On the Wald, Wein und Horizonte Trail
Signs of the Trail
Cemetery in Green
Above Bech-Kleinmacher
Above Wellenstein
Gallery May 2017
Tag Archives: Luxembourg
Luxembourg’s Moselle Vineyards
Luxembourg is a small country. But good things often come in small packages, as the expression goes. This is true not only of the Duchy, but also of the wines, and of the wine trail I completed.
Luxembourg’s wines, especially its sparkling wines, are appreciating in quality year over year. One of the oldest caves for the Domaines Vinsmoselle, is in Wellenstein in the Canton of Remich. In this southern-most section of Luxembourg’s appellation, wine is big business. Accordingly, three small communities closest to this cave have collaborated to create an educational wine trail. While not in the largest appellation along the Moselle, nor perhaps the most celebrated, this trail deserves pride of place among many of the hiking trails, large or small, found up and down the Moselle for a number of reasons.
Wine Notes: Luxembourg’s Canton Remich
What I Learned
Luxembourg, a small nation, has a long official name: The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. With its eastern border set along the Moselle River, Luxembourg, like its riparian neighbors in the tri-border area, France and Germany, is also known for its wines.
Circuit Viticulturel: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Circuit Viticulturel or Wain a Kulturpad
Trail Type: A short distance; almost exclusively paved, (except about a kilometer, if using a grassy shoulder along a road), well maintained, but not a lot of trail signage.
Length: Total: 10 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Remich or Schengen, Luxembourg
Trail Marking: See photo below
Gallery January 2015
Villages, Vines and the Vosges in Alsace
Hunawihr: Restaurant on a Square
Sudden Clouds over Riquewihr
Trail of the Grands Crus
Street Scene in Riquewihr
Hunawihr and Ribeauville Castles
Alsatian Shutters
Quiet Vineyard above Wellenstein
Wellenstein Vines
Vineyards Above Bech-Kleinmacher
Ridgeline above the Moselle
Wellenstein: A Vintner’s Stairway
A Luxurious Christmas in Luxembourg
Celebrating the holiday season in luxurious style often involves a bit of sparkling wine, and Luxembourg sparkles in that regard. Spending Christmas in Luxembourg gave me the opportunity to sample Luxembourg’s sparkling wines, visit some caves, and hike two overlapping trails through vineyards stretching along the slopes of the Moselle Luxembourgeoise wine region.
Wine Notes: Luxembourg
What I Learned:
Little known, as not much is exported, Luxembourg’s wines are readily available and thoroughly enjoyed by residents and visitors in the Grand Duchy. For lovers of dry, white wines, this region provides some delicious alternatives to Alsatian or Rhine white wines.
From the towns of Schengen to Wasserbillig, Luxembourg joins the centuries old tradition of producing wines along the Moselle. On this west side of the river, local vintners grow their grapes mostly in terraces rising steeply from the narrow river plain for much of Luxembourg’s 42 kilometer stretch along the Moselle.
Circuit Cremant and Auto Pedestre 1: A Nutshell on TWO Trails
Trail Names:
Circuit Cremant
Auto-Pedestre 1
Trail Types: 2 short distance circuits;
Cremant: Short hiking circuit; paved, well maintained and marked.
Auto-Pedestre 1: Short hiking circuit, some parts paved, some hard-packed, some soft dirt; some sections marked, but markings missing in a couple of crucial spots.
Lengths:
Cremant: 4.6 km/2.8 miles
Auto-Pedestre 1: 8 km/5 miles
Convenient to:
Luxembourg, Luxembourg, with local public transportation
Trier, Germany, with a car
Markings:
Cremant: Flute on a white pentagon, on red background with green edge
Auto-Pedestre 1: Black “1” on a blue triangle on white rectangular sign
(Note: The photo’s blue hexagon with a yellow rectangle is the sign for the Sentier de la Moselle, described below.)
Continue reading Circuit Cremant and Auto Pedestre 1: A Nutshell on TWO Trails
Gallery May 2014
Light at the End of the Hill
Moselle, Schloss and vineyards
A Square in Greiveldange
Floating along the Moselle
Velo Vinum Trail
Luxembourg Village
Vintner Hut
Stuttgart Vineyards
Stuttgart Wine Trail
Stuttgart from Afar
Half-Timbered Vintner Hut
Carved Art: Wine Cellar
Luxembourg’s Velo Vinum
Little country, big sparkling wines, and a mid-sized bike trail. Luxembourg, tucked between Germany, France, and Belgium, is a small jewel of a place. It has taken the best of French and German wine-making and culinary practices, and incorporated them into its own. This is especially true of its sparkling wine production techniques.