Clervaux Travel Guide

Clervaux is a medieval market town, set in thevnarrow valley of the river Klierf and surrounded by wood covered hills. The imposing castle which dates back to the 12th century is the main attraction of the town. It is the age-old witness to the prestige and power of the knights and counts whose estates stretched far across country from St. Ingbert to Vianden and Prüm.

A venerable witness to a prestigious past, Clervaux castle now houses the offices of the local government, the reception of the "Syndicat d'Initiative" (local Tourist Office), a collection of models of Luxembourg's old fortified castles, a small war museum exhibiting weapons and souvenirs from the 1944-1945 Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge), and the remarkable collection of documentary art photography, the "Family of Man" by Edward Steichen.

Near the Benedictine Abbey, a historic monument in the form of a cross can be admired. It is a 12.5 metre high stone construction which was erected in 1899 to commemorate the heroic fighters at the time of the French invasion from 1795 to 1798. Two bronze bas-reliefs show scenes from the Oesling peasant's revolt against the French troops. Below a simple phrase, but one which is filled with pride and heroism, reads: "We don't know how to lie".

Several walking trails have origin and end in or near Clervaux. Maps and information are available at the tourist office (Syndicat d’initiative) in the castle. The railway company (CFL) has walking trails between the railway stations in Drauffelt and Clervaux and between Troisvierges and Clervaux. There are also special trails for Nordic walking in and around the Klierf valley.