LUXEMBOURG: Echternach

As an example of how spontaneous we were that Luxembourg long weekend a month ago, the day we did our photo hunt in Luxembourg City (not yet posted!) ended soon enough for us to visit Luxembourg's oldest city, Echternach, on our way to that evening's B&B in Germany.

It so happen's that Echternach is on the border between these two countries.

 In fact, the river Sauer that passes through this city of approximately 5000 inhabitants is the border.

Look one way on the bridge and you're welcomed to Germany.

Look the other way and it's Luxembourg.

And since we're standing on the bridge, 

look towards the Germany side and see all the campers at the river's edge.

It was really hot that day, so I can just imagine how good that river felt.
(click any collage to enlarge)

A short walk back into town took us to the open market on the main square that Sunday.

I LOVE these market squares all over Europe, with their town halls.

 And that's where we stopped to eat our main meal of the day.

This was our first pizza ordered in my 3+ years here in the Netherlands.

It was very hard to resist, along with the wonderful salad, on which we went halvsies, like usual.

The Diekirch beer is brewed not far away in Diekirch, Luxembourg, so it was a must on a hot day.

And see that little blue-n-white train?

Every day we saw one in almost every city, taking tourists around town to see the sights.

Of the two churches in Echternach, this Basilica is the largest...what was the former abbey.

Remember when I said Echternach is Luxembourg's oldest city?

It grew up around the abbey that was built by St. Willibrord in 698.

Besides the present modern interior from 1953 (6 churches have been built on the site since 698!)...

...it has a museum where you can see artifacts dating back many centuries.

The other church in Echternach is the parish church of St. Peter and Paul from the 10th century,

and is believed to be the oldest Christian church in the country.

Too bad it wasn't open!

What a delightful little town...the size of the town where I grew up in Michigan...

...but nothing at all like what I knew back in my day!

To be continued....