Bech, the Mullerthal of fields, old railways and a shrine in an oak

Walk south from the big sandstone gorges of the Mullerthal and the landscape changes character. The rock walls give way to fields, orchards and rolling hills, and Bech is the best place to see that quieter half of the region, with small villages and a greenway along the bed of a vanished railway.

Ten villages, 1,370 people

With 1,370 people at the start of 2026, Bech ranks among the country’s five smallest communes by population in STATEC’s figures, with Saeul, Putscheid, Kiischpelt and Fischbach. The national register lists ten localities, Altrier, Bech, Blumenthal, Geyershof, Graulinster, Hemstal, Hersberg, Kobenbour, Rippig and Zittig. Blumenthal and Graulinster are shared with neighbouring Junglinster.

The railway that’s gone

The narrow-gauge line from Luxembourg City to Echternach used to cross the commune, on the train known as Charly (the regional tourist office spells it Charli). Its tunnel served trains until 1954 and now forms part of a cycle path, with several footpaths using it as well. Bech’s 10.84 km Auto-Pédestre circuit sets off along that cycle track, goes through the tunnel, climbs to Altrier past an old wash house and, on the way back, loops east of the village for a first taste of rocky country before skirting the Hirzbierg.

The old station now houses the Becher Gare restaurant, serving French and Luxembourgish dishes, with a café open all day for people on the cycle path and the Trail, and beer brewed on site. That’s my pick of the commune, a bike ride with lunch there. For hire bikes and routes, see my guide to cycling in Luxembourg.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Echternach for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Why pilgrims visit an oak tree

In Altrier stands an oak more than 500 years old with a hollow trunk that shelters a statue of the Virgin Mary. Every year, on the eve of 15 August, crowds of pilgrims walk to it by torchlight. The oak stands on Route 2 of the Mullerthal Trail, which also passes Hersberg, while Route 3 runs through Blumenthal. Altrier’s own 13.21 km circuit is rated hard, climbing over the Bierg, dropping into the Gluedbaach valley and returning via Kobenbour, Kasselt and Hersberg.

A hill that explains the landscape

Beside the N11 a lay-by sits just below the Rippeger Kopp, a geopark site. The hill marks the edge of the Luxembourg sandstone escarpment, a hard rock that resists erosion and stays on top, sitting over soft Keuper marl laid down between 235 and 200 million years ago. On an information board that sounds dry, but it’s the whole story of the Mullerthal in one view, hard rock above and soft rock beneath.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Echternach for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

A British memorial in the woods

visitluxembourg lists the Halifax Memorial «Marscherwald», with a Graulinster address. In August 1943 a British Halifax Mk II bomber with seven men on board was attacked by a German night fighter on a routine flight. It’s a small, quiet stop, and if you’re British it’s a stop worth making in this part of Luxembourg.

For clefts and caves, head north to Consdorf.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Echternach on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Luxembourg: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

Before you fix your dates, compare tickets to Luxembourg: the same journey can cost very different amounts from one day to the next.