Vianden is a commune with town status in the Oesling, north-eastern Luxembourg, with over 1,800 inhabitants. It is the capital of the canton of Vianden, which is part of the district of Diekirch. Vianden lies on the Our river, near the border between Luxembourg and Germany.

As of 2013, the town of Vianden, which lies in the east of the commune, has a population of 1,811. It is known for the Vianden Castle.

Attractions

Vianden is one of Luxembourg’s main tourist centres with large numbers of holidaymakers and local visitors at all times of the year. In particular, the recently restored castle set spectactularly on the rocks above the town has become a museum which traces its history and its links with the royal families of Europe back to the Middle Ages. Then there are links with Victor Hugo who visited Luxembourg in 1862 and 1865 and spent a longer period in Vianden in 1871. His sketches and letters can be seen in the museum located in the house where he stayed next to the bridge over the Our. There is also a museum of arts and crafts (Musée d’Art rustique) and a doll and toy museum (Musée de la Poupée et du Jouet).

But many people just visit Vianden to wander through its hilly, historic streets or as a centre for walking, camping or cycling in the north of Luxembourg. There is a pleasant cycle route up the Sauer and Our valleys to Vianden and there are many signposted walks in the area.

During the summer months, a chairlift operates from the banks of the river in the lower part of the town taking you high above the castle with magnificent views over the landscape.

Vianden also has a number of annual events and celebrations. The most famous of these is the nut market in October when the local walnuts are on sale together with walnut cakes, walnut confectionery, walnut brandy and walnut liqueurs.

Finally, there is an interesting attraction a few kilometers to the north of Vianden, the Vianden Pumped Storage Plant, which provides pumped-storage hydroelectricity storage and generation systems to benefit from the surplus electric power at night, and provide extra energy during peak hours.

Historic monuments

In addition to the castle, Vianden has a number of interesting historic monuments.

• The Hockelstur or belltower (1603) on a rock close to the castle was originally part of the fortifications.
• The ramparts which have been partly restored.
• The Church of the Trinitarians (1248) built in the Gothic style with two parallel naves and the adjacent cloister. It was built by Count Henry I in thanks to the Trinitarians who arranged for the release of his father, Count Frederic II, who had been captured during a crusade.
• The Cross of Justice close to the Church of the Trinitarians recalling the chartering of Vianden by Philip II in 1308.
• The towered castle houses built for the nobility including the City Hall (1579) and the house where the pharmacy is now situated (1475).
• The Church of St Nicholas (13th century) partly destroyed by fire in 1723 and rebuilt the following year.

Notable people

Many royal families and heads of state have associations with Vianden or have at least visited it. However, several other figures are worthy of note:

• Yolande or Yolanda of Vianden, (1231–83), youngest daughter of Count Henry I, who joined the Convent of Marienthal against the wishes of her parents when she was very young and later became its devout prioress^[7] now a legend in Luxembourg’s history.
• Victor Hugo (1802–85), the French author, who stayed in Vianden on several occasions between 1862 and 1871, recording its beauty and setting in prose, poetry and sketches, including the series of poems L’Année terrible.^[8] Hugo did much to promote the attractions of Vianden to the outside world.
• Edmond de la Fontaine (1823–91) otherwise known as Dicks, Luxembourg’s national poet, who also wrote Vianden’s first travel guide.
• René Engelmann (1880–1915), a linguist and novelist, who established the basic grammar of the Luxembourgish dialect, later to become a national language.
• One of the oldest families in the town founded the inn, which today is located in Algerbue de L’Our, next to the Our River, where delicacies from the area were offered to the pilgrims who visited the Castle of Vianden. Today this hostel has a restaurant and a hotel in its own building.