Escapardenne Lee Trail
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Luxembourg

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves” – Edmund Hillary

Country | Luxembourg
Distance | 53 km (33 miles)
Route | Ettelbruck to Kautenbach
Duration | 2-3 Days
Official Website

Quick Guide

Lee Trail Info

The Escapardenne Lee Trail is one of the European Leading Quality Trails. This means it is one of the best hiking trails in Europe. For a full list of these hiking tracks and how they qualify, please check out their website.

The Lee Trail takes you through the Luxembourg Ardens and along ridges (“Lee” in Luxembourg) with magnificent views. With over 80% of this hike being natural paths, you will get a real chance to reconnect with nature.

One of the things that makes this trail unique is the amount of benches on the trail. Almost every kilometre you can find a bench. I have made a short compilation video of them, so you can see for yourself.

It was one of the most spectacular trails I have ever walked!

Sections

The Lee Trail can be done in 2 or 3 days, and most guidebooks will show you a 3-day itinerary. The guidebook I used showed the following section breakdown:

Recommended Itinerary in the guidebook:
Day 1: Ettelbruck – Bourscheid/Moulin: 18.3 km
Day 2: Bourscheid/Moulin – Hoscheid: 19.7 km
Day 3: Hoscheid – Kautenbach: 15 km

My actual itinerary was a bit different because I wanted to use the campsites along the route. There is no camping in Hoscheid…I was very happy the guidebook showed details on what sleeping arrangements were available along the trail.

My actual itinerary:
Day 1: Ettelbruck – Bourscheid/Moulin : 18.3 km
Day 2: Bourscheid/Moulin – Goebelsmuhle : 13 km
Day 3: Goebelsmuhle – Kautenbach : 21.7 km

If you are still looking for a guidebook and you understand German, I would definitely recommend the below, it is light and easy to use. I have linked it to Amazon, but it is usually also available at the tourist information centre in Ettelbruck.

How to get to there?

The most convenient way to get to the Lee Trail is by public transport. Both ends of the trail are only a few hundred metres from the train station. Ettelbruck is the largest of the two towns, with a Tourist Information Centre that can help you out.

Along the trail you will pass by bus stops, from where you could always take the bus back to Ettelbruck.

If you are coming from outside of Luxembourg, you will probably need an international ticket if you take the train. One way to overcome this is to stop at the last station before the border and take the next train into Luxembourg. You will then have the advantage of local pricing – which is much cheaper…

Checkout this website for your best itinerary.

Accommodation on the Lee Trail

You can find many inviting camping spots along the way, but please keep in mind that it is officially not allowed to wild camp in Luxembourg without the permission of the landowner.

The trail offers some good campsites and hotels. All campsites have a designated trekkers area and offer lunch options.

Bourscheid-Moulin:

Camping Du Moulin
Hotel Du Moulin
Cocoon Hotel Belair
Cocoon Hotel La Rive

Goebelsmuhle:

Camping du Nord
Chalet d’Esperance

Hoscheid:

Hotel Des Ardennes

Kautenbach:

Camping Kautenbach
Hotel Huberty

Check here if you want to continue the Escapardenne on the Eisleck Trail.

Booking.com

Resupplies

There are only a few options to resupply along this trail and you will need to bring food for at least 2 days. If you don’t want to carry all your food, there are a few alternatives that you can try.

The official campsites along the trail offer pre-booked lunch packages and sometimes dinner, but they usually have a threshold on when you can order. It is usually before 16.30 the day before.

Some campsites cafe/food along the trail. However, opening hours can be disappointing. It happened to me 3 times that the cafes along the trail were closed or only open after 3 pm.

No shops in Kautenbach. There is a hotel/restaurant and a campsite which does offer some camping supplies on site.

Ettelbruck has a great selection of shops and restaurant and is the closest you will come to a bigger town along the Lee Trail. My suggestion is therefore to start in Ettelbruck to stock up on supplies.

For those of you doing the entire Escapardenne, including the Eisleck Trail, there is an option to stock up in Troisvierges and Houffalize.

No supermarket in Clervaux, but there are many cafes and restaurants to fill your belly and bring some takeaway baguette or something. That’s what I did at least.

Water

To my surprise there were not as many water sources as expected. Many times when you go along a river, you are either way up or there was no running water. It might be due to the time that I was hiking (September), but please keep this in mind.

If you are staying at the official campsites, you can obviously use their facilities to fill up your water bottles. Tap water is usually safe to drink in Luxembourg, although it wouldn’t hurt if you filter it if you are unsure.

Another way to stock up on water is to make use of the small towns you come across. There are no water fountains anywhere, but you will be able to find a cafe/restaurant or worst case scenario you could knock on someone’s door if you are in desperate need of water.

Gear List

For a complete list of the gear that I took with me on the hike, click here. The link will take you to my lighterpack gear list and includes weight and links to more info.

Additional Information

Luggage Transfer: Available when booking a guided hike

GPX File:
You can find GPX files and an interactive map on cirkwi.be and visitluxembourg.com.
GPX File

Maps and Guides:

Map
Complete guide for Lee Trail and Eislek Trail (German version)
For more, visit the official shop

My Experience on the Lee Trail

The Lee Trail is one of the most spectacular hikes I have ever done in the Benelux area. To get there, I took the train to Luxembourg, via Arlon and then onwards to Ettelbruck.

Arriving at the train station I bought my Escapardenne guidebook from the tourist information centre and started the trail straight after.

As soon as I set foot on the Lee Trail I was stunned by its beauty and peaceful nature. Clearly this path is being managed with love and care.

There are many amazing views to enjoy on the Lee Trail. Sometimes out of nowhere, you can catch a glimpse of where you are amidst the hills and trees.