Medieval Luxembourg? And there are castles to prove it!by Lucy KomisarHalf a dozen medieval castles dot the countryside of Luxembourg, a country so small that you can traverse it the long way, north to south, in just a few hours. Tucked between France, Belgium and Germany, this microstate is famous for banks, but a journalist colleague from Prague had been charmed by Luxembourg’s castles and wanted to show them to me. That was high praise, as Prague Castle is world famous. He chose, he said, three of the best. Starting out from Luxembourg city, he and I drove north. The citizens of this Duchy (yes, there is a hereditary Duke) speak French, German and a dialect, Lëtzebuergesch. But as in any financial center, English is always understood.  Northeast of the capital, just west of Echternach near the German border, is Beaufort Castle. On the outside, it has the typical cone-shaped towers and smooth brick façade of the Renaissance era, reflecting work done in 1500.
 But inside, you climb up stone stairs to impressive ruins of a 12th century castle. The entrance has a tar-nose to allow guards to throw boiling oil on attackers. In the dungeon (down a stairway in that bright, cheery courtyard) there’s a grisly torture rack. Even worse than what we’ve heard about at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.
 Driving northwest to the Ardennes, we found Bourscheid, another feudal castle, which was constructed as a fortification above the river Sûre. You can still see the thick ring wall with eleven watchtowers. It’s even older than Beaufort, built in 1000 by Bertrand de Bourscheid to replace a wooden defense structure. A tower and circular wall date to the Romanesque period, completed in the 14th century.
 There was a dungeon here too, and on top of that you can still see the bakery-house and also the warden's house at the castle entrance. There are other structures that housed the nobles and officials and troops of the time.
 Vianden Castle, not far away at the German border, was for me the pièce de résistance. It was built between the 11th and 14th centuries and is one of the largest and most beautiful feudal residences in Europe of the Romanesque and Gothic periods. The counts of Vianden were close to the Royal Family of France and to the German imperial court, and the castle was owned by the Orange-Nassau dynasty from 1417 to 1890. Victor Hugo spent three months of his 19-year exile from France here in 1871, and his small house is now a museum.
 This is a castle with rooms that look lived in! There are a stunning dining room, a red bed chamber, tapestries, chandeliers, an ornate chapel. This summer, Vianden Castle will celebrate its 700th anniversary with fairs, exhibitions, sound and light shows and concerts.
Luxembourg has hotels for every style and budget, including two I sampled, the charming Romantik Hostellerie du Grunewald, where the treatment is soigné and the food is gourmet, and the Best Western International, well-kept and supremely convenient across the street from the train station, which has the typically effusive German breakfast buffet.  They’re not medieval, but Romantik hotels are always charming, and that is true for the Hostellerie du Grunewald, just outside Luxembourg city center. This establishment—family-run like all Romantik hotels -- was built by Louise Decker from four private houses and reflects her personal style. Small corners seek to emulate a salon. The cozy lobby is also a hub for free wifi.
 The restaurant is classic gourmet with a renowned chef who has been at the hotel for 44 years. It’s not a touristic restaurant, but caters to business people during the week and private parties on weekends. Regular clients have been coming here for years, some from as far away as Belgium. The chef’s wife Mary introduced herself as the “patron du restaurant.”
 For business travelers and tourists on a budget, the Best Western International is comfy and convenient, with rooms that are spacious and cheerful.
 The breakfast buffet is typically German lavish, with the cold meats and fruits and yogurts that heartily improve on the breakfast known as “continental.”
Even better, the location of the family-run Intercontinental puts you across the street from both the train station and the bus terminal from where you can easily get anywhere in the area.  The train, in fact, is the best way to get to Luxembourg from any of the neighboring countries. Contact RailEurope to get advance single tickets (no waiting on station lines) or a money-saving Eurailpass for Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), for Luxembourg and other contiguous countries or for Europe, depending on your travel plans. http://www.raileurope.com or 888-382-7245.
If you goBeaufort Castle
Beaufort, in the Müllerthal region.
Tel 352 (0)83 60 02. Guided visits for groups on request, Tel 352 (0)72 04 57.
http://www.beaufort.lu/ Bourscheid Castle
Bourscheid, in the Ardennes.
Tel 352 (0)99 05 70 or 352 (0)90 92 55.
http://www.bourscheid.lu/
chateau.bourscheid@pt.lu Vianden Castle
Vianden, in the Ardennes.
Tel 352 (0)83 41 08-1 or 352 (0)84 92 91.
Guided visits: caisse@castle-vianden.lu or Fax 352 (0)84 92 84.
http://www.castle-vianden.lu/english/index.html
http://www.vianden2008.org/
info@castle-vianden.lu  Romantik Hotel l'Hostellerie du Grunewald
10-16, route d'Echternach L-1453 Luxembourg/Dommeldange.
Tel 352 (0)43 18 82, Fax 352 (0)42 06 46.
Near local tram and bus stops.
http://www.hotel-romantik.lu/fr_hotel.htm
hostgrun@pt.lu
http://www.romantikhotels.com/
Best Western Hotel International
20-22, place de la Gare
B.P. 1683
 L- 1016 Luxemburg
Tel 352 (0)48 59 11, Fax 352 (0)49 32 27
http://www.hotelinter.lu
info@hotelinter.lu A good travel guide is Lonely Planet’s “Belgium & Luxembourg.” http://www.lonelyplanet.com/. Luxembourg National Tourist Office http://www.visitluxembourg.com/ by Lucy Komisar. | 
