Walking in the Luxembourg Ardennes

Chronicle.lu has put together a short series of articles on exploring the Grand Duchy on foot, with the help of the Auto-Pédestre guide to a series of walking trails covering the five regions: this article explores the Winseler and Burden trails in the Luxembourg-Ardennes region.

The Winseler auto-pédestre route in the Luxembourg Ardennes starts in the village of the same name in the north-west of the country.

This relatively easy 9.9km blue diamond trail can be undertaken in either direction. We went anti-clockwise, leaving the village by following the Wiltz River into a forest full of autumnal colours and the pleasant sound of leaves scrunching underfoot. Flocks of migrating cranes, on their journey from their breeding grounds in northern Europe to the warmer climates of Spain and North Africa, flew overhead. We spent many moments admiring their continuously changing formations.

The first bench was at the 2.5km mark but, as the path is relatively flat, it was not needed. The next bench was approximately 2km further along, at the point where we exited the forest onto a short section of paved road, running alongside a field of pumpkins. The trail then continued through the forest, along the valley of the Wiltz, until we reached the little hamlet of Schleif. Here we found a covered picnic area beside the pétanque terrain, overlooking a children's playground and wooden sculptures.

The old railway station at Schleif formed part of the Katenbauch-Bastogne line from 1888 until it closed in 1967. In 1986, a cycle path was developed along the disused railway line and the auto-pédestre route continues for over 4km along this path.

Immediately after the old railway station, at the beginning of the cycle path, is the location of the tea factory "Téi vum Séi", where aromatic teas are produced.

Some interesting informative signs are to be found along the tree-lined cycle path. One of these explains that a pile of stones nearby provides a shelter for male toads who carry the eggs laid by the females.

A second picnic area is at the site of the old Grummmelscheid Mill, 2km from Schleif. The trail continues along the disused railway line, under a 100m-long tunnel before passing a former lookout post or military pillbox, used to guard the railway during the Second World War. A short ascent from here, along a paved pathway, leads us back to Winseler.

The Bauregaart Community Garden and Playground, beside the starting point, provided us with yet more picnic benches, of which we took full advantage to have a well-deserved cup of coffee.

This is a pleasant walk and is not too difficult. It should take approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, but we delayed at many points along the route to admire the scenery and read the informative signs.

Our second walk of the day was the much shorter but more challenging 4.6km Burden auto-pédestre trail situated approximately 32km from Winseler.

This walk begins at a car park at the cultural centre in Burden. We decided to walk in the easier clockwise direction, turning left as we exited the car park. An initial ascent on a paved road, alongside fields, led to a steep descent through the forest. We went from an elevation of 400m to 280m over the length of just under 1km. This descent was on rough ground covered in leaves; caution is strongly advised. The ground was thankfully dry underfoot, but it could be easy to lose one's footing following a period of rain. For those who would like a greater challenge, turning right when leaving the car park would lead to climbing this steep terrain. There is a strategically-placed bench at the bottom of the descent. However, no matter which direction one chooses, there are ascents to be made, and we were glad of the walking poles while tackling an ascent of approximately 50m over the length of 200m a short time later.

This picturesque walk continues through the Elsterbësch Forest and offers spectacular views of the Sûre valley and river. The path takes a slight detour, descending steps to the Scharflee viewing point from which Bourscheid Castle can be seen, before ascending again to join the original trail path and returning to the starting point.

This 4.6km walk should take approximately 1.5 hours to complete and, while demanding in places, is worth doing. Walking poles and sturdy boots are recommended. It is advisable to avoid this walk in inclement weather.

For further details on the Winseler Walk, see  https://www.visitluxembourg.com/fr/tour/autopedestre-winseler

For further details on the Burden Walk, see  https://www.visitluxembourg.com/fr/tour/autopedestre-buerden