We made this trip in collaboration with Travelbase. Our experiences, including the whingeing, the Luxembourg Sahara and the at least ten compulsory trips down the slide, are entirely our own.
In three days I walked 35 kilometres through the Mullerthal with a toddler.
And honestly? Who would have thought?
It is already a small miracle when you have a toddler who enjoys walking. It is perhaps an even bigger miracle when, as a mum, you go along voluntarily, don’t head off to a comfortable hotel in the evening and then sleep in a tent on top of that.
Yet that was exactly what I wanted. I fancied going on a trip with just Linus again. Properly together, the two of us. We wanted to camp, but also to experience something. Because for me a trip can be more than simply arriving somewhere and relaxing. A trip is allowed to give you something. It may challenge you, nudge you out of your comfort zone now and then and leave you thinking afterwards: look what we did together.
I had seen the HikeTribes by Travelbase pop up several times before and they always got me excited. The Dolomites were of course still a bit too ambitious with Linus. When I saw that there was also a family trek through the Mullerthal, with a minimum age of five, I knew straight away: this was the one for us.
“Mum can’t carry you”
Beforehand, Linus and I made some clear agreements.
“I know you like walking,” I said, “but this is a lot of kilometres. You’ll have to carry your own little rucksack and Mum can’t carry you along the way. Daddy won’t be there either.”
He nodded as if we had just signed a watertight contract.
But how far does a toddler really understand what a full day of walking means? You only find out, of course, once you’re in the thick of it. In any case, we talked about it a lot beforehand. We bought a small rucksack and walking shoes at Decathlon. Nothing wildly expensive, just shoes that fitted nicely around his chubby, chunky little feet.
I did make sure he broke those shoes in properly. My biggest fear was that we would arrive there and, after just a few kilometres, be sitting with blisters, sore feet and a particularly unhappy toddler. Luckily Linus thought his new walking shoes were brilliant and happily wore them in advance.
The feet were ready. Now the rest of us.
The Mullerthal, but this time from campsite to campsite
The Mullerthal in Luxembourg, also known as Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland, is well known to many Flemish people. I walked there many times in my youth: long hikes in the pouring rain, shorter walks and outings to the gorges and jagged rock formations the region is so famous for.
But a multi-day trek from campsite to campsite feels completely different.
When we arrived at the first camp, we immediately spotted that familiar Travelbase touch. Cosy glamping tents, inviting seating areas, little tables, games and a warm welcome. I got a coffee, Linus an ice cream. We had barely settled in when he came up to me and said:
“Mum, I love it here!”
That struck me as an excellent start.
The warm-up walk and the Limburg… er, Luxembourg Sahara
On the first day there was a short warm-up walk of about two hours on the programme. It was mid-July and scorching hot, so after the drive we put on fresh clothes, rested for a bit and then set off on the walk at our leisure.
Right outside the campsite we saw the typical rock formations of the Mullerthal. The first part ran through the forest and was beautiful. Then came a short stretch along the road.
That took perhaps ten minutes, but when you are walking with a toddler, time is calculated differently. Ten minutes on tarmac is roughly equivalent to three quarters of an hour through a desert without water.
As soon as we walked back into the forest, everything changed. It got noticeably cooler and the mood calmed down too. The Travelbase app had a photo bingo where children had to look for details along the way and photograph them. Such a small addition makes a surprisingly big difference. Linus scouted around enthusiastically and forgot that he was officially on a gruelling expedition.
Until we came to a sandy track.
According to Linus, this was worse than walking through the Sahara. Now I have to be honest: it really was hot and trudging through loose sand is not the most enjoyable part of a walk. But we survived our Luxembourg desert crossing, found the forest again afterwards and had a long picnic break.
During the last section he could play by the water in several spots. That soon took care of the Sahara trauma. After just under three hours, including a great many stops, photo bingo, picnic and playing, we arrived back at the campsite, content.
All walked out? Not at all, there was a swimming pool
I had expected Linus to be completely wiped out after that walk.
That turned out to be mostly wishful thinking.
