Contern, festivals and a two-star table south-east of the capital

Contern is a municipality south-east of the capital, with 5,006 residents in four localities, Contern, Medingen, Moutfort and Oetrange. In a single year it has gained almost 300 people, from 4,716 to 5,006, according to STATEC. For a visitor, its appeal lies in its calendar and in one particular dining room.

A two-star table

Oetrange is home to Ma Langue Sourit, run by chef Cyril Molard and one of only two restaurants in Luxembourg with two Michelin stars. If you’re after a special meal near the capital, it strikes me as the obvious choice, because it gets you out of town and into a village you’d otherwise never set foot in. The rest are in my guide to Michelin-star restaurants in Luxembourg.

What festivals does Contern hold?

visitguttland sets out the year like this. In June, the Moutfort beer festival. In mid-July, the international comic festival, followed at the end of the month by an international wheelchair rugby tournament. In October comes the apple festival, with a local market and viz, Luxembourg’s traditional unfiltered apple juice, pressed on the spot. At the June beer festival, the page says, local microbreweries and craft brewers show off their skills.

The page gives no exact dates or year, so I wouldn’t plan a trip without confirming them first. But if you happen to coincide with the comics in July or the apples in October, it’s one of the best excuses to leave the capital for an afternoon.

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

Family outings

The municipality has an ostrich farm with tastings and the Jumpbox trampoline park, according to visitguttland. The farm visit comes with a tasting of its own produce, and Jumpbox is indoors, which is why visitguttland suggests it for rainy days. Luxembourg with kids has more family ideas. For grown-ups, the Muller-Lemmer distillery has a tasting room where you can finish the day with an eau-de-vie. Outside festival time, the municipality has footpaths and cycle paths for exploring on foot or by bike.

When to go

Given the choice, mid-July is my pick, when the comic festival turns the village into a meeting point for fans from well beyond Luxembourg for one summer weekend, according to visitguttland. October, with the apple festival and its market, comes a close second. Outside those dates, Contern is a pleasant place to walk or cycle and to book a special dinner in Oetrange, but on its own it doesn’t really justify a full day out.

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

Getting there

Oetrange has a station on the Luxembourg to Wasserbillig and Trier line, free in second class within the country. I’d pair Contern with Schuttrange to the north and the rose garden at Munsbach Castle, or with Weiler-la-Tour to the south, where the Syre rises.

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