S. Worthen | Weblog

Vianden is a small town with an enormous castle looming over it. It guards the northeastern border of Luxembourg with Germany and is, on lovely-weathered weekends, a touristic hotspot.

Luxembourg takes great pride in Vianden Castle which, as of the nineteenth century, was a scenic ruin. Intensive restoration in recent decades has made it both much safer to tour, and also turned it into a venue for feasts, concerts, and diplomatic events. They're building a modern complex in the outer bailey, presumably all shiny new facilities to complement the historic tapestry-hung halls within. I would love to attend a conference here, but I suspect most of the "conferences" held here of the international political dignitary variety. Photo galleries show off the decades of heads of state and famous actors who have visited. Based on the pictures, Shadow of the Vampire was, in part, shot here.



Within, large amounts of the castle have been entirely rebuilt. The two-level Gothic chapel, surrounded by a corridor with Romanesque windows, was surreally as good as new. The upper level was for the nobility who lived in the castle; the lower level was for the townfolk who could hear the service without disrupting those who outranked them. From the higher towers, visitors look down on lovely views of the town nestled on the banks of Our river.