Auto-Pédestre Nommern

A compact, spectacular classic. One of the best short hikes in the Mullerthal.

• 6km – Intermediate (rocky) – 2 hours.

• One of the classic short Mullerthal hiking trails, with spectacular rock formations and adventure guaranteed for the whole family.

• Start at the wonderful Europacamping Nommerlayen (Rue Nommerlayen.
  L-7465 Nommern) and treat yourself to a cold ice cream or beer when you complete the trail!

• Not accessible by public transport.

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Auto-Pédestre Nommern is not a trail that should be rushed.

But I rushed it anyway. Striding off purposefully from the gates of the campsite, my goal was to complete the loop in one hour. No leisurely ramble for me today, but a reconnaissance mission: I’m leading a group hike here next week and wanted to refresh my memory of the route.

If you don’t have the same excuse, then don’t make the same mistake. Take your time, and savour this wonderful and much-loved Mullerthal hike.

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Having done this trail a few times now, I’d strongly recommend hiking it clockwise. In this direction, the Auto-Pédestre doesn’t throw its best scenery at you immediately but, instead, builds rather beautifully. Leaving the buzz of the campsite behind, the route begins with an unremarkable uphill stretch, skirts the woods, then turns left for a steeper climb. Rocks begin to appear: first a glimpse, then a cluster… until you realise that the trail is just getting better and better with every turn, each new view adding another layer of intangible beauty.

The first tangible highlights arrive at the Drachlay rock formation, where the path squeezes through a lovely sandstone cleft, followed shortly afterwards by an even more striking unnamed formation: broader, squarer, almost as though an enormous chunk has been sliced cleanly, Minecraft-style, from the rock to frame the forest beyond. Utterly beautiful, and highly photogenic.

Beyond this, the trail continues through attractive woodland to the next highlight: the rock formations around the Rammlee. A brief exploration reinforced my impression that Nommerlayen isn’t quite the full-blown Mullerthal opera of, say, the Kuelscheier near Consdorf or the vertiginous rocks on the Berdorf B2. Instead, the AP Nommern is its own thing: a compact postcard of Mullerthal scenery, with a family-friendly stamp on it.

After the rocks, the trail climbs steeply up to a forest car park, before flattening out and meandering through birdsong-filled woods. I was a little bit behind my one-hour schedule by this point (having taken way too many photographs) so I quickened my pace with the birds cheering me on. Turns out that this was a good section for a bit of speedwalking, with a relatively flat, natural earth trail, wonderfully forgiving underfoot.

I wasn’t the quickest animal in the woods, though, not by a mile: two young stags sprang out of the undergrowth not ten metres ahead of me. The first didn’t spot me at all, and bounded off merrily on his business; the second registered my presence almost immediately and gave me the briefest flash of alarmed eye contact before disappearing in the other direction. That’s the sort of encounter that makes even the most familiar woodland feel gloriously fresh, the reason why I love to re-hike my favourite trails every few years.

By now I had almost arrived at the star rock formation of the trail: the Kauzelee. Here the walk suddenly becomes much more dramatic, a kind of vertical labyrinth of narrow sandstone passages, twisting staircase descents, and rocky squeezes that feel far more adventurous than anything else on the route. Proper footwear matters here, especially if conditions are damp. At the top, for those not afflicted by vertigo, a bench offers a fine perch above the forest (no guardrail in place; be careful with younger children).

As I descended carefully through this magnificent chaos, I stood to the side to let a couple and their teenage son shuffle past me. Hiking poles out and energy levels visibly low, they had clearly found this section tougher than expected, a reminder to treat these trails with respect.

TIP: Having descended from the Kauzelee, a short detour of around 50 metres leads to the Hexelee cave. It’s not a major sight, but families with younger children may enjoy the brief diversion, especially if little explorers are involved. Watch out for the signs.

From here on, it’s a gentle stroll downhill out of the forest and through the Nommerlayen campsite itself (quite literally through it: an unusual feature for a hiking trail). I completed my loop (58 minutes, not bad) and circled back to the campsite bar for a refreshing drink. I ordered, I believe for the first time in my life, an iced coffee, and was presented with half a litre of sugar, ice, caffeine and cream, in roughly that order.

Hey, I had earned it.