The rendez-vous of this edition of the summer hikes organized by the Tourist Office of Clervaux was given on a Wednesday morning in August, in Heinerscheid. The sun was already high in the sky as the other participants of the hike were quietly gathering around our guide of the day, Susan.
Susan knows the surroundings like the back of her hand. Well, we hope so! The commune of Clervaux is part of the Natural Park of the river Our, which serves as a border with Germany in the north of the country. It is towards this river that the first part of the hike will lead us. But before the departure, Susan will give us each a delicious apple pie, to give us courage but above all to make us already discover the local flavours...
We are about twenty, starting from the Cornelyshaff, an inn where we will later spend our lunch time. We leave the village quickly, and already we are slowly going into the forest. The heat always climbing a little more as the day goes by, the shade of the trees and the gentle slope that will bring us to the Our simply does us a lot of good. In the group, there are two friendly families, one group of young people and another of seniors.
One of the walkers calls out to me and asks me to photograph some parts of the forest. From there the discussions go on until the first stop. He shows me some details of nature, which show that the woods we are passing through are quite old, but not very stable, he tells me. The trunks are too thin and the trees too high. This could cause the many pines to fall during a violent storm. With him, I also discover the railway logs used to make stairs along the boardwalk.
We're finally at the back of the pack, with Susan well ahead. Already, the Our appears at our side and a campsite appears little by little through the branches. We arrived at the edge of the river Our and the Tintesmühle campsite, a true haven of peace.
While Florence, the manageress, sets up the troop to drink an aperitif, I take a walk to the river. A Belgian couple, coming from the North Sea, comes to chat with me for a few moments. They've been coming here every summer for years. For the peace, the coolness and the facilities. It's true that this place is full of good vibes. The campsite spreads out in a long tongue of grass along the river Our. On one side Luxembourg, on the other side Germany. I join the others who enjoy their drink offered for the occasion, and quickly, we leave for the hike. It is already 11:30 am and the Cornelyshaff awaits us for lunch.
The second part of the hike promises to be more complicated. If the slope was gentle so far, now it will climb to the end of the walk. We start again through the forest and Susan has a new surprise for us: a magnificent viewpoint over the whole valley, the river and the campsite that already looks very small. It's the perfect time to take a few pictures with family and friends.
After the forest, the golden wheat fields resurface. With them comes the warmth, but Susan reassures us by telling us that we are soon at our destination. On the way, we pass in front of a hemp field. I am surprised to see this but one of the walkers tells me that it is quite common. Hemp is used in the area of the natural park for the production of oil, mustards and tea.
After about 20 minutes through the hilly countryside, we arrive at Cornelyshaff. The hostel has reserved several tables for the group. The 3-course menu prepared by the chef is mainly made with local products from the surrounding farms. The choice is left to the participants between a vegetarian option for each dish. I let myself be tempted by the kniddelen, the local speciality based on flour, which is a bit of Luxembourg gnocchi prepared in a bacon sauce and accompanied by a salad. The size of the plates is quite impressive! But, well, after the 10 km hike, everyone is hungry and finishes their plate.
For the main course, trout from the Our is proposed as well as a cordon bleu with local cheese. I opt for the cordon bleu, which is simply delicious. The Cornelyshaff also specialises in beer. And their beer, the Ourdaller, is brewed just a few meters from our tables. We'll find this beer in the dessert, by the way! The chef has prepared us a perfect iced parfait with his beer and honey. The mixture is amazing and harmonious, which is the perfect end to this colourful excursion, a real moment of conviviality, among incredible landscapes and a gourmet local gastronomy.