We ourselves were not sluggish, but we did underestimate the time we would need to hike from Kohnenhaff to Vianden. One kilometer in the hilly terrain here can take a lot more time than a flat kilometer. So, at 5:00 pm, we found ourselves in Stolzembourg (about 15 km from our starting point), more than 9 km from Vianden – and those 9 km included a lot of road walking. We decided to take a bus from there to Vianden, where we had reserved a room at the Auberge de l'Our.
Well, we're obviously not purists on the GR5; we don't feel obliged to hike every kilometer of the trail. And we're not inclined to grind out many 30-km days. Our priority is to enjoy the experience – and we're succeeding. We really enjoyed today's hike, notwithstanding a couple of hours of rain around midday (one hour of which we spent in a perfectly-located restaurant in Wahlhausen). The trail was hilly and rugged for much of the day. Trails in Luxembourg are carefully maintained; one encounters benches at convenient locations, and there are even steps embedded in some steep slopes. But the trails retain an air of wilderness as they penetrate dark forests. It's great hiking country!
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Departure from Kohnenhaff and looking back at the Kohnenhof Campground:
Hilly forest trails:
The GR5 (E2) met another long distance European trail, the E3. Maybe next year?...
Two benches, traditional and modern:
Happily, there is a restaurant nearby...
After lunch, Carroll has the impression that it's brightening up...
A small sample of the slugs we met today:
There were also some big snails on the trails:
The trail climbed with switchbacks up a steep slope:
Our timing was perfect: We arrived at this bus stop about 10 minutes before the arrival of a bus going to Vianden.
Vianden castle:
The Auberge de l'Our:
A new beer for Carroll's collection:
Hi Carroll, I now you love history. So did you now that our royal family finds its origin in Vianden. The first Oranje Nassau (Orange). Vianden possesses one of the oldest charters in Europe, granted in 1308 by Philip II, count of Vianden, from whom the family of Nassau-Vianden sprang, and who was consequently the ancestor of William of Orange.
ReplyDeleteThat is, indeed, interesting, Jeroen. We're walking through a lot of history on this hike. I'd like to return and study it all in detail!
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