The campsite had a beautiful swimming pool with fountains, a children’s pool and a slide that was exciting enough to send me down it at least ten times. We spent another two hours or so there. Linus apparently had a hidden energy reserve that only became available the moment water and a slide came into view.
Then came the briefing. Our ranger explained how the coming days would go and we met the other families. In the evening we ate pizza at the campsite, very convivial and surprisingly tasty, and then crawled into our tent early. The next morning the first real walking day began.
Having breakfast and making your packed lunch at the same time
The breakfast concept was simple and clever. In the morning an extensive buffet was laid out at the campsite. While you had breakfast, you made your packed lunch for the road at the same time. There were fresh rolls, fruit, energy bars, sweets and a spot where you could fill your water bottles.
We kept it simple: a roll with cheese and vegetables, a roll with chocolate spread for the necessary joie de vivre, and a piece of fruit. That turned out to be more than enough.
The breakfast itself was excellent too: croissants, an egg, fresh produce from the baker, but also trendier things like hummus and olives. It wasn’t served up in luxury with linen napkins and silver cutlery, but it was two hundred percent in order. Exactly what you need for a day of walking.
Meanwhile Linus had already made a friend at the camp.
And that is something I always find special about Travelbase trips. On one of my earlier trips they said: “It’s a group trip, but above all it’s your trip.” That feeling is spot on. There is a group, but it doesn’t take over your time and energy. Instead, it adds something extra. You can team up when you feel like it and still keep your own pace and your own experience.
Playgrounds, castles and a toddler with a flat battery
That day’s walk was a bullseye. We had barely been going a quarter of an hour when the first piece of play equipment appeared. After that came a castle, wooden boardwalks, water and constantly new spots to stop and play.
Towards midday Linus did start to get tired. It was very warm again and there was a short stretch along the road. Fortunately, the tarmac sections on this route were very limited. I know several walks in the Mullerthal where you spend longer on the road, so I noticed that this trek had deliberately been plotted through the forest as much as possible.
After that bit of road, Linus’s battery was flat.
Not nearly flat. Not in power-saving mode. Just off.
I looked at the remaining kilometres and thought: how on earth am I going to pull this off?
But then came a steep climb and suddenly we were standing right in the middle of the impressive rock formations of the Mullerthal. As if someone had plugged the toddler into a fast charger, Linus started running again. He crawled through gorges, ran up and down steps and built little stone men.
It is hard to explain how fairytale-like that landscape is. The moss-covered rocks, narrow passages and the filtered light between the trees make this, for me, one of the most special walking areas in Europe.
And the timing could not have been better: that magical rock world lay right at the end of the stage. After that we were at the next campsite almost immediately.
No swimming pool, but a marble run
Campsite number two had no swimming pool. That news had not exactly been received with enthusiasm by the children beforehand.
Luckily the campsite had a lovely wooden playground and, above all, a gigantic marble run. For a few euros you bought a big marble that you could then send rolling along the whole course.
On paper that may sound less spectacular than a water park, but Linus and his friend were sold. They played endlessly with the marble run and the other children.
By now I had found lovely company too. I got to know another mum with whom I could enjoy a drink, and in the evening we ate together in the campsite bistro. The food was genuinely good, and after a long day of walking a meal always tastes just that little bit better anyway.
Later the whole group played Werewolves together. An excellent way to get to know each other better, and then immediately suspect each other of deceit and nocturnal murder.
Because new groups set off on different days, our group stayed small. We travelled with just a few families, so at no point did it feel like a massive organised group tour. Instead it was intimate and convivial.
On the way to Echternach
The next day was already our last big walking day. We would finish in Echternach.
The route once again followed the region’s characteristic paths, past forests, water and impressive rock gorges. Among other things, we passed the well-known Teufelsschlucht. These were places I recognised from my own childhood and could now show to Linus. That gave this day an extra layer for me.
That day, by the way, we didn’t just walk along the water, but also right through it. With temperatures around 32°C nobody minded. We were sitting pretty in the cool of the forest and decided to take everything at our leisure.
