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The town of Clervaux in Luxembourg may not be big, but it is so beautiful that I decided to devote a own blog article to it.
Clervaux is the name of the municipality comprising 17 localities and the main town of this municipality itself. Clervaux is located in the heart of the Luxembourg Ardennes in the north of Luxembourg, only about 10 km from the German border.
Since Clervaux is located in the valley of the Clerve River, you have a fairytale view of the entire town when you arrive.
On the far left you will see the Benedictine Abbey of St. Mauritius and St. Maurus, which towers over the city and in the center of Clervaux the castle, the parish church and the old town. (Picture below)
When you arrive down in town, you will almost automatically drive to the parking lot in the city center. There are also other parking options directly at the castle. The parking lot in the center costs 50 cents an hour and is ideally suited to start a tour of the entire place from here.
The old town of Clervaux
From the parking lot you come directly to the beautiful Place de la Liberation with a fountain and city council.
If you keep to the right here, you can go for a walk through the small old town.
You will come to the market square with a small cafe, various restaurants and the tourist information. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
If you now follow the shopping street through the old town, you will reach the castle, which is located a little above on a ledge.
In autumn, the whole city is decorated to match the Halloween events that take place at Chervaux Castle!
The castle of Clervaux
The castle was built in the 12th century by Count Gerhard von Sponheim and expanded by the various owners in the following centuries. It was destroyed in December 1944 and renovated again until 1994. Nowadays the castle belongs to the Luxembourg state and houses the municipal administration as well as three different exhibitions.
From the old town it is best to take the left path up to the castle. Before you reach the castle courtyard, you should turn right briefly into the lovingly designed herb garden – do you know all of the herbs planted here?
The olive herb, for example, was not known to us and will definitely have a place in our herb bed next summer!
Through the large gate you now come to the Schlossplatz, where there is usually a tank on the right. It commemorates the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and the valiant defense of Clervaux.
At the moment, however, the tank has been lent to the Netherlands for various commemorative events and will only be exhibited again at Clervaux Castle after a subsequent restoration.
To the left of the castle gate you will find the castle restaurant and a small castle garden, which invites you to relax and linger.
In the courtyard itself, I felt like I had been transported to another time. I could just imagine that the Cinderella would come out of one of the (now very modern) doors …
Clervau Castle – Exhibitions:
From the courtyard you come to the following three exhibitions:
1. The world-famous photography exhibition ‘The Family of Man’.
It was compiled in 1955 by Edward Steichen for the New York Museum of Modern Art and is a manifesto for peace. The exhibition is part of the UNESCO World Document Heritage and, after successful exhibitions around the world, now has its permanent seat in the Castle of Clervaux.
2. Museum of the Battle of the Bulge
Exhibition on the Ardennes offensive in Luxembourg, which lasted almost two months.
3. Museum – models of castles and palaces in Luxembourg
22 castles and palaces from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can be admired here on a scale of 1: 100.
You can find information on the current opening times and admission prices at the end of the article.
We went to see the exhibition ‘The Family of Man’ and I find them really impressive! Predicate ‘definitely worth seeing’ !!
If you now go back down the stairs at the castle restaurant, you will first come to the memorial plaque for the soldiers who died in World War II.
The parish church of Clervaux
From here it goes slightly uphill to the parish church, which is also enthroned on a ledge. It can be visited free of charge and the inside is quite simple, but beautiful.
The Benedectine Abbey of Clervaux
Behind the parish church there is a small path up the mountain to the Benedictine abbey. It is sometimes very bumpy and unpaved, so you should be wearing the right shoes.
You will reach the abbey after about 15 minutes and pass the clapper war memorial beforehand.
From the abbey, in which around 30 monks still live today, you can see the forecourt, the monastery church and the crypt with an exhibition on the customs and traditions of monastery life.
These were the sights of Clervaux. I hope the beautiful pictures and little information could inspire you to visit this wonderful city.
If you are still looking for suitable accommodation for a vacation, take a look at this website – as always I have put together charming hotels, holiday apartments and B&B’s for you. Of course, there is a separate report on the Chateau d’Urspelt, where we stayed during our vacation!
As always, this is an unsponsored post!
Take care and check out the beautiful Clervaux!!
All the best,
your Diana
Opening times and admission prices for the exhibitions in Clervaux Castle:
- Exhibition ‘The Family of Man’
- Exhibition ‘The Ardennes Offensive’
- Exhibition ‘Models of Castles and Palaces in Luxembourg’
… and here are some more tips for an unforgettable holiday in Luxembourg:
