Diekirch

There’s not much to keep you in central Luxembourg, but the National Military Museum in Diekirch is almost worth the trip in itself. The museum’s exhibits detail the events of the 1944-45 Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Luxembourg from the Nazi scourge by US troops. It’s open everyday from Easter to October.

If your taste for machismo is more slings and arrows than tanks and cannons, try the nearby Bourscheid Castle, a thousand-year-old relic sitting on a plateau overlooking farmland and the Sûre River. The castle is open to invaders from April to October, weekends only the rest of the year.

Diekirch is reached by car, bus or train in under 40 minutes from Luxembourg City. The castle is a short but windy drive northwest of Diekirch.

Reisdorf

At the confluence of the Our, Ernz Blanche and Sûre Rivers, tiny Reisdorf basks in woodsy tranquility. Nearby hills provide panoramic views of Germany’s Eifel region. In terms of distraction, the remains of a Roman villa are about it. Other than that, the only pinpoints of interest are the Hoesdorf steeple in Our Valley and a US memorial to those who died during the Battle of the Bulge. Reisdorf is best enjoyed for what you don’t find in so many other Luxembourgian villages: sweet seclusion. Reisdorf is northeast of the capital and is best reached by car.

Luxembourg City

Perched high on a promontory overlooking the Pétrusse and Alzette Valleys, the Grand Duchy’s capital solemnly sits like a thousand-year-old gargoyle. In 963 AD, on a rocky outcrop known as the Bock, Sigefroid, Count of Ardennes, laid the cornerstone of a fortress that would become Luxembourg City.

Although Sigefroid’s fortress no longer exists - after nine centuries of attacks and occupations, his castle and most of its fortifications were blown up by the townsfolk in the latter half of the 19th century - the views and what little remains of the original structure continue to inspire.

Ardennes

Known as the Eisléck or Oesling, the Luxembourg Ardennes are the Grand Duchy’s northernmost - and most spectacular - region. Winding valleys, fast-flowing rivers, verdant plateaus and towering castles combine to make the region hugely popular among visitors and residents alike.

Of the three main towns, Clervaux is the most accessible, Vianden is the most touristic, and Wiltz … well, that has the bonus of being very nearby to the hamlet of Esch-sur-Sûre, which attracts a staggering number of visitors solely because of its location.

Moselle Valley

Wine tasting, especially sweet, fruity whites, is the obvious attraction of the Moselle Valley. The valley’s Route du Vin begins at Waserbillig and follows the Moselle River south through the wine region’s capital at Grevenmacher and beyond to some picturesque villages.

The Cellars of Poll-Fabaire in the hillside village of Wormeldange are worth a visit, as are the larger Caves Bernard-Massard in Grevenmacher and St Martin in Remich. All three are open for tours and tippling from late spring to early autumn.