Septfontaines Castle, a tower to admire from the lane

Let’s start with the question most people ask. No, you can’t go inside Septfontaines Castle. visitluxembourg says so plainly, it’s private property, and Visit Guttland repeats it on its Valley of the Seven Castles route. It’s still worth a stop, though. The Renaissance tower above the village is one of the most characterful silhouettes on the drive, and the story behind it fills a good few minutes of audio guide.

Eight centuries of lords

Nobody knows exactly when the first castle went up. What historians do know, according to visitluxembourg, is that a document of 1192 names one Tidier as lord of Septfontaines. In 1233 Jean de Septfontaines placed his estate under the rule of Princess Ermesinde, the same countess who founded Clairefontaine Abbey, now over the border in Belgium. In the early 14th century the lordship belonged to Thomas de Siebenborn, friend and companion of Emperor Henry VII.

The feature that defines its outline today came in 1600, when Christophe de Criechingen raised a hefty Renaissance tower by the north entrance. That’s the tower you recognise from below. Visit Guttland, more briefly, calls it a 12th-century castle now in private hands.

Seeing it from outside

Since you can’t go in, the trick is knowing where to stand. Visit Guttland says it has set up viewpoints at strategic spots so you can take in the valley’s private castles. The village itself, with its church and old houses, gives a decent view too. I’d allow ten or fifteen minutes, no more.

To bring it to life, visitluxembourg mentions an audio guide in the Lëtzebuerg West app, and Visit Guttland lists another, recorded in 2013, among its castle audio guides. Playing it in front of the tower makes a real difference.

The village had its own commune, Simmern, until 1 January 2018, when it merged with Hobscheid to form Habscht after residents approved it in a 2014 referendum. Without a car, public transport is free across Luxembourg and mobiliteit.lu will give you the bus connection; I’d check it before setting out, as I haven’t found a route listed in the official sources I’ve read.

A word on names, since signs can confuse. Septfontaines is the French form, meaning seven springs, and Simmern the Luxembourgish one; you’ll see both on maps and in the official listings. Luxembourgish is the national language, but French rules in shops, hotels and restaurants, so it’s the French names that tend to stick with visitors.

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

With children, the knight’s test

visitluxembourg has turned the village into a game. Its story follows two siblings who help a pair of boys pass the tests to become knights, and the downloadable sheet sets six puzzles around Septfontaines, starting at the church. One asks which animal sits on top of the church spire. For a child bored of looking at castles through a car window, it’s a good cure. More ideas in Luxembourg with kids.

Not to be confused with Rollingergrund

In Luxembourg City, in the Rollingergrund district, there’s another Château de Septfontaines, finished in 1784 and connected with the Boch brothers’ pottery works. It has nothing to do with this one. The castle described here is in the Eisch valley, at 1, rue du Château in the village of Septfontaines, Simmern in Luxembourgish.

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

On the valley drive

Septfontaines is the penultimate stop on Visit Guttland’s driving route. You arrive from the old castle at Ansembourg after 7.6 km, the longest leg, and carry on 5.7 km to Koerich. I like doing it in that order and finishing at Koerich Castle, which you can explore inside for free. Every stop is covered in my seven castles of the Eisch guide, and the commune it belongs to is Habscht.

Is it worth the detour?

On its own, no. Nobody should cross the country to look at a private tower from the street. Within the valley drive, yes, because it’s on the way and adds a Renaissance piece to a mostly medieval set. In a hurry, you’ll see it from the car. With time, park in the village, put the audio guide on and wander the lanes before driving on to Koerich. If you want castles you can actually walk round, my pick is in castles in Luxembourg.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Septfontaines Castle 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.