it starts at the Wiltz Tourist Office and ends at the Battle of the Bulge Museum, both sites being located in the castle.

Cultural Trail 2: About 4.5 km long, this second walk (red route) includes 25 curiosities, 12 of which are in the Lower Town. It also starts at the Wiltz Tourist Office and ends at the primary school built in 1951 according to the plans of Jos Werner and Chrétien Scholl, two architects from Esch-sur-Alzette. During the walk, you will discover the Rodange-Reenert-Kulturwee, a sculptural ensemble unique in Europe, the variety of decorated keystones of the former choir of the decanal church, the last windmill in Luxembourg, the geological Stations of the Cross and the sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima.