The Perfect Summer Roadtrip: Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany

Tucked into the heart of Western Europe, the compact triangle of Luxembourg, Trier (Germany), and Dinant (Belgium) offers a captivating trip through three countries, four languages, and over 2,000 years of history.  A summer roadtrip to Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany might not sound like the obvious place for a long weekend but it couldn’t be more perfect in providing all the views, culture and wine you could ever ask for!

You’ll explore a grand ducal capital perched on cliffs, wander the halls of medieval castles, sip wine above Roman ruins, and stand beneath fortress walls once shelled in world wars. The distances aren’t huge, which is the whole point and chunks of this can be accomplished without a car (Dinant is trickier).

This itinerary is designed for independent travellers who like their culture with a glass of wine and their history with a good view.  Here's how to see it all in four leisurely but extremely satisfying days.

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Quick Info:

Rent Your Car

• I used Trip.com to find my rental car from Luxembourg Airport - a good range of international companies offered (and all allow you to drive to Belgium and Germany for no extra charge).

Where to Stay

• Luxembourg City: Kazakiwi Hotel - Comfortable and central rooms (3 minutes from station, 15 from city centre), excellent Espresso machine.  Rooms from €108 per night

• Trier, Germany: Hotel Mercure, Porta Negra – Views of the Porta Nigra, free car parking and well-sized rooms.  Rooms from €75 per night

• Dinant, Belgium: L’Inattendu B&B – One of the few options for central Dinant, a charming B&B, modern rooms and wonderful views. Rooms from €80 per night

What To Do

• Luxembourg:  Introductory Walking Tour With A Local and Mini-Train tour around the city.  Both excellent ways to get acquainted with this perfect-sized European capital

• Trier:  Walking Wine Tour.  History through the bottom of a glass – five glasses to be more accurate.

Day 1: Luxembourg City

Begin in Luxembourg City, one of Europe’s smallest but most striking capitals. The city is fundamentally vertical with the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rising above deep gorges carved by the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, with stone bridges linking layered districts.

Start at Place Guillaume II, named after the Dutch king who ruled Luxembourg in the 19th century, and admire the Town Hall and bronze equestrian statue. Nearby, the Grand Ducal Palace, an elegant 16th-century building still used for state functions, opens for guided tours in summer.

Walk the Chemin de la Corniche, dubbed “Europe’s most beautiful balcony,” for panoramic views over the Grund, a quiet lower district – more closely resembling an Alpine village than the suburb of one of the richest countries in Europe - filled with abbey ruins, riverside cafés, and the tranquil Neumünster Abbey cultural centre. Descend by foot, bus or very cute tourist train to explore it up close.

While you’re here, visit Casemates du Bock (open daily 10am–5:30pm), a fortress carved into the cliffs in the 17th century by Vauban, Louis XIV’s engineer. These tunnels sheltered thousands during WWII and give dramatic insight into Luxembourg’s military past.

For dinner, head to Le Sud, a rooftop restaurant in Clausen, once the city’s brewery district.

Day 2: Vianden Castle and Cultural Luxembourg

Take a scenic morning drive (or train and bus combo) Vianden, a storybook village straddling the River Our. Its main attraction, Vianden Castle (open 10am–5pm), was built between the 11th and 14th centuries on Roman and Carolingian foundations and is now a staple on every piece of tourist tat imagineable (I very much prize my beer glass in the shape of a boot!)

Once the seat of the Counts of Vianden, the castle fell into ruin by the 19th century. Meticulously restored in the 1980s, it now offers self-guided or audio tours through feasting halls, armouries, and Gothic chapels.   Allow 1-2hrs.

You can park close by but if you want to arrive in style, take the Vianden chairlift (open April–October) to the hillside above the castle and enjoy panoramic views over the town and valley.  You can return by the same method or by a 15-20 minute stroll downhill.

Back in Vianden, visit the Victor Hugo House, where the exiled French writer lived briefly in 1871. Exhibits detail his political activism, correspondence, and sketches of the town. Stop in one of the many riverside cafés nearby, then return to Luxembourg City for your choice of culture vulture activity.

For a dose of history, explore the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville which delves into the city’s development from Roman camp to EU capital.  Art lovers may prefer the Mudam, Luxembourg’s modern art museum in the Kirchberg district, with rotating exhibitions by international artists.  We skipped this but I gather this was our loss.

