The chasms, caves and crevices of Berdorf

Car park after the Berdorf Aquatower.

Signposting B5

(S/E) With the Berdorf Civil Engineering building on your right, take the tarmac path opposite the car park leading into the forest. At the junction as you emerge from the forest, continue straight on. The road becomes a dirt track winding through meadows and fields. Enter the forest.

No signposting

(1) At the next junction, turn right and follow this forest track, which has no further junctions. After 800 metres, a path joins from the left and the track turns right. Descend towards the stream, cross the ford and begin the climb to reach the roadside. Cross the road carefully and continue uphill along the wide path opposite. At the Fork in the road, carry on straight ahead.

Signpost B13

A path joins you from the right and you’ll soon come to a multi-way junction.

(2) Follow the path on the left to reach the Binzeltschluff viewpoint. Then take the footbridge and go down the steps.

Signpost B5

At the junction, carry on straight ahead. As you come out of the bend, and after the tree marked ‘M Rouge, B5, W3’, take the path on your right that climbs the embankment.

(3) Keep heading diagonally across the slope and look out for the tree near the rock faces marked with a circled ‘S1 ’. This will lead you to the entrance of the first small crevice. Pass between the rock faces, follow the path and go down the steps. At the bottom, turn right. Continue along the path and go down some more steps.

(4) When you reach a slight fork in the road on your right, take the path leading uphill. At the top, you’ll find a ‘Bildchen’ – a place of contemplation in the heart of the forest. Retrace your steps back to the main path and continue along it to the right. A few more steps and, a little further on, you’ll see a path on your right leading to the Grotte de l’Enfer. Take a round trip if you’d like to visit it. Then continue along the path towards the junction.

Unmarked

(5) Head towards the bridge, cross it and take the stairs immediately on the right towards the Roitzbach plateau. Climb the ladder. At the Fork in the road, turn right. Carry on to the viewpoint. Retrace your steps and, at the Fork in the road, turn right. Follow the numbers painted on the rock – 2, 3, 4 – then choose 5 (or 6 if it’s really too narrow for you) to pass through the Roitzbach Gorges.

At the end of Gorge 5, turn right and head towards the end of Gorge 6. Go down the steps on your left to the ‘Repère des Brigands’. Enter the cave – a torch is essential. Get down on all fours to crawl under the rock blocking the way; don’t worry, you’ll be back on your feet in no time as the path continues. Climb the ladders up to the ‘Aire de l’Aigle’. Head towards the ‘Île du Diable’ and ignore the steps going up or down. When you have no other choice, take the steps on your right. At the junction, go up to the left. Cross the footbridge. Here is the ‘Île au Diable’.

(6) Retrace your steps and head straight to the left. Go downhill and pass the cave known as ‘La Morgue’, then rejoin the path and the B2 signpost.

Signpost B2

Walk past the Heroldt rocks. Turn right if you wish to go over the rock; otherwise, carry on straight ahead. At the bottom of the stairs, head slightly down the forest track on your left and take the stairs almost directly opposite. A path joins you on the left. Carry on straight ahead. A track joins you on the right. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the start of the climbing area. Cross the footbridge and carry on.

(7) At the junction, turn right towards the Seven Gorges. On the rock, you’ll see a sign saying ‘entrance’: climb up to No. 1 and begin your tour of the Seven Gorges by following the numbers painted on the rock. Once back at the junction, continue straight ahead along the path. Further on, turn left. Climb the steps and carry on to the Casselt viewpoint. Leave the B2 signposting and go down the steps on your left.

Green Triangle signposting

(8) At the bottom of the steps, turn left towards Grundhoff. Follow the winding path downwards. At the bottom, turn right. When you reach a wide path, carry on and leave the forest. The path becomes a road.

(9) At the three trees with a bench underneath, turn right and walk down between the hedges of the meadows to the bridge, which you cross. Follow the road to the right.

(10) When you reach No. 8, cross the road carefully and start climbing the steps just beside it. At the junction, go straight on, and do the same at the next one. A path joins you on your right; carry on straight ahead. Climb the steps between two rocks.

(11) Join a forest track and continue to the left. After just under 800 metres in a straight line, you’ll come to a junction.

