Munshausen
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Munshausen

Munshausen

Northern Luxembourg commune of Ardennes hills, old villages, and the medieval Church of St. Hubert.

Munshausen (Luxembourgish: Munzen) is a small commune in northern Luxembourg, bordering Clervaux to the north. The old village of Munshausen has been recorded since the 9th century, and the commune also includes the villages of Drauffelt, Marnach, Roder, and Siebenaler. The landscape is classic Ardennes — rolling hills, steep valleys, and dense forest.

The Church of St. Hubert dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to the patron saint of hunters — a fitting dedication for a village surrounded by Ardennes hunting forests. In Marnach, the Cube 521 cultural centre offers a modern auditorium seating around 300 people and hosts concerts and events throughout the year.

The main draw for visitors is the Ardennes Draft Horse Domain, where staff demonstrate the working Ardennes draft horse — one of Belgium and Luxembourg's most distinctive heavy breeds — alongside other aspects of traditional rural life. It is a popular outing, especially for families with children. Several walking trails fan out from the village, including a route that passes through Siebenaler and Drauffelt along the Our valley.

Guide

Day Trips

The obvious day trip from Munshausen is Clervaux, just 6 kilometres north. The town's 12th-century castle houses Edward Steichen's "The Family of Man" — a landmark photography exhibition and UNESCO Memory of the World — as well as a museum on the 1944 Battle of the Bulge and a collection of models of Luxembourg's fortified castles. The Benedictine Abbey on the hillside above the town is still active and open to visitors.

Guide

Getting There

Munshausen has no rail connection and is not served by regular bus. The practical way to get here is by car, and most visitors arrive as part of a drive through the northern Luxembourg Ardennes. From Luxembourg City the drive north takes about an hour, heading up the N7 and then the N18 through Clervaux.

From Clervaux, which is the nearest town with a rail station, Munshausen is about 6 kilometres south. There is no reliable taxi service, so without a car you are walking or cycling. The road between the two along the Our valley is pleasant on a bike, though it does involve some climbing out of the valley.

Cyclists arriving on the RAVeL network through Belgium can continue into Luxembourg via the Our valley route, which passes close to Munshausen.

Guide

Things to Do

Munshausen and its surrounding villages offer quiet Ardennes countryside rather than a packed itinerary. The main draw is the Touristic Domain and its working Ardennes draft horses; beyond that, the valley walking trails are the reason most visitors come. The village church of St. Hubert and the hamlets of Drauffelt and Siebenaler reward slow wandering rather than hurried sightseeing.