The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Luxembourg:
Echternach
Although this town of 4,000 in eastern Luxembourg was largely destroyed during the 1944 Battle of the Bulge, many of its historical sights have been restored. The rebuilt Basilique de St-Willibrord, which got trashed during the war, is actually pretty boring, but you can visit the crypt downstairs and see the neo-Gothic tomb of the church's namesake saint. A more interesting religious relic is the Eglise Sts-Pierre-et-Paul, atop a hill in the center of town. Parts of it date from the 7th century, and some remains even go back to the Roman era, when a palace stood on the site. Another Roman palace, the Palais Romain, is a 10-minute walk south of town along rue de Luxembourg. It would be more exciting if you could catch an aerial view of it, since the villa's remaining walls and columns are only two feet high.
The helpful tourist office (Porvis de la Basilique, tel. 7-22-30), across from the basilica, sells maps of nearby hiking trails, which wind through the Petite Suisse and Basse-Sûre regions of Luxembourg. The 80LF map details hikes ranging from 3 to 12 km that pass by castles, forests, streams, and rocky cliffs.
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