Machtum, the village on the Moselle loop

Machtum is famous for one thing, and it’s a good one. In the eyes of the Moselle regional tourist office it’s the most photographed village in the region, and the reason is the river, which twists round here between cliffs on both banks. It’s one of the seven localities of the commune of Wormeldange, Luxembourg’s Riesling heartland, and sits at its northern tip on the road to Grevenmacher.

Why does everyone photograph it?

Because of the shape the Moselle draws. The river swings round in front of the village, and limestone breaks out in steep walls on either side of the border, with vines hanging above. Batty Weber, the journalist and writer born in Stadtbredimus, left a line the tourist office still quotes, about a place where the Moselle shows off its charms as nowhere else. He may have been laying it on a bit, but I can see why it made the brochure.

The walk up the Haangeberg

The best way to take in the bend is the Machtum E loop, 3.11 km and graded easy. It starts in the centre, where Rue de l’Église meets An de Gaarden, passes some handsome winegrowers’ houses and climbs towards the Haangeberg. From the viewpoint you have Machtum, Grevenmacher and Mertert below you and the German villages of Nittel, Wellen and Temmels opposite. The return stays high through the Grevenmacher woods, with views as far as the Junglinster radio masts, before dropping back into the village.

There’s parking at the start and the climb is short, so it works for most people, children included. If you want more, the commune connects with the international geological trail of Nittel, Machtum and Wellen, which crosses the river and uses information boards to explain the Nitteler Fels reserve, shell limestone and the area’s geological past, right back to the age of mammoths.

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Wine and a village party

Machtum is a winegrowers’ village and one of the five that throw their cellar doors open during the Riesling Open, held over September’s third weekend. Its own event is the Meechtemer Wäischmaachen, a village tasting in August with the local growers and clubs; in 2026 it was held on 23 August. Outside those dates, tastings are booked with each estate. The government portal explains that limestone dominates the canton of Grevenmacher, with steeper slopes and a tighter valley than further south, which gives crisper, more racy wines. From the Haangeberg you can see the difference with your own eyes.

Getting there

Luxembourg’s free buses call at Machtum, Bei Kallek’s. The nearest station on the Luxembourg network is Mertert, on the Trier line, handy if you’re coming from Trier yourself. Remich has far more beds than anywhere in the northern valley, and I’d pair Machtum with Ahn, the next village upriver, on the same morning’s walk.

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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.