Beaufort Castle

Beaufort gives you two castles for the price of a short walk: the medieval ruin, built from the eleventh century onward and left roofless, with ivy on its walls, a moat, and stairways climbing to towers over the valley; and beside it the Renaissance castle of 1649, still furnished and shown by guided tour, whose cellars produce the local blackcurrant liqueur cassero. The setting is the Mullerthal, Luxembourg's Little Switzerland, where sandstone outcrops and beech forest make walking country in every direction from the castle gate.

History

The castle probably began in the 11th century as a small square fortress on a rock, and Wauthier de Wiltz et Beaufort is recorded as its first lord in 1192. Abandoned and even used as a quarry in the early 19th century, it was listed as a national monument in 1850, and in 1893 its new owner, Henri Even, restored the new building (Wikipedia, Beaufort Castle, Luxembourg).

The main sights

• The medieval ruin - roofless halls, towers and the moat.
• The Renaissance castle - furnished interiors on guided tours.
• The cassero cellars - the castle's blackcurrant liqueur production.
• Mullerthal trails - sandstone gorges and beech forest walks from the village.

When to go

The ruins open from spring to autumn; the Renaissance castle runs limited guided tours and is closed for parts of the year, so check ahead. Autumn colour in the surrounding beech forest is superb. Winter closes most of the site.

What to expect

The two castles have separate opening arrangements and tickets, and the Renaissance one can only be seen on a guided tour at set times - arriving unplanned often means seeing only the ruin. Steps and uneven stone make the ruin awkward for limited mobility. Public transport reaches Beaufort but slowly; a car makes the Mullerthal region far easier.

Nearby

The Mullerthal Trail, Echternach's abbey town and Larochette castle.

Key facts