KACHEN #28 (Autumn 2021) English Edition

LUXEMBOURG
THE FRUITY
FIREWORKS
OF BEAUFORT
What is the recipe for a paradisical day in Luxembourg’s
Little Switzerland? Take a dreamy renaissance palace, an
idyllic castle, a romantic castle pond, a few picturesque
walking paths and finally, a local speciality, such as a delicious
cassis, and voila! You'll have a magical day.
In fact, you could just as easily spend a whole weekend
– including fruity finish – around Beaufort’s castle and
palace in the face of all the possibilities on offer. Leading
directly off the castle parking, you’ll find varied walking
paths into nature reserves and to wonderful viewing
points. The round walk B1 (Beaufort 1) is especially to be
recommended. It takes you back to the castle after your
walking tour where you can revitalize and relax with a
delicious Cassero, drunk pure as a liqueur or thinned with
sparkling wine. We’ll return to the matter of Cassero and
its fascinating history shortly.
The beautiful castle
But first, let’s take a look at the castle, for it is the thing
visitors notice immediately. It stands at the edge of the
valley in the elevated plain of Beaufort. The name comes
from the Romance version of the Latin “bellus fortis,”
meaning “beautiful castle.” Going with this old name,
the medieval castle – built between 1050 and 1650 in
four phases – seems to have dominated the countryside
from the start. The Luxembourgish nature photographer
Raymond Clement, who is able to set the building in scene
so skilfully, gushes at the sight of the picturesque castle.
Beaufort’s castle can further count Victor Hugo to
its fans, who, in 1871, admiringly said: “I walked to the
castle between two rain showers. She appears around a
corner in the forest, at the end of a gorge. She is an idyllic
apparition. Marvellous.” The castle of Beaufort is still
impressive today, even though the ravages of time have
taken their toll.
161
KACHEN No.28 | AUTUMN 21