Caves of Ahn

Luxembourg has a wine producing region along its banks of the Mosel river which produces, in the main, slightly bitter and dry whites as well as the local sparkling wine, Crémant. Many of the villages in this area have their own smaller vineyards and producers, but to use one as an example of what can be expected from this picturesque corner of the country, I will focus on Ahn. Like many others, it is rather sleepy and almost postcard pretty with architecture clearly influenced by that of the German area straight across the river. The main reasons to visit are the numerous winemakers and the chance to walk along the Mosel or in the surrounding foothills. There are several places to eat lunch or dinner, but I’m always of the opinion that dinner is the most important meal of the day, and so lunch can be found cheaply and in homely surroundings in “Beim Klengen Wun”, located a few hundred metres into the village from the main roads both to the Mosel and to the hills and eventually the capital.

This restaurant is not necessarily a gastronomic experience of epic proportions: at lunch time, the menu gives you three choices: main course, starter and main course or starter, main course and dessert. These are priced from €6.50 to €8.50, and the food has a very homecooked feel. The salade de chevre chaud was very good as a starter, especially when compared with what one can pay in more upmarket establishments for the same dish. While the main course was Spaghetti Bolognaise, the spaghetti was overcooked somewhat and I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the sauce may have come from a jar. But the food was hot and satisfied any hunger: and how often can five people eat two courses with mineral water, wine and coffee and pay less than €15 each at the end?

Ahn is hardly going to keep anyone occupied for a whole day, much less a weekend, but as an example of a Mosel village it is worth a visit for anyone who wishes to kill some time in a place somewhat less touristy than Remich. Furthermore, as part of a wine tour through the Mosel region, some would argue that it is an essential stopping point as one or two of Luxembourg’s premier wine producers are located there.