Bettendorf, a Sûre valley village next to Diekirch

Bettendorf, the Luxembourg one, is a commune in the Sûre valley east of Diekirch, with three villages, Bettendorf, Gilsdorf and Moestroff, and 3,051 residents according to STATEC. The commune’s website gives the split, 1,366 in Bettendorf, 1,150 in Gilsdorf and 534 in Moestroff, and the photo at the top shows the setting, meadows, the village in the valley and the Härebierg behind.

A Frankish name and two castles

The commune links the name to a Frank called Betto and traces the first settlement to Gallo-Roman times. Until 1330 it came under Diekirch, after which the Count of Luxembourg handed it to Hanry de Betandorffe. By 1473 it was already a place of some weight, with 48 households against Diekirch’s 98, and it had two castles. The larger, on the left bank, had vanished by the 1800s. Where the other stood, the baroque castle you see today went up in 1728, restored in 1962, with a corner tower and two decorated belvederes. In the 18th century the lordship passed to the d’Olimart family and then the von Puttkamers. visitluxembourg makes clear it isn’t open to the public.

The present commune was formed in 1795 from the lordships of Bettendorf and Moestroff. Gilsdorf, previously under Diekirch, joined in 1823, while Bastendorf, attached at the same time, left on 25 October 1827 for the new commune that is today’s Tandel.

Walking the valley with the war close by

The 11.74 km Bettendorf circular walk heads out of the centre towards Moestroff along the Sûre cycle path, climbs steeply up the Schoofsbierg, passes the Hirzenhaff and crosses the commune woodland. Just before you re-enter the village there’s a memorial to the US 10th Infantry Regiment. visitluxembourg recalls that the valley was bitterly fought over during the Ardennes offensive and that on 10 January 1945 the soldiers managed to cross the Sûre, and the route makes you cross it too to get back.

The 7.81 km Éislek Pad Gilsdorf starts at Gilsdorf church, climbs to a viewpoint over the village, runs through beech woods and comes out at the Schoofsbësch quarry, hidden in the forest. For me it’s the nicest afternoon walk in the area.

The Diekirch military museum also recommends the Bettendorf-Reisdorf historic trail, a route that brings back how the offensive began in 1944. If you’ve seen the museum’s dioramas, walking these valleys puts a landscape to them.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Diekirch before prices climb.

Bettendorf and the Nordstad

Between 2018 and 2024 Bettendorf took part in talks to merge the Nordstad communes. According to the Nordstad website, a 2024 referendum returned a yes, but the council decided not to go on. Today it’s the other four, Erpeldange-sur-Sûre among them, that are preparing the merger.

In 2025, STATEC says, Bettendorf had one campsite and not a single hotel. For a bed, Diekirch is next door.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Diekirch before prices climb.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Diekirch and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Luxembourg on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

So you do not pay over the odds, look at trains, coaches and flights to Luxembourg on Omio and pick the one that suits you.