Hiking in Luxembourg: 7 beautiful routes and practical tips

Hiking in Luxembourg is easy, scenic and well organised. With free public transport and great trails, it’s a perfect destination for a walking holiday.

Table of contents hide

1 Why Luxembourg is perfect for a hiking vacation

2 The most beautiful hiking trails in Luxembourg

3 Practical tips for your hiking vacation in Luxembourg

4 Book your trip to Luxembourg

5 Read more about Luxembourg

Why Luxembourg is perfect for a hiking vacation

When you think of Luxembourg, do you mostly think of banks and cheap fuel? Too bad. For hikers, this small country is actually a dream destination – with rugged cliffs, narrow gorges, dense forests and old castles. Plus, it’s close by and ideal for a (long) weekend away.

In recent years, I’ve travelled to Luxembourg almost every year to hike different trails. And each time, I’m impressed by how well organised everything is. Sometimes I did day hikes from a fixed base, like a campsite or hotel. Other times I followed a multi-day route from place to place. Everything just works: the free public transport, the clear trail markings and the reliable information.

View at Bourscheid on top of the mountain

Compact and adventurous

One of the biggest advantages of hiking in Luxembourg is that everything is so close together. Thanks to the free public transport, you can easily stay in one place and do all kinds of hikes from there. But multi-day routes also work well: you’ll find plenty of campsites, guesthouses and hotels along the way, and you’ll rarely have trouble getting back to your starting point.

There’s little mass tourism, but plenty of well-maintained trails through nature. And let’s not forget the atmospheric villages where you start or end your hike, places like Echternach, Vianden or Esch-sur-Alzette.

Suitable for any type of hiker

What I love is that the trails are challenging enough to stay interesting, but not overly strenuous. There’s a fair bit of elevation gain, especially on trails like the Lee Trail or the Mullerthal Trail, but you definitely don’t need to be an experienced mountain hiker.

The signage is excellent. Each route has its own symbol or colour, and you’ll regularly see signs with distances to the next village or highlight. There’s plenty of information online about most hiking trails, and GPS tracks are usually easy to download.

Varied landscape

It’s definitely not just dark forests you’ll see while hiking in Luxembourg. The landscape is surprisingly varied. One moment you’re squeezing through a narrow gorge, the next you’re crossing a fast-flowing river, walking through open meadows or suddenly coming across old remnants of historic mines. And from a viewpoint, a castle might suddenly appear on the horizon. You can experience all of it, sometimes even in a single hiking day.

In this article, I’ll tell you more about the most beautiful hiking trails in Luxembourg. I mainly focus on the multi-day trails, but many of them can easily be shortened into day hikes. Of course, I also share my personal tips and experiences.

The most beautiful hiking trails in Luxembourg

Luxembourg may be small, but the number of hiking trails is anything but limited. You’ll find dozens of well-marked routes, from short circular walks to long-distance hikes you can spread out over several days. Below, I share the trails I’ve hiked myself and can wholeheartedly recommend, plus a few extra tips if you’re looking to explore even more.

Mullerthal Trail (112 km)

Luxembourg’s most famous hiking trail is undoubtedly the Mullerthal Trail – and for good reason. Along the way, you’ll pass rock gorges, waterfalls, deep forests and scenic viewpoints. Every kilometre brings something new. I especially loved the narrow passages and staircases tucked between the rocks, those sections felt truly unique. At times, it felt like I was walking through a fairytale forest.

The trail consists of three loops of about 35 to 40 kilometres each, so it’s easy to decide how much you want to do. I walked Route 2 from a fixed base and found it very manageable. The waymarking is excellent, and you’ll regularly pass through villages or come across cafés and rest stops.

📌 Read mor: Mullerthal Trail Route 2: an amazing hiking adventure

The markings of the Mullerthal Trail cannot be missed

Lee Trail (53 km)

My first long-distance hike in Luxembourg was the Lee Trail. It’s a little less well-known, but very beautiful and fairly challenging. The trail runs from Ettelbruck to Kautenbach and is part of the longer Escapardenne Eislek Trail. You hike through a quieter part of Luxembourg, with lots of forests, viewpoints, and sections where you climb and descend quite a bit. I found it the perfect mix of nature, peace, and a bit of adventure.

I walked this trail in three days, using a campsite in Ettelbruck as my base. It’s incredibly easy to reach the starting and finishing points of each stage by bus or train, so you really don’t need a car.

Minett Trail (90 km)

The Minett Trail in the south of Luxembourg is quite different – and that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating. You hike through a region with an industrial past, so along the way you’ll encounter old railway tracks and abandoned mine shafts. Over time, the landscape has transformed into a surprisingly green hiking area, with the occasional steep slope left over from the mining days.

What makes this trail extra fun are the Kabaisercher, which are unique places to spend the night, like old train carriages, former miners’ cottages, and stylish huts in the middle of nature. During my hikes in the Minett region, I slept in an inflated mushroom-shaped cabin, a wikkelhouse, and a tiny house on the water. Super fun and definitely worth it if you’re looking for something different from a standard hotel or campsite.

