Opposite the monastery of Marienthal you will see a rock face about 30 metres high. A single standing rock stands out there. It is known as Reiterlay. A name it got from the following legend: The noble knight of Hollenfels Castle had been cut off from his soldiers during a chase. The enemies had surrounded him and were pushing him more and more towards the rock face on the right side of the Eisch. The knight had his death in sight: behind him the enemies and in front of him a deep abyss.   

In his distress, the knight made a vow: “If I survive this, I will donate as many candles to the monastery of Marienthal as I weigh in full armour together with my horse”. Then the knight presses the spurs into his horse’s flanks and jumps from the Reiterlay into the depths. At the bottom, the horse sinks up to its knees in mud, but quickly frees itself and continues galloping. Another legend says that horse and knight land very gently on the ground without suffering even the slightest injury. In any case, the knight thanks God for his miraculous rescue and has himself consecrated in the monastery.  

Not far from Marienthal are the castles of Hollenfels and Ansembourg with its magnificent gardens, Schoenfels Castle and the “Hunnebuer”. This place is so called because the King of the Huns, Attila, is said to have stopped to water his horses on his migration through Western Europe in the 5th century.  

Information for parents:  

  • The “Hunnebuer” can be reached from Mersch via the CR105. It is a 9 kilometre walk from Mersch, but there is also parking in the area, about 700 metres from the village. The path is suitable for prams and scooters. From the “Hunnebuer” there are three circular walks of 1.5 to 5 kilometres.  
  • Above Schoenfels, not far from the Claushaff, are the “Mamerleeën”, a system of caves and galleries where millstones were once quarried. You can enter the caves at various points. Sturdy shoes are recommended for all tours in the area. And also a torch if you want to visit the “Mamerleeën”. Here you should pay close attention, because next to the path there is a steep downhill.   
  • More information about the Marienthal and about the “Mamerleeën”. The Schoenfels circular trail leads past the caves and over the heights above the Marienthal.