If your budget permits, reserve a table at Restaurant Clairefontaine, near the palace – it’s refined, local, and beautifully presented. If you’re feeling something a little less formal, head back down to Grund – The First Floor is an excellent option for local dishes with creative ingredients.

Day 3: Trier and the Wine Walk Experience

Drive 45 minutes across the border to Trier, Germany’s oldest city (ample parking outside the old city gates.) If you’re planning on drinking later in the day, leave the car in Luxembourg city and jump on the frequent trains or buses (c. 1hr).  The station is a 10 minute walk from the old town.

I knew nothing of Trier’s history so, assuming you’re in the same boat, here’s a quick crash course:

Trier was founded in 16 BCE by Emperor Augustus as Augusta Treverorum. Once a Roman imperial residence, it possesses some of the most complete Roman architecture north of the Alps…which was definitely unexpected.  Before your tour starts, take a quick stroll round, starting at the Porta Nigra (open 10am–6pm), a monumental city gate built in the 2nd century. Head on to Trier Cathedral (you literally can’t miss it, it dominates the skyline), Germany’s oldest bishop’s seat, where Romanesque and Baroque collide, and the adjacent Church of Our Lady, a Gothic masterpiece built on a Roman floorplan.

The Imperial Baths nearby are also worth visiting - once among the largest in the Roman Empire, as are foundations of Trier’s amphitheatre, which once held 20,000 spectators.  

This was part one of a surprising day.  Part two came in liquid form.

During the summer, Wine Walk Trier offers daily 2-hour guided tour that combines five UNESCO-listed sites with five regional wines.  The tour introduces you to the Moselle’s winemaking legacy, stopping at Roman walls and medieval courtyards where tastings from local estates like Fritz von Nell or Vereinigte Hospitien pair beautifully with the stories of emperors, monks, and merchants.  The stories are often far-fetched but the guides swear every word is true – and three glasses in, you’ll be enjoying yourself far too much to object.

The tour ends with a glass of wine at Weinwirtschaft Friedrich-Wilhelm, where you can also stay for dinner and another glass of Riesling.  Otherwise stagger back to Luxembourg City (unless you’ve appointed a designated driver.)

Day 4: Discovering Dinant, Belgium

Today crosses another border as you head north-west to Dinant (1hr 20 mins from Luxembourg City, 2hrs from Trier), a dramatic Belgian town you probably haven’t heard of but trust me, you’ll love it.

Geographically it’s squeezed between limestone cliffs and the River Meuse. The first sight you’ll see is the onion-domed Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, rebuilt in Gothic style after a 15th-century landslide. Directly above it, you can’t miss the Citadel of Dinant (open 10am–6pm), accessible by cable car or 408 steps (with no apologies, we chose the former). The fortress offers distant views over the river and the interior exhibitions covering Dinant’s turbulent past, especially during the Battle of Dinant in WWI.

That alone would be worth the drive but Dinant also has another claim to fame.  It is also the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone. His house is now a small museum, complete with a statue of Adolphe resting on a bench nearby.  A trail of colourful saxophones line the bridge and riverside pays tribute to his creation – your camera will do overtime here.  The views from the opposite bank looking back across to the citadel and church are stellar.

If time allows, it’s well worth renting a boat to admire Dinant’s steep valley from the water – don’t get too excited, they trundle rather than roar but it’s still an enjoyable way to pass an hour.

Once back on dry land (and assuming you’re not nursing a hangover from yesterday’s wine expedition) take a walk to Maison Leffe, a former monastery turned museum and tasting room that delves into centuries of Belgian brewing. Sample various Leffe styles while overlooking the river. 

Finish your day at La Broche, a riverside bistro known for fresh, inventive Belgian fare, the ideal location to decide where’s next.

Why Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany is the ultimate summer roadtrip

This four-day itinerary offers a seamless blend of ancient cities, castles, rivers, and culture - all within easy reach, no journey is longer than 2hrs. You'll cross borders effortlessly, tracing a path from Roman power to medieval grandeur to post-war resilience, all while enjoying wine, cuisine, and walkable historic centres. Whether you're sipping Riesling in Trier, wandering Luxembourg’s fortress tunnels, or standing beneath Dinant’s soaring cliffs, every stop offers something tangible and memorable. This summer roadtrip to Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany proves you don’t need weeks - or crowds - to feel the weight and wonder of European history.

Just a few days, a car, and a bit of curiosity will do the trick.