Goesdorf, the Ardennes village named after its smelters

Goesdorf sits on the plateau overlooking the Sûre valley, in the same canton as Wiltz and right next to the commune of Esch-sur-Sûre. It has 1,682 residents spread over eleven localities, from Nocher to Dahl and Buederscheid. There’s no castle or museum. What it has is a mining history that’s rare for the Ardennes and two or three walks with river views that justify an afternoon. For a bed, I’d look at the hotels in Esch-sur-Sûre, with the lake close by.

The smelters’ village

The commune explains the name with a story I love. Goesdorf used to be Gießdorf, the village where antimony from the neighbouring mines was smelted and cast. When someone rendered it into German they got it wrong and it became Goesdorf, but in Luxembourgish it’s still Géisdoerf.

Antimony is a soft metal the Egyptians already used as make-up and which later went into top-quality printing type. At Goesdorf the first concession dates from 1354, although the commune reckons the Romans were digging for it earlier. In 1935 a 52-kilo block unusually rich in antimony turned up, and for years it was considered the largest in the world. The mine shut in 1938.

What’s left of the mine

Since 1998 a heritage trail has taken in what little you can still see. The panels point out the spoil heap behind the house that stands where the old forge was, the shafts that have since been filled in, and a metal plate set at the angle of the ore vein, about 75 degrees. In its second phase an inclined shaft went down to 72 metres and the galleries added up to about 800. It’s a short, well-explained stop, perfect if you’re travelling with someone curious.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Esch-sur-Sûre before prices climb.

Across the plateau and down to the river

visitluxembourg suggests the Auto-Pédestre Goesdorf, 6.87 km and roughly 2 hours 10 minutes, starting near the town hall. It drops into the Sûre valley and, just before crossing the Beetebach, gives you a viewpoint over the river’s meanders before climbing back up. Between Goesdorf and Tadler there’s also the Teifelslee viewpoint, with its own legend and room for a picnic. With 210 m of ascent, it’s a proper walk rather than a stroll, so I’d wear boots.

Church, Roman villa and villages

The commune considers this one of the earliest settled parts of the Ösling, and believes a Roman villa stood at a spot called op Mecher. The Holy Cross church was consecrated on 28 July 1873, and the village fair falls on 14 September. Nocher, with its chapel of St Lucy first recorded in 1444, is the largest locality. In the Middle Ages these lands belonged to the counts of Esch, the lords of Esch-sur-Sûre Castle.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Esch-sur-Sûre before prices climb.

Where to stay

In 2025 STATEC recorded a single hotel and no campsites in Goesdorf. I’d base myself in Esch-sur-Sûre, which has more choice and the lake on its doorstep.

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

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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.