That was necessary too, because the distance and the heat were starting to take their toll on the toddler. Exactly the reason we settled down in the middle of the Luxembourg forests for a nap.
The rangers had been very honest the evening before about the last campsite. It was bigger, busier and had little shade. The swimming pool could get pretty crowded too. So we weren’t exactly expecting a hidden paradise and were in no hurry to get there.
When we began the descent to Echternach, we were treated to a phenomenal view over the town. Pure magic.
We strolled through the centre, ate an ice cream and browsed a few shops. We also discovered one of the cutest little bookshops I have ever seen. After that it was only a few minutes’ walk to the campsite.
To get there, you walk over the bridge from Luxembourg into Germany. At the old border post you can already see the campsite.
My first thought was: why on earth wouldn’t this be a nice campsite?
The Travelbase camp was literally on the banks of the Sûre.
Sunset on the Sûre
Of course we had to go to the big swimming pool first. “Had to”, because Linus and his friend had a very clear opinion on the matter.
But after dinner we headed to the river. The water was low, so the children could safely wander around in it and skim stones across the surface. The sun slowly sank over the water and suddenly it felt as if we were somewhere completely on our own.
Behind us there was still a big, busy campsite. But at the edge of the Sûre we noticed none of it.
It became one of those simple travel moments you can’t plan: children playing in the water, warm evening light and, for a while, no need to be anywhere else.
For me this was absolutely not a bad campsite. Quite the opposite.
The last morning and Echternach lake
After our last night there was another good breakfast and we packed up our things. That packing, by the way, was the only thing we had to do with our big luggage. Travelbase transported the bags to the next campsite each time and eventually back to the starting point.
Along the way we only carried a small daypack with our lunch, drinks and a few small items. Especially when you are walking with a young child, that is worth its weight in gold. You don’t have to lug camping gear around and can simply disappear into the forest.
Before heading home, we did one more walk around Echternach lake. The official path around the lake is flat and family-friendly, with several playgrounds and options for activities on the water.
Linus’s verdict on the lake itself was somewhat less enthusiastic.
Now, the little man is of course rather spoilt when it comes to lakes, rivers and clear water. He thought the little rivers along the way were wonderful, but this lake he didn’t really consider worth swimming in.
To be honest, I understood him. For small children the swimming area felt less easy: no gradual, shallow entry, and the water wasn’t clear, so you couldn’t really see where you were stepping. For slightly older children it seems nicer to me.
Luckily the playgrounds around the lake made up for everything. You can also pedalo, paddleboard and do other water activities there. We stuck to walking and plenty of playing.
Then we took the bus back to the first campsite, swam one last time and then really had to say goodbye.
Was walking 35 kilometres with a toddler doable?
Yes. But let’s not pretend that every kilometre was filled with peaceful forest sounds and a grateful child gazing in wonder at nature.
It was strenuous. It wasn’t always easy. There was whingeing. There were hot stretches over tarmac and sand. There were moments when I genuinely didn’t know how I was going to get Linus a few more kilometres down the trail.
But there were also rock gorges, castles, playgrounds, picnics, rivers, swimming pools, new friends and a marble run that unexpectedly grew into a top attraction.
By stopping often enough and giving Linus time to play along the way, it remained his adventure and not just my walking plan. The family-friendly routes, the photo bingo, the small group and the luggage transport also made the trek far more doable than if I had had to organise everything myself.
Even with temperatures of up to 32°C the trip felt surprisingly relaxed. We walked mostly in the forest, set our own pace and hardly had to worry about the practicalities.
At the end of the three days Linus looked at me and said:
“Mum, this is so cool. I want to do it again next year.”
And what more could a mum really wish for?
I wanted to go on an adventure alone with my little boy, experience something together and discover what we were capable of. That is exactly what this trip gave us.
35 kilometres, two little feet and a whole lot of memories later, I knew one thing for sure: this was not our last HikeTribe together.
Got questions about walking with a toddler, the campsites or what we packed? Feel free to send me a message on WhatsApp.
