Might this hole lead to the home of a Hobbit? No, actually it's a tunnel cut through giant bushes to make way for the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Condsdorf. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Might this hole lead to the home of a Hobbit? No, actually it's a tunnel cut through giant bushes to make way for the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Condsdorf. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Pocked sandstone creates an other-worldly image along the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf hiking trail in Luxembourg (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Carved by erosion over thousands of years or more, the sandstone formations keep watch over the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf, which loops through the Mullerthal region of Luxembourg. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
The Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf winds through beautiful sandstone formations. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
A European Red Slug crawls along the 7.5-mile Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf in the Mullerthal region, known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland, Sept. 10, 2014. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Hikers walk along the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf trail as it winds through beautiful sandstone formations in Luxembourg's Mullerthal region, Sept. 10, 2014. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
These red-capped mushrooms sit along the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf trail in Luxembourg's Mullerthal region. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
The Walking Tour Mullerthal - Consdorf trail is home to many types of wild mushrooms in the Mullerthal Region known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland. This interesting community of mushrooms was photographed on Sept. 10, 2014. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Side trips through slots in some of the sandstone formations along the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf trail can be taken in the Mullerthal Region known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
In a few places, the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf goes through slots in some of the sandstone formations. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
The Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf trail crosses a stone bridge arching over a small waterfall, known as the Schiessentuempel, in Luxembourg's Mullerthal region. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
The Mullerthal Trail in Luxembourg’s Mullerthal region allows the visitor to escape reality by getting lost in a world reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary creations. By adventuring over fantastic paths that wind through pastures and forests dotted with surreal rock formations, one can see why the Mullerthal Trail in Luxembourg’s Mullerthal region — known as “Little Switzerland” — was recently recognized as one of the best trails in Europe.
The Mullerthal region offers myriad hiking options. These include the longer Mullerthal Trail system, which comprises three main routes with a combined distance of roughly 70 miles; four ExtraTours, which vary in distance and difficulty; and six other tours maintained by different cooperatives.
For a nice day, hike the trail referred to as the Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf, a 7.5-mile loop that can be completed in about four hours. The trail takes hikers through a landscape reminiscent of Middle-earth. It meanders past the iconic stone bridge that arches over the Schiessentümpel, a small waterfall on the Black Ernz River, and alongside bizarre and fantastic rock formations with monikers referring to local myths and legends: Goldkaul, Goldfralay, Eulenburg and Schelmelay. In such surroundings, an encounter with Bilbo Baggins and friends isn’t hard to imagine.
Roughly a 50-minute drive from Spangdahlem Air Base, the mill of Heringen, once an important mill in the region, has been repurposed as a visitors center that offers general information and maps. The maps are not printed in English; however, the trails are superbly marked and attendants at the center speak English. The other half of the old mill is a restaurant.
So don’t pack up your hiking boots just yet, because the fall colors are now on full display, and Gandalf and the Hobbits are waiting for you in Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland.
Mullerthal Trail, Luxembourg DIRECTIONS The Mullerthal Trail’s address is 1 Rue des Moulins, 6245 Müllerthal, Luxembourg. The Walking Tour Mullerthal-Consdorf trailhead is at the mill of Heringen. Take B50/B257 through Bitburg, Germany, and Echternach, Luxemburg, for about 25 miles. Continue onto CR118 through Consdorf for another 10 miles before following signs to the mill of Heringen.
FOOD The Heringer Millen Bresserie-Restaurant is located at the visitors center. Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays. Online: www.heringermillen.lu
INFORMATIONWebsite with an English option; tourist center website.
