Hollenfels, the village of the keep above the Eisch

Hollenfels is instantly recognisable by its keep, to my mind the most striking silhouette in the Eisch valley. The village belongs to the commune of Helperknapp and is one of the stops on the Valley of the Seven Castles. Right now it’s a place to look at and walk around rather than go inside, because the castle is under works and its hostel is shut.

A castle to see, not to enter

Its keep, close to 40 m high, crowns a rock at 315 m, looking down into the tight Eisch valley. visitluxembourg says visits aren’t possible at present because of renovation works. Its history, architecture and the best spots to view it are under Hollenfels Castle.

visitluxembourg points to the park right beside it, with swings and slides and the keep straight ahead, and for me that’s the best place to take it in. If you’re travelling with children, that’s your stop.

A hostel in a castle, closed for now

The quirkiest thing about Hollenfels is that the outbuildings of the medieval castle house a youth hostel and an ecology centre. visitluxembourg sells it as a springboard for woodland walks and mountain biking, with e-bikes to hire if you book and somewhere to charge them. The catch is that the hostel network has it down as temporarily closed in 2026, so don’t plan on staying. I keep an eye on its status in youth hostels in Luxembourg.

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

Walking the valley

Visit Guttland suggests an 8.51 km circular walk, about 2 hours 25, graded moderate. It starts and finishes on rue d’Ansembourg, with a car park opposite, drops into the Eisch valley, passes the Neimillen mill to where the Kalbaach joins, and comes back through the Bruchendall. It ranges between 253 and 375 m, with 151 m of climbing. The listing recommends sturdy shoes and something to drink.

You can also follow the path out to the Reiterlee, where legend has it something remarkable happened. The story goes that a knight leapt into the void on his horse to escape his pursuers and, miraculously, both survived. From the rock you look over the Eisch valley and the Marienthal.

On the castle route

Hollenfels is 1.5 km from the gardens of the new castle at Ansembourg, the shortest leg of Visit Guttland’s route, and 2.7 km from the old castle. That’s why I’d see them together. The whole seven-castle route is in valley of the seven castles.

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

How long to spend here

With the castle shut, twenty minutes is enough to see it from the park. Add the circular walk and you’re looking at half a day including the return. My favourite combination is walking over from Ansembourg, taking in the keep, dropping into the valley on the loop and finishing at the Reiterlee. Once the castle and hostel reopen, Hollenfels will climb several places in my ranking.

Getting there and sleeping

Buses stop in the village at Hollenfels, Schoul, beside the school, and public transport is free throughout Luxembourg. With the hostel closed and only two hotels in the whole commune according to STATEC in 2025, my bed would be in the capital.

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.