Vianden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Vianden

Veianen, Veinen

Commune

Vianden from above

Flag	Coat of arms

Map of Luxembourg with Vianden highlighted in orange, and the canton in dark red

Area rank

? of 100

Highest elevation

515 m (1,690 ft)

• Rank

15th of 100

Lowest elevation

198 m (650 ft)

• Rank

24th of 100

Population

(1 January 2019)

• Total

2,080

• Rank

90th of 100

• Density rank

47th of 100

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

LAU 2

LU0000903

Website

vianden.lu

Click on the map for a fullscreen view

Vianden (called Veianen or Veinen in Luxembourgish) is a town and a commune in north-eastern Luxembourg. It's located in the Éislek region and had about 2,203 people living there in 2023. Vianden is part of the canton that shares its name. The town sits by the Our river, very close to the border with Germany. It is most famous for its amazing Vianden Castle.

History of Vianden
Getting to Vianden
Population of Vianden
- Vianden's Climate
Vianden's Economy
Fun Things to Do in Vianden
- Historic Buildings and Monuments
Vianden's Coat of Arms
Famous People from Vianden
Sister Cities
Images for kids
See also

History of Vianden

County of Vianden

Grafschaft Vianden

4th century–1414

Status

State of the Holy Roman Empire

Capital

Vianden

Government

Principality

Count

Historical era

Middle Ages

• Established

4th century

• Passed to Sponheim

1414

Succeeded by

County of Sponheim

Vianden's story goes way back to the Gallo-Roman times. There was once a small fort, called a castellum, where the castle stands today. The original name for Vianden was Viennensis.

In Roman times, the valley around Vianden was full of vineyards. The first time Vianden was mentioned in history was in 698. This was when Saint Irmina gave a vineyard in Monte Viennense to the Abbey of Echternach.

Vianden has one of Europe's oldest town charters, given in 1308 by Philip II, the Count of Vianden. He was an ancestor of William of Orange, a very important historical figure.

Crafts and Industries

During the Middle Ages, people in Vianden were known for their skills. They were excellent tanners (who prepared leather), drapers (who dealt with cloth), weavers, barrel makers, masons (who built with stone), locksmiths, and goldsmiths. By 1490, these skilled workers formed special groups called guilds to support their trades.

Later, pig farming and making leather became very important. Two large tanneries opened in the late 1800s, but they closed down in the mid-1950s.

The Famous Vianden Castle

Vianden Castle

The amazing Vianden Castle was built between the 11th and 14th centuries. It became the main home for the counts of Vianden. The castle was improved until the 18th century. However, when the Counts of Luxembourg moved to the Netherlands, and after a fire and an earthquake, the castle slowly fell apart.

The worst happened in 1820 when William I of the Netherlands sold the castle to a local merchant. This merchant then sold off parts of the castle, turning it into a ruin. There were attempts to fix it, but problems with who owned it made things difficult.

However, the chapel inside the castle was fixed in 1849 by Prince Henry. The famous French writer Victor Hugo even lived in the castle for three months in 1871 during one of his visits. It wasn't until 1977, when Grand Duke Jean gave the castle to the State, that major restoration work could finally begin. Most of this work is now finished.

Vianden in World War II

Vianden is also remembered for battles during World War II. In November 1944, there was fierce fighting between the Luxembourg Resistance and German forces. Vianden was the last place in Luxembourg to be freed from the Germans. This happened in February 1945 when American soldiers completed Luxembourg's liberation. A memorial west of the town, looking over the castle, remembers this final battle.

Did you know? The first Boeing 747-8F cargo plane ever built, called RC501, is named "City of Vianden"! It is used by Cargolux Airlines.

Getting to Vianden

Vianden is about a 47 kilometer drive from Luxembourg City. You can also get there by bus from towns like Diekirch, Ettelbruck, or Clervaux. These towns have train connections to Luxembourg City. There are also buses that go to Bitburg in Germany.

Many visitors like to arrive by bicycle. There are special bike paths that lead to Vianden from the south, following the Our valley.

Population of Vianden

Vianden's Climate

Vianden, which is about 200 meters above sea level, has a temperate climate. This means it has warm summers and chilly winters. In summer, the average daytime temperature is around 24°C, but it can sometimes reach 35 °C. In winter, the average daytime temperature is about 5 °C, but it can drop to −15 °C at night.

It doesn't rain too much in Vianden, usually less than 10 days a month. The wind mostly blows from the southwest. Summer evenings are often very pleasant, with temperatures staying around 25 °C until late at night. Sometimes there are short dry periods, but the plants usually stay green.

