Kneiff
560 m
Luxembourg
Also known as КнайффAlso known as
Кнайфф
- Elevation
- 560 m
- Prominence
- —
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- May–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A short field walk to Luxembourg's highest point. From the car park and bus stop at Maison Knauf on the N7 near Huldange, walk east beside the road, then up a farm track to the stone marker, information board and flags on the barely perceptible top of Kneiff (560 m). Under 1 km each way. Usually combined with the former high point, Buurgplaatz (559 m), in a loop of about 4 km.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 2.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +53 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 562 m
- Time Up
- 38m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 37m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the Burgplatz car park beside the K Restaurant (Maison Knauf) on the N7 between Huldange and Wemperhardt, close to the Belgian border; the Huldange, Maison Knauf bus stop is next to it. Walk east along the N7 for a few hundred metres to a farm track on the right (south), then follow it up a slight incline across fields to the summit of Kneiff. The top is in farmland. It is marked by a stone, an information board and two Luxembourg flags (the national flag and the Roude Léiw). The track continues to a junction. Turn right and follow paths past fields and woodland back towards Knauf, or extend the walk west to Buurgplaatz. Buurgplaatz is about 1 km from Kneiff and 20 minutes on foot, reached by the lane 'Op d'Burrigplatz' from Huldange. It has a water tower, a wayside cross and a memorial to the US 87th Infantry Division. A Komoot loop over both tops is 3.7 km with 62 m of ascent, about 45 minutes. There is no difficulty. Stay on tracks and field edges, as the summit area is cultivated land.
Start
Huldange, Maison Knauf545 m
- Train from Luxembourg City to Troisvierges (hourly), then bus towards Huldange/Wemperhardt (stops Huldange, Maison Knauf and Wemperhardt); check mobiliteit.lu for current services.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huldange, Maison Knauf → Kneiff | 2.0 | 53 | 38 | 38m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Huldange, Maison Knauf545 m
Car park and bus stop by the K Restaurant on the N7
- Summit: Kneiff560 m
Equipment
0/1 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
Luxembourg's highest point (560 m) is a gentle rise in a farm field on the Oesling plateau near the Belgian border. It is marked by a stone, a board and flags, and lies a few minutes' walk from the N7. It only replaced neighbouring Buurgplaatz as the official high point in the 1990s.
Kneiff lies in the far north of Luxembourg, in the commune of Troisvierges between the villages of Wilwerdange, Huldange and Wemperhardt. It is a few hundred metres from the Belgian border and close to the Belgium–Germany–Luxembourg tripoint. The landscape is the open, rolling upland of the Oesling, the Luxembourg part of the Ardennes, with fields and spruce plantations. The summit is so flat that it is hard to tell where the highest point is. It sits in cultivated land, and a stone marker, an information board and two flags show the spot.
For many years Buurgplaatz (558–559 m), about 1 km to the west, was taken to be Luxembourg's highest point. It has a water tower and a memorial. A later survey by the national mapping agency (ACT) showed Kneiff to be a metre or two higher, and the Troisvierges tourist office gives 560.05 m. Most visitors combine the two in a loop of about 4 km, or a few minutes' drive, often as part of a day collecting the high points of Luxembourg, Belgium (Signal de Botrange) and the Netherlands (Vaalserberg).
There is no climbing involved. The appeal lies in the novelty of a country high point and quiet walking in the Oesling, including the Vennbahn rail trail and local nature-discovery paths around Troisvierges.
Climbing Notes
No preparation is needed. The summit is under 1 km from the car park at Maison Knauf; allow about 45 minutes for a loop over both Kneiff and Buurgplaatz. Wear shoes that can cope with muddy farm tracks, and keep to tracks and field edges so as not to damage crops. The plateau is exposed and can be windy, foggy or snowy in winter. Facilities (restaurant, petrol station, shops) are at Knauf and Wemperhardt on the N7. For a longer outing, the Vennbahn cycle and walking route and local trails start from Troisvierges and Huldange.
History
In 1952 the French national mapping institute (IGN) declared Buurgplaatz (558.35 m) the highest point of Luxembourg, and a sign there still says so. After new measurements, the Administration du Cadastre et de la Topographie (ACT) recognised Kneiff as the high point in 1997. ACT published the background in 2010 in 'Le point culminant du Luxembourg', and its 2003 regional map gives 560 m for Kneiff and 559 m for Buurgplaatz. At Buurgplaatz a memorial commemorates the US 87th Infantry Division, which liberated Luxembourg's highest and lowest points within three days during the Second World War. The water tower there was being renovated in 2023.
Season
Best May–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Cold and often snowy or foggy on the plateau
- Feb
- Cold; muddy or frozen tracks
- Nov
- Fog and mud
- Dec
- Cold, short days
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The summit lies on private farmland; keep to tracks and field edges and do not walk through crops
- Getting There
Troisvierges (about 6 km); Huldange and Wilwerdange are the nearest villages
Luxembourg Airport (LUX)
- Car: N7 from Luxembourg City (about 1 hour via the N12 and N7) towards Wemperhardt; park at Maison Knauf near Huldange
- Train: CFL services from Luxembourg City to Troisvierges, then a local bus to Huldange or Wemperhardt (check mobiliteit.lu)