Explore the stunning nature of the Moselle Valley on the Schengen Without Borders Dream Loop, where little gems and vast panoramas shared between borderless nations await adventurous walkers.
 

It is a warm summer’s day in June in the village of Schengen, where a history-making agreement was signed in 1985, kickstarting borderless travel in Europe. Having soaked up all the history on offer at the Schengen Museum, the great outdoors are calling. You stop by the old castle of Schengen, where Victor Hugo once stayed in the 19th century. It is now the impressively renovated Hôtel Château Schengen – a perfect stop for a pre-hike coffee.

Lacing up your boots, you head out to find the marker for the Schengen Without Borders Dream Loop – on the tree just in front of the Centre Européen Schengen. The first part of the route takes you through the shade of the woods and then uphill towards the viewpoint where you take in the stunning Moselle scenery. But the peak (metaphorically and literally) is yet to come. Eventually you arrive at a sun-soaked platform with a view of Sierck-les-Bains in France, and its mighty castle.

Rituals and traditions

On this particular day in June, there’s a massive banner on the castle walls for the celebration of St John’s Day on 24th June. This special day is jointly celebrated every year by Sierck and Contz-les-Bains, which you see from the Dream Loop. Talking to a local hiker, you learn that up to 15,000 people make the journey to watch the light show live. A large wooden wheel is set on fire and rolled down the hill towards the Moselle. If it rolls all the way to the river, a rich harvest is believed to be on the horizon.

Since the festivities took place a few days ago, you notice that the grass is burnt and the wheel has already been rolled. You contemplate this delightful tradition as you take in the magnificent views of France. Descending from the viewpoint, you encounter rocky cliffs that almost make you feel as though you’re at the seaside – when, in reality, all that surrounds you is sweeping earthly landscapes.