In June, daylight lasts from about 5 am to 10:30 pm. In December, it's from 8 am to 4:30 pm. If the winter before is very mild, you might notice more fruit flies and mosquitoes in the summer.

Vianden's Economy

Vianden is a popular place for tourists in Luxembourg because of its beautiful scenery and fun attractions. Many thousands of visitors come every year, especially from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The town has 14 hotels, four campsites, and a youth hostel.

Many day-trippers also visit Vianden to enjoy its restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and sports facilities. While the hydro-electric power plant provides jobs, the closing of the Electrolux factory a few years ago meant many people lost their jobs. The town is now planning to help new craft businesses start up by making land available for them.

Fun Things to Do in Vianden

View of the town from the chairlift

Vianden is one of Luxembourg's main tourist spots. Lots of holidaymakers and local visitors come here all year round. The recently restored castle, which sits high on the rocks above the town, is now a museum. It tells the story of the castle and its connections to royal families in Europe, going all the way back to the Middle Ages.

You can also learn about Victor Hugo, the famous French author. He visited Luxembourg in 1862 and 1865, and spent a longer time in Vianden in 1871. You can see his drawings and letters in the museum located in the house where he stayed, right next to the bridge over the Our river. There's also a museum of arts and crafts (Musée d'Art rustique) and a doll and toy museum (Musée de la Poupée et du Jouet).

Many people simply enjoy walking through Vianden's hilly, historic streets. It's also a great base for walking, camping, or cycling in northern Luxembourg. There's a nice cycle route that goes up the Sauer and Our valleys to Vianden, and many marked walking trails in the area.

During the summer, a chairlift operates from the riverbanks in the lower part of town. It takes you high above the castle, offering amazing views of the landscape.

Vianden also has fun annual events. The most famous is the nut market in October. Here, you can buy local walnuts, as well as cakes, sweets, brandy, and liqueurs made from walnuts!

A few kilometers north of Vianden, you can find the Vianden Pumped Storage Plant. This is a cool attraction that uses water to store extra electricity when it's not needed and then releases it to create power during busy times.

Historic Buildings and Monuments

Besides the castle, Vianden has several other interesting old buildings and monuments:

The Hockelstur or belltower (built in 1603) is on a rock near the castle. It used to be part of the town's defenses.
The old city walls, which have been partly restored.
The Church of the Trinitarians (built in 1248) is a Gothic-style church with two parallel sections and a nearby cloister (a covered walkway). Count Henry I built it to thank the Trinitarians for helping free his father, Count Frederic II, who was captured during a crusade.
The Cross of Justice, near the Trinitarian Church, reminds everyone of the town charter given by Philip II in 1308.
The tall castle houses were built for important noble families. These include the City Hall (built in 1579) and the building where the pharmacy is now (built in 1475).
The Church of St Nicholas (from the 13th century) was partly destroyed by fire in 1723 and rebuilt the next year.

Vianden's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Vianden (you can see it at the top right of this page) has been the same since 1288. That's when Godefroid I started using the arms of Louvain-Perwez. The town was allowed to use these same arms sometime in the 14th century. The arms were officially recorded in a French book of coats of arms in 1696 by order of the King of France.

Famous People from Vianden

Many royal families and leaders have visited Vianden or have connections to it. But here are some other notable people:

Vianden's Victor Hugo Museum

Yolanda of Vianden (1231–83): She was the youngest daughter of Count Henry I. She joined a convent when she was very young, even though her parents didn't want her to. She later became a very devoted leader of the convent and is now a legend in Luxembourg's history.
Mary of Nassau-Siegen (1491–1547): A countess from the House of Nassau-Siegen.
Victor Hugo (1802–85): This famous French author stayed in Vianden several times between 1862 and 1871. He wrote about its beauty in his stories, poems, and drawings, including a series of poems called L'Année terrible. Hugo did a lot to share the beauty of Vianden with the rest of the world.
Edmond de la Fontaine (1823–91): Also known as Dicks, he was Luxembourg's national poet. He also wrote Vianden's first travel guide.
René Engelmann (1880–1915): A linguist and novelist who helped create the basic grammar for the Luxembourgish language, which later became a national language.
Victor Abens (1912–1993): A Luxembourgish politician.
One of the oldest families in Vianden started an inn, which is now Algerbue de L'Our, next to the Our River. This inn used to offer local foods to people visiting the Castle of Vianden.