Vianden is a fairy tale castle well worth the hike

Last entry I told you about the Northern European Fusion that is Luxembourg's fine food. The fusion concept applies to the country's architecture as well, nowhere more so than in the achingly picturesque village of Vianden.

Vianden lies in the northeast of the country, near the German border. It occupies a stony promontory overlooking the river Ours, a perfect location for a substantial castle. This one is of the fairy tale variety, a jumble of towers, conical roofs and looming walls on a high outcropping above the river. It has a bit of Neuschwanstein about it, yet was all the more pleasant to me because I'd never heard of it. There's something truly glorious about feeling like you've discovered a place. The feeling of discovery was exacerbated by the fact that we were two of perhaps only 20 tourists roaming the castle halls on that gloomy December day. (I've borrowed someone else's photo from a more clement time of year for the illustration at right.)

It's a substantial hike to the castle from the nearest car park; perhaps 200 yards up a fairly steep incline. Then through the gatehouse and you're climbing another 200 yards through castle courtyards over rough cobbles. The tour of the castle itself requires clambering up and down lots of long, steep staircases. This is not a place for the unfit, or, truth be told, for the heavily pregnant. My friend Cora had to take things very slowly.

It is, however, worth the exertion. Everything is in a glorious state of repair, for good reason. Despite its rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, most of what you see at Vianden today is a reconstruction achieved in the 1970s and '80s. Which also explains why, once you're inside, the visit is mainly about the raw architecture of rooms rather than furniture or decoration. There's a procession of lofty halls roofed with impressive Gothic vaulting. One houses a pleasant collection of church vestments and gold and silver ceremonial objects. Another shows off armour and weapons. There's a kitchen, oddly placed in the centre of the building, kitted out to demonstrate life in "olden days". A dining room and bedroom are the only other furnished rooms. Elsewhere rooms have been used as museums to the house of Nassau-Orange, owners of the castle who managed to end up on the thrones of the Netherlands and England as well as running the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

At the very top of the castle are two long halls given over to photographs: the first showing the restoration and the second all the famous people and heads of state who've visited. Clearly, this is where anywhere important is brought on official visits. It's fascinating to compare the ruined shell in the photos to what you see today. The best part of this section of the castle, however, is the magnificent views from windows at the top of the photo to the left. You are now at the highest point, a dizzying distance above the tiny town below and able to see for miles over hill and valley.

The castle's two finest features sit side by side. First is the medieval chapel, refurbished a century before the other restorations by Viollet-Le-Duc. That French master of neo-Gothicism last made his appearance in this blog at Vezelay, where he was responsible for much of the abbey we see today. Here at Vianden he was making a point about the importance of medieval paintwork, reminding us that Gothic masterpieces were anything put pale and white. The small but lofty space is vividly picked out in orange, yellow and grey, giving you the feeling you're standing inside some giant, upturned orchid. It's a lovely space that manages to be both beautiful and contemplative. And, on our visit, very, very cold.

The approach from the main body of the castle to the chapel is through a magnificent open loggia, at least two generous stories high, punctuated on each side by large windows framed with trefoil arches. This is called the Byzantine passage, presumably after the wife of one of the 15th century counts who was also daughter to the emperor of Constantinople. It's easy to imagine her insisting on this gracious piece of architecture to enliven her primary residence. The windows on one side look down on the village and river below, and on the other open up onto a rooftop terrace filled with potted plants and trees. There are rampart walks here that give you further fine views of the town below, as well as more interesting angles on the castle's picturesque exterior. It was beautiful on a grim and grey December day; it must be one of the loveliest spots in Luxembourg in summer.

The town of Vianden is just as charming as the castle, winding away down the hillside like a tail wrapped around the animal above. The architecture is a pastiche of German and French, and well worth a stroll. At the bottom of the hill a bridge crosses the river and you'll find the Hotel Victor Hugo, commemorating the fact that the famous novelist spent several holidays here and was an early proponent of Vianden's restoration. Certainly it's easy to imagine the place inspiring Quasimodo. Vianden is the kind of vastly atmospheric, enchanted location you usually only get in novels or film sets.