Other recommendations

In addition to these three long-distance hikes, there are plenty more beautiful trails to discover in Luxembourg. Here are a few suggestions:

Escapardenne Eislek Trail (107 kilometers) – This is the extension of the Lee Trail and runs from Kautenbach to La Roche-en-Ardenne in Belgium.
Moselle3 Trail (33 kilometers) – To be fair, this trail only passes through Luxembourg for a short distance, but it’s a really lovely one! It’s a loop hike that crosses three countries: Luxembourg, Germany and France.
Guttland Trails – Not a long-distance hike, but a collection of shorter walks between 5 and 12 kilometres. All of them are located just north of Luxembourg City and are fairly close together.
NaturWanderPark delux – A network of 23 cross-border hiking routes on the Luxembourg–Germany border. Most of these are between 15 and 20 kilometres long.

You’ll find even more beautiful hiking trails on the official Visit Luxembourg website. There’s a handy search filter (e.g. by distance) and an interactive map to help you find the perfect route.

Practical tips for your hiking vacation in Luxembourg

Whether you opt for single-day hikes or a multi-day trail, hiking in Luxembourg is fun and well organised. Facilities are good, trails are clearly marked, and you rarely run into unpleasant surprises along the way. Still, there are a few things to keep in mind to make your hiking trip in Luxembourg go even more smoothly.

Best time to go

The best months for hiking in Luxembourg are May through October. In spring, the forests are beautifully in bloom, and in autumn everything turns warm shades of orange and yellow – really stunning to see! In summer, the days are of course the longest and the chances of good weather are highest. But it can be a bit busier in July and August on popular routes like the Mullerthal Trail.

I’ve gone hiking in Luxembourg a few times in May and found it ideal. The weather was usually good, the trails weren’t too crowded yet, and many cafés and restaurants were already open.

Accomodation

You have plenty of options in Luxembourg: campsites, guesthouses, hotels, and also unique places to stay such as the Kabaisercher along the Minett Trail. During my hikes, I stayed in both hotels and campsites, and really enjoyed the experience. Wild camping is not officially allowed, but in some areas (like nature parks) you’ll find basic bivouac zones.

My tip: if you’re travelling in the weekend or during high season, book your accommodation a bit in advance, especially if you don’t feel like searching for a place to sleep at the end of a long hiking day. Check Booking.com for hotels, guesthouses, and unique stays.

Planning routes

What I personally liked: Luxembourg is extremely well prepared for hikers. You’ll find printed hiking maps at many tourist information points, but you can just as easily use apps like Outdooractive, Komoot or the Visit Luxembourg app. These provide not only routes and GPS tracks, but also elevation profiles and information about cafés and restaurants along the way.

Good to know: some routes are one-way, but since public transport is free and well organised, it’s easy to take a bus or train back to your starting point.

What to pack?

Most trails are easy to walk, but hiking shoes with good grip are recommended, especially on rocky sections like those on the Mullerthal Trail. I did all the trails in Luxembourg wearing trail runners (Hoka Speedgoats), and they were absolutely perfect.

Also bring plenty of water and some snacks, as you won’t always come across a café or supermarket along the way.

In summer, sunscreen is essential, and in spring or autumn, a rain jacket can come in handy. I also always carried a power bank for my phone and GPS.

Last but not least: wear insect-repellent clothing (e.g. from Craghoppers) or use DEET or another repellent. I forgot to do that on my last hike, and I paid for it. I was absolutely covered in mosquito bites.

Public transportation and accessibility

One of Luxembourg’s biggest advantages: all public transport is free, even for tourists. Trains, buses, and even some cable cars are completely free. All you have to do is hop on.

This makes it incredibly easy to hike a linear route and travel back afterwards, something I’ve done several times myself.

Trains and buses are reliable and run fairly frequently, even to smaller villages. Check Mobility.lu for current departure times.

Train at Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg station in Luxembourg city

Book your trip to Luxembourg

Ready to hit the trails in Luxembourg? Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a longer hiking holiday, this destination is easy to reach and well connected. Here’s how to get started:

✈️ Flights – Looking for affordable flights to Luxembourg or nearby airports such as Frankfurt or Brussels? Try WayAway to compare ticket prices and earn cashback on your bookings.

🚆 Train travel – Travelling from elsewhere in Europe? Luxembourg is easily accessible by train from all over Europe. From Luxembourg city, you can take free local buses to hiking hubs like Echternach, Berdorf or Beaufort. Check routes and prices on Rail Europe or your local train booking site.

📱 Stay connected – Use an Airalo eSIM to stay online during your trip. It activates as soon as you arrive, no SIM swap needed.

🛡️ Travel insurance – Planning to hike? Make sure you’re covered with reliable travel insurance. For travellers from the US, Insubuy offers solid options with hiking coverage.

Have a question about planning your hiking trip to Luxembourg? Feel free to leave a comment. I’m happy to help!

Hiking in Luxembourg: 7 beautiful routes and practical tips