Clervaux

Clervaux sits in a tight loop of the Clerve in the northern Ardennes, with a castle on a spur above the town and a Benedictine abbey on the ridge opposite. The castle holds The Family of Man, the photography exhibition Edward Steichen assembled for the Museum of Modern Art in 1955, five hundred and three images from sixty-eight countries, given to Luxembourg because Steichen was born here; it is inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World register.

History

The village grew around the castle, whose oldest parts were built in the 12th century by Gerard, Count of Sponheim, a brother of the Count of Vianden, while the large palace and round towers probably date from around 1400, when the lords of Brandenbourg lived here (Wikipedia, Clervaux).

The main sights

• The Family of Man - Steichen's 1955 exhibition of 503 photographs, permanently installed.
• The castle - the building above the town holding the exhibition.
• The abbey - the Benedictine house on the ridge across the valley.
• The river loop - the Clerve wrapping around the town.

When to go

April to October is the most comfortable. The exhibition is indoors and open year round, closing on Mondays. Autumn colour in the Ardennes is good.

Practical notes

The exhibition closes on Mondays and in January. The castle was rebuilt after wartime damage. The town itself is small and quickly seen.

Nearby

Robbesscheier is south, and Vianden is southeast.

Key facts