Hiking in Mullerthal

Mullerthal is a small and charming village, but the real reason I came here was for the surrounding forests and natural scenery. This region of Luxembourg is often nicknamed “Little Switzerland” because of its rocky hills, narrow valleys, streams, and hiking trails. There are plenty of small hotels and bed and breakfasts scattered around the area, and I imagine this would be an excellent place to spend a quiet fall weekend. I was only here for the day, so I stopped for lunch at the restaurant above before heading out to explore.

As someone who has climbed and hiked in Switzerland, I can easily say that the mountains here aren’t anything close to the Alps in scale. Still, the scenery was much more impressive than I expected from such a tiny country. I mostly came here to go hiking, but even driving through the narrow country roads was part of the experience. I saw quite a few sports cars and motorcycles passing through, so apparently I wasn’t the only one who appreciated the winding roads.

Hiking Through the Forest

I visited in early October and had hoped the autumn colors would already be at their peak. Unfortunately most of the forest was still very green, although a few trees were beginning to turn yellow. Even without the fall colors, the forest was beautiful and much denser than I expected.

Small streams and creeks run throughout the region and are a big part of what makes the landscape so scenic. At times the trails followed directly beside the water, while other sections climbed into the rocky hills above.

Mullerthal gets its “Little Switzerland” nickname partly from formations like this. The region is filled with sandstone cliffs, boulders, and narrow passages hidden throughout the forest. I imagine there must be some interesting climbing opportunities around here, although on this visit I stuck entirely to hiking.

There are trails for just about every level of hiking here. Some stay relatively flat and follow creeks through the forest, while others climb through rocky terrain and narrow passes. This particular route had several small bridges and sections that almost felt like a boardwalk. It actually remained fairly close to the road, but the surrounding forest made it feel much more remote.

Waterfalls Along the Trail

This small waterfall formed where a stream ran over a protruding section of rock beside the trail. The flowing water was much easier to see in person than it is in the photograph. I imagine after a heavy rainstorm this little waterfall would be considerably more impressive.

Wildlife in Mullerthal

This spider was somehow the only wildlife photograph I came away with from Luxembourg. The forests here are home to plenty of animals, but most are much better at avoiding people than this guy was. Deer and wild boar live throughout the countryside, while the forests and wetlands also support a wide variety of birds. I didn’t see anything particularly dramatic, but the area definitely felt like it had plenty of life hidden just beyond the trail.

Schiessentümpel

The most famous sight in Mullerthal is Schiessentümpel, a small waterfall beneath a stone bridge surrounded by forest. It isn’t a huge waterfall by any measure, but the setting is what makes it special. The bridge, rocks, trees, and water all fit together perfectly, and it ended up being one of my favorite places from the entire trip.

After I left Mullerthal I did some more research and realized just how much I had missed. I found photos of trails squeezing between massive sandstone walls, narrow passages covered in moss, and other parts of the forest that looked completely different from what I had explored. I was disappointed I hadn’t known about those places beforehand, but at least now I have a good reason to return.

I definitely didn’t see everything Mullerthal had to offer, but I’m glad I made it to Schiessentümpel. For such a tiny country, Luxembourg managed to pack in a surprisingly impressive amount of natural scenery, and this region was easily one of my favorite parts.