(12) To the left, a path leads to the Kipligay viewpoint. View of the Aquatower. Retrace your steps and follow the path, which soon turns right. Head downhill and, at the Fork in the road, take the left-hand path. Then go down the steps to the car park. Cross the road carefully. Continue downhill.

(13) Cross the small bridge. At the Fork in the road, turn right. At the junction with the forest track, carry on straight ahead to the Hallerbaach stream.

Markings: Red ‘M’ on a white background

Head left and walk downhill, keeping the stream on your right. Leave the forest; the Hallerbaach stream recedes into the distance. The path continues between the hedgerows of the meadows until it reaches the road. Turn left.

No markings

Walk up the road to the junction with a busier road, then continue along this road to the next junction. Turn right and cross the bridge.

(14) At the junction with the road to Berdorf, look out for the steps behind the log bench. Climb the steps, cross the road again, taking care at all times. Go round the gate and continue straight ahead along this wide forest track. At the fork in the road, turn right and, after a 350m steep climb, look out for the path on the left leading up the embankment. This is a downhill cycle path; the tracks should help you spot it. If you’ve missed it, the fallen tree with a fluorescent pink arrow blocking the forest path a little further up will prompt you to turn back.

(15) Follow this path uphill; further up, it veers sharply to the left. At the junction, continue to the right.

Markings: Red ‘M’ on a white background

(3) Go straight on and, at the next junction, turn right and go down the steps. Pass between the rocks, continue to the road and cross it. From the car park, there’s a view of Predigtstull. Head towards the steps between the rocks. Climb the steps. Ignore the steps on your left unless you wish to visit Werschrummschluff and have some more fun in the crevices. At the top, where the rock face widens, leave the steps and head towards the gate. When you reach it, keep right and follow the path downwards. Halfway down the slope, turn left and set off along a long, unbranched path consisting of steps and rocky sections.

Signposted with a Yellow Cross on a blue background

At the first junction you come to, head up to the left. Further up, keep to the left and continue the ascent.

(1) Turn right onto the path you took on the way there and follow it back to the car park (S/E).

Allow an extra hour if you wish to explore all the crevices, caves and gorges at your leisure.

A torch or head torch is essential.

No drinking water available along the route.

Waterproof shoes with good grip are essential, as the ground is very slippery due to leaves on the rocks and ambient damp.

Not suitable for those with claustrophobia. However, at (5) you can bypass the entire section by following the B2 markings to rejoin the trail after (6).

At (5), the route begins through crevices, gorges, caverns and caves. The Visorando track will probably not be available. Follow the signs; everything is very well signposted.

On the way back, if you fancy more fun in the crevices, at Predigtstull – once you’ve started climbing the stairs – take the Werschrummschluff steps on your left and follow the white arrows on a blue background. You’ll rejoin the trail at the barrier at the end of the route.

Benches: at the Binzeltschluff viewpoint, at the climbing site, at (9), during the ascent after (10)

Shelters: on the Roitzbach plateau, at the car park between (12) and (13).

From October to December, please check for information regarding the hunting season. Dates of the driven hunts

During
The Grotte de l’Enfer: 55 metres deep
The Roitzbach plateau
The Roitzbach Gorges
The Brigands’ Hideout
The Eagle’s Nest
Devil’s Island
The Morgue
The Seven Gorges
The Climbing Site

Viewpoints: Binzeltschluff, Casselt, Kipligay

In Luxembourgish, ‘Bildchen’ refers to a place set up in honour of the Blessed Virgin. This particular “Bildchen” is a statue of a “Mater Dolorosa” placed in a niche carved into the rock by young men from Berdorf, who were forcibly conscripted by the German army during the Second World War. This act is intended as a gesture of thanks to the Blessed Mother for their return from the ordeals they endured, whether in the war or in the concentration camps.

Predigtstull: a rock shaped like a face overlooking the road. It is possible to climb it.

Werschrummschluff: a labyrinth of caves right next to Predigtstull. Follow the white arrows on a blue background.

If you have to choose, opt for the Werschrummschlüff maze rather than the Predigtstull viewpoint; climbing its steps is really not worth the effort involved.

Nearby
Berdorf Aquatower: views over the region from a height of 55 metres. Exhibition on water.