Vianden: A Breathtaking View

Getting to Vianden was a bit harrowing since it consisted of a twisty mountainous ride after a snowfall. We only had one day that we knew we could go, and God blessed us with sun, so we jumped in the car and started the 2 hour hike down (and over) to Vianden. It is located on the eastern border of Luxembourg and was well worth the effort.

Vianden Castle is a medieval castle that had its foundations set in Roman times. It is one of the largest and most beautiful feudal residences of the romanesque and gothic periods in Europe. It was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries. Until the beginning of the 15th century it was the seat of the influential counts of Vianden who could boast their close connections to the Royal Family of France and the German imperial court.



It was further developed until the 18th century but with the departure of the Counts of Luxembourg to the Netherlands combined with the effects of fire and an earthquake, it slowly deteriorated. The final blow came in 1820 when William I of the Netherlands sold it to a local merchant who in turn sold off its contents and masonry piecemeal, reducing it to a ruin. Attempts to restore it were hindered by problems of questionable ownership.



Finally, in 1977 the Grand Duke of Luxembourg ceded the castle to the State, which then made it possible to undertake large-scale work, most of which has now been completed.



This model shows the condition of the castle prior to the renovations. D and I were interested in visiting this castle after seeing a picture of it in a Benelux tourist guide. Not surprisingly, this Castle is the 2nd most visited site in Luxembourg, following Luxembourg City.



This is simply one panel of a greater door in the castle which I found stunning. It is difficult to imagine the time (and patience) invested in creating such a lovely, functional piece of art.



There were so many beautiful angles to this castle, I wanted to share them all, but had to limit myself to my favorites. It is an impressive landmark.



One of my favorite things about touring in off-season is seemingly getting to tour by yourself. I am not a big fan of crowds, and from what I understand, Vianden gets crowded in the summer (especially when they host their Medieval Fair - THAT would be fun to attend, but unfortunately it is after we leave). We were able to take our time and really enjoy the sites, not having to jockey around hundreds of tourists trying to do the same thing. The view was gorgeous. The renovations on the chapel were really stunning and it was striking to me standing there, how different worship is practiced today versus then.



Another thing about it the chapel that was striking was how different it was in appearance from the rest of the castle. The room was painted several different and vibrant colors. Nothing else in the castle was painted, which is why it stood out. Obviously this was intentional, but it makes me curious about why and how this was the case. Interesting.