The iron well
An ornate well in the yard.
Zinneke — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Zinneke — CC BY-SA 3.0 lu · Zinneke — CC BY-SA 3.0 lu · Zinneke — CC BY-SA 3.0 lu · Jamesmulli — CC BY-SA 4.0
Wiltz Castle is a Renaissance-style building in northern Luxembourg, set on a rocky promontory in the upper part of town. Today it is best known for its annual international music festival, while part of it serves as a campus, and outside the season its pale yellow walls and grey roofs feel calm. The Lords of Wiltz built a fortified castle here in the 13th century, and the upper town grew around it. The French burned it in 1388, it was soon repaired, and the troops of Philip of Burgundy attacked in 1453. Count John VI began the present castle in 1631, but the Thirty Years War caused delays, so the main building was not finished until about 1720, the old chapel in 1722 and the monumental staircase to the gardens in 1727. The State acquired it in 1951 for an old people's home. The round Witches' Tower east of the gardens is the oldest surviving part. You enter by an arched gate into a wide cobbled yard with an ornate iron well, windows framed in red stone and a small balcony. The staircase leads to the gardens, where the Wiltz festival has run since 1953, for three weeks from late June to mid-July, with classical music, jazz and rock under a removable roof. The castle lies about 41.8 km from Luxembourg City and 11.8 km from Clervaux Castle in a straight line. With teaching institutions inside, do not enter buildings without permission and stick to the yard and gardens. Book early if you are coming for the festival.
An ornate well in the yard.
The oldest surviving part.
The way to the festival gardens.
Upper town, Wiltz, Luxembourg
For three weeks from late June to mid-July.
Part of it houses teaching institutions, so keep to the yard and gardens unless permitted.