Grumps

Esch-sur-Sure

Published July 5, 2023
Updated July 5, 2023
3 mins read

Eshe-sur-Sure is a beautiful little village in the North West of Luxembourg, nestled in a horseshoe of the river Sure, overlooked by the ruins of a small castle. We visited earlier this year whilst on our way to Greece on a crisp winter morning with a dusting of snow on the ground. It really a charming little village, and one of our favourite places that we have visited so far in Luxembourg.

To quote Wikipedia,

Esch-sur-Sûre is a commune and small town in north-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Wiltz, which is part of the district of Diekirch. At one point it was the second smallest commune by area in Luxembourg (after Remich), until Neunhausen and Heiderscheid were merged into it in 2011. As of 2005, the town of Esch-sur-Sûre, which lies in the north of the commune, has a population of 314.

Esch-sur-Sûre is situated by the river Sauer, just east and downstream of the artificial Upper Sauer Lake. The town’s prominent AD 927 castle, and the main part of the town below, sit on a spur of a land within a sharp meander of the river.

Esch-sur-Sure Castle

Today the castle standing over Esch-sur-Sure is a freely accessible ruin. It is naturally protected by a sharp meander in the river Sure which surrounds the town and the castle on three sides.

The first records of the castle date from 927 when farm buildings and a defensive tower were built on the site. The castle was subsequently considerably enlarged in the 13th century.

In the 15th century, the entire village was reinforced with a solid wall around it, complete with two defensive towers. The round watchtower opposite the keep was built at the same time, as were the entrance gate and the castle stables.

The castle was dismantled in 1685 by the troops of Louis XIV, as were most of the castles in Luxembourg. The outer wall was however left intact as many of the houses used it for their back walls.

In 1902, the Egyptian Martin Riano d’Hutzt bought the ruins from the State for 1,000 francs. He began restoration work, restoring the chapel in 1906 but then funds appear to have run out.

Other Attractions

Panoramic Platform Belvédère

About a kilometer west of the village is the Upper-Sûre Lake. Created by a dam built in 1961 the reservoir provides drinking water and power to the local area. The Panoramic Platform Belvédère is located at the Burfelt forest discovery center with lovely views over the reservoir.

Ancient Cloth Factory “Duch vum Séi”: The craft of cloth weaving

The former cloth factory in Esch-sur-Sûre houses an exhibition on the history of wool processing as well as cloth production in the area. The machines on which the cloth was produced have been sympathetically restored, and still in working order today.

Parking

Both Esch-sur-sure and the Upper-Sûre Lake are popular destinations for tourists. The village offers plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants, and accommodation catering for visitors. For such a small village there is actually a decent amount of parking, both close to the town and the lake.