The tactile model
You grasp the castle's plan by hand before climbing it.
GilPe — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Self-photographed by Jwh — CC BY-SA 3.0 lu · Self-photographed by Jwh — CC BY-SA 3.0 lu · Self-photographed by Jwh — CC BY-SA 3.0 lu
They vary sharply by their nature. The Bock casemates and the medieval castles are difficult or impossible — steep stairs, narrow passages and uneven ground. Against that, the modern museums in the capital are well equipped with lifts, the rock lift to the Grund and the Pfaffenthal inclined lift are both free and solve the height difference, and all public transport is free and mostly low-floor. Useldange is a deliberate exception among the historic sites.
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Useldange Castle is a ruin in the valley of the river Attert in the west of the country, distinguished by two standing towers: one square and one round, all that remains of a twelfth-century castle demolished and burned repeatedly through a turbulent history. What makes it worth the trip is not its size but what has been done with it. It was restored in the 1990s on an unusual principle: instead of rebuilding it as a castle, it was fully equipped to be **open to blind and partially sighted visitors**. Braille panels were added, tactile scale models, routes felt underfoot, and audio description. This was among the first attempts in Europe to make an archaeological site genuinely rather than nominally accessible, and it is a useful experience for any visitor: you run your hand over a model of the whole castle before climbing it, and understand its plan in a way written panels never give you. Climbing the round tower gives a view over the valley. Entry is normally free.
You grasp the castle's plan by hand before climbing it.
A view over the Attert valley.
Useldange, 8706 Luxembourg