Vodatent at Camping Val d'Or

There's lots to do in this land of gorges, forests and fortresses, and it starts right by the site: the Clerve river flows past, slow and shallow enough for paddling and nature walks. (If you've caught the watery bug, hire canoes upriver in Clervaux, 10 minutes' drive away.) More? Boats from Insenborn (35 minutes) cruise around the Haute-Sûre reservoir; you can pause in Esch for swimming, sunbathing and stroll through the national park wilderness. Mix boats and bikes on the 23 national trails; from Kautenbach (15 minutes) the valley ride goes past the ruined fortress of Schuttburg, ending in an ancient hilltop hamlet. Kautenbach's also the hub of all the country's walking routes if you want to set out on further adventures from here. Climbers can get high on ropes and swings at the Indian Adventure Park in Vianden half an hour away, or take it easy by cable car on a soaring ride from the valley floor to the castle turrets. Train tickets to Luxembourg City can be bought at Drauffelt, and it's an hour's journey from there with fine views of the changing landscape. Go deep in the capital's Bock Castle, with its network of tunnels, dungeons and crypts... then get eagles' eye views from the ramparts.