The plan was light. A Portuguese dinner in Luxembourg City, a beautiful hike on the Luxembourg Mullerthal Trail, art in Lille, beaches on the Opal Coast. Sheila and I set out from Amsterdam on April 1st for a relaxed spring week across Luxembourg and northern France. The first evening landed us at Alma, a Portuguese restaurant in Junglinster, Luxembourg that comes highly recommended. The food was exactly what we wanted — warm, familiar flavors after the drive south. We sat there with that specific feeling: we’ve got time, everything is loose, the week will unfold at its own pace.
Twenty-Five Kilometers By Mistake
The next morning, April 2nd, we woke up in Echternach to start the Mullerthal Trail. The map showed a scenic loop through Luxembourg’s famous sandstone formations and lush forests. The first kilometers delivered exactly that — dramatic rock corridors, idyllic streams, the kind of scenery that makes you understand why this trail has its reputation. Then the markers disappeared. The forest closed in. Sections started blending together. A missed turn went unnoticed until the distance had already stacked up. By the time we realized, the phone was at 2 percent, water was gone, and light was fading. Organic Maps downloaded just in time to recalibrate. What should have been a moderate loop became a 25 kilometer endurance test. The hiker’s takeaway is simple and earned: always carry a fully charged powerbank, plenty of water, and a reliable navigation app. Pre-planning with a dedicated trail map is ideal. Despite the extra miles, the Mullerthal remains a must-do hike.
Namur, Lille, and the Art of Slowing Down
Leaving Echternach on April 3rd toward Lille, the drive included a scenic stop in Belgium at the Citadel of Namur. Stone walls, elevation, a different kind of climb — it worked as a bridge between the trail’s chaos and what came next. We arrived at B&B Hotels in Lille, a consistently budget-friendly choice that delivered a solid, comfortable stay.
April 4th was spent at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, home to one of France’s grandest art collections. Not a museum inventory — just the texture of standing in front of one canvas while legs still ached from 25 kilometers. The quiet of that bench, the deliberate slowing down, the body recovering in a room full of masterpieces.
On April 5th the route turned toward the French coastline. After checking into the second B&B Hotel in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the afternoon featured a visit to the soaring Basilica of Our Lady.
April 6th brought a scenic drive up the Côte d’Opale to Plage de Wissant, where sweeping coastal vistas met pristine beach weather. The wind, the space, the sand stretching empty — the body exhaling after three days of structure.
April 7th was a slow morning on Boulogne sand.
April 8th: the uneventful drive back to Amsterdam, smooth and quiet, the opposite of the outbound chaos. That silence holds something about why we do this — the contrast between the plan and what actually happens, and the fact that both are worth it.
Practical Alternatives for Readers Who Prefer to Fly
For readers who want the destinations without the drive: fly into Luxembourg City (Findel) and rent a car for the Mullerthal; or fly into Lille (LIL) and train to the coast. One option for car rental in Luxembourg is AutoEurope. One option for flights is Aviasales. One option for coastal accommodation in Boulogne is B&B Hotels.
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