5 Day Luxembourg Trip July 26 ... and very nice it was too.

[Rusty]

I don't know about you but sometimes I get out on the bike, or on holiday and you think "Wow .. I'd like to come here again and have another look around". Only done it twice but it's happening more and more, maybe my age, but Luxembourg is one of those places. There 4 years ago I went back with the same old team that I used to ride with in the job, different routes but still staying in Vianden. What a beautiful place that is. Stayed again at The Hotel Heintz in the centre half way up the cobbled main road with a conveniently placed patisserie for brekky The hotel is thoroughly recommended being a family run place for many years with good parking around the back and even a deep long garage for a few bikes. We ate out in the evening just because as you know you can't beat a warm outdoors village feel in the summer. Enough chitchat so here are just a few pics and then I'll write a bit more ...

So over on "La Shuttle" after a meet up at the Folkstone Premier Inn the night before. No issues and by 9am we were on foreign soil heading off on another little trip.
No big mileage planned just nice easy scenic days stopping for coffee a spot of lunch etc.
One thing was different this time and that is that we all had comms, Cardo PakTalk and very good it was too. I have resisted for a long time despite using comms at work for years but of course now there is the option or radio / music etc and I bloody well love it !



Out for exploring walkies after T in the evening was a must before a cold beer in the center of town chatting away and catching up.
Now while talking about food I HAVE to mention the steak .. steak cheval I have to say. If you are a meat eater then this was truly 5* (NOT CHEAP !!!) but oh my ! 500g steak that was possibly the best ever that has passed my lips. Sublime .. cooked on an open charcoal pit that you could go in and see etc ... here we go.



So we had warm / hot weather with lovely roads that were vast and scenic with little other traffic.
A day of hairpins and castles in Sudeifel Germany and other little routes were all well planned and ridden by our team organizer ! (not me, I just turn up and ride )



Some gravel was good to get back to but mostly smooth tarmac.

Here is our brekky I mentioned .. very simple but lovely fresh pasties CANNOT be ignored !!!



And so off to St Quentin France for our last night. We stayed at Hotel LE FLORENCE 2* at 42 Rue Emile Zola only about 100 miles or so from Calais so a nice restful easy last day .. as if it hadn't all be restful and easy !!
A shout out too for that hotel. Cheaper and more basic but secure parking at the rear with air con in our rooms ! We were out the back in a new built block, well not as old as the main bit so I can't vouch for air con everywhere but what a god send with coffee in the room too. Just those little extras make all the difference.


Busy at T time in central St Quentin and the food was lovely.

Quieter elsewhere in the town.



So there you have it. A repeat trip and just as good as the first with different places visited and ridden by.
Thoroughly recommend a few days here.
I thank you.

 

[grantmac]

Lovely area and know it well! Vianden is a lovely town albeit bit pricey for hotels IMO so we tend to nip over the border into Germany but you're right about the lovely roads in the area.
The lady in the bottom left of your penultimate photo looks as though she could suck a golf ball through the preverbial garden hose mind.....

 

[Redboots]

The lady in the bottom left of your penultimate photo looks as though she could suck a golf ball through the preverbial garden hose mind.....

Great minds...

 

[Monsieur]

Looks great!
Only been the once, had a 40 minute stopover at the train station for a connection to Koblenz. Watched the trams outside the station for half an hour whilst eating my sandwich.
Certainly bleak there (but aren’t all train station exteriors) so looks like a return (and much longer) visit is needed!

 

[Rasher]

Pre-kids I was going to Luxembourg for a long weekend every spring and autumn for a few years, and occasionally stopped off there on the way to or from the Alps.

I stayed in Vianden for the first time last year as my favourite haunt (the Grand Hotel) in Echternach closed down several years ago, which is a shame as it is an amazing town to stop in, but has very few Hotels.

I have also stayed in Diekirch which was OK, and Esch-sur-sure, stunning, but not much choice for eating out (really just the two Hotels in the evening) and just over the border from Lux the Hotel Fronhof in Mettendorf is really nice and significantly cheaper.

Probably going back in September, and a +1 for Hotel Florence for the last night, perfect for an easy run to Calais, clean rooms, secure parking, IIRC Brekky starts very early (06:00?) and the town is good for a choice of food and drink - and a funky pub / bar which is fairly lively.

 

[wessie]

Very fond of Luxembourg. Clervaux is a nice town with castle if you want somewhere in the north
Hotel Koener has garage parking https://maps.app.goo.gl/Pqx5rsi9vyVZcx3U6

 

[Rusty]

Thank you Wessie.. that hotel looks nice too.

 

[grantmac]

just over the border from Lux the Hotel Fronhof in Mettendorf is really nice and significantly cheaper.

Sad to say that the said Hotel Fronhof in Mettendorf has also closed its doors for the last time end of last year. We used it a lot as it was biker friendly, lots of bikers used it, great restaurant and rooms. I stayed there back in 2013 before it was bought and renovated by a lovely gay couple. They put a lot of moeny into upgrading it as it really was dreadful before. Then CoVID hit so no business. It started to really get going in 2022 again so was shocked to see it had closed.
There is an alternative close by which we also used a lot - Im Goldener Grund, in the village of Koerperich just across the border from Vianden. Also good..

 

[grantmac]

on a side note to the above...there is another hotel in Mettendorf...Hotel Kickert...best to be avoided. Dreadful place I am told by several pals that have stayed there in the past. Grumpy owner and as we recall everything was cash only...not sure if its changed hands recently but that was our experience a few of years ago now (2019).
The place mentioned above (link below) is lovely albeit very quiet and the food it a bit hit and miss depending on the mood of the chef....
We love it because it has a beautiful garden you can sit in and enjoy a nice cold Weizen on tap.

Im Goldenen Grund

Hotel - Restaurant - Biergarten - Im Goldenen Grund - Körperich - Eifel - Rheinland-Pfalz - Luxemburg

www.im-goldenen-grund.de

 

[Traffic893]

Outdoor eating with the cooling mist above, nice.

 

[Rasher]

Very sad to see Fronhof has gone, it was immaculate inside and out, and very reasonably priced, even sadder if the place up the road is a dump and managed to stay in business.

I think Hotels are hit very hard by house and apartment rentals these days, which has a knock-on effect on much needed housing, I still prefer a Hotel, especially with Bar / Food, but a house can be very economical for a group.