Wiltz

Wiltz is built in two parts, the upper town on the ridge around the castle and the lower town in the valley, and the castle courtyard has hosted an open-air festival of music and theatre each July since 1953. The town was heavily damaged in the fighting of the winter of 1944 and rebuilt, and a museum in the castle covers that period alongside the local brewing and tanning trades. A national scouting museum is also there.

Background

Wiltz has city status and lies in the north-west of Luxembourg, where it gives its name to the surrounding canton. The town stands on the banks of the river Wiltz in the south of the commune and had 6,145 residents in 2025. The name derives from a Celtic word that means on the creek. Celts were the first people here, and the place first appears in records in 764 AD. Wiltz received its town rights in 1240. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the leather trade drove its industrial growth, led by the tannery IDÉAL Tannerie de Wiltz S.A. In 2015 the commune took in the neighbouring commune of Eschweiler.

Source: Wikipedia, "Wiltz"

What's there

• The castle courtyard - the open-air venue used for the July festival.
• The two-level town - the upper ridge and the lower valley settlement.
• The castle museums - the collections on local trades and the 1944 fighting.
• The July festival - the music and theatre programme running since 1953.

When to go

May to September is the season, with the festival in July. Museums keep limited hours and close on some days. Winter is quiet.

Before you go

The town was largely rebuilt after 1944 and has limited historic fabric. Museum opening is restricted. Festival tickets sell out.

Nearby

Esch-sur-Sure is southwest, and Clervaux is north.

Key facts