Echternach Abbey was founded in 698 by St Willibrord and dissolved in 1797. The present buildings date from 1727, while the museum opened in the abbey cellars in 1987. Today, it also offers visitors a welcome escape from the heatwave gripping the country.
The museum offers visitors insights into the history of Echternach, from its Roman villa, to copies of monastery scriptures, the life of Luxembourg's patron saint Willibrord, and other archeological artefacts.
Staff told RTL they had received a number of school visits recently, with pupils relieved to find the museum a chilly respite from their boiling classrooms.
The museum is usually around 15-18°C, although it could reach slightly higher temperatures in exceptional weather. With its thick stone walls and 1970s air-conditioning system, the museum in the abbey cellars offers comfortably cool conditions even during the heatwave.
History enthusiasts might therefore want to make the trip to Echternach this weekend to cool off whilst indulging their passion.
The museum is currently open from 10am to midday and from 2pm to 5pm. From 1 July, it will be open continuously from 10am to 5pm.
For more details, visit abteimuseum.org.
