Luxembourg

I'll let others recommend places to visit. I just wanted to inform you that all public transportation in Luxembourg--including trains and buses--are free.

We loved Vianden, which is in the Ardennes and easily reachable from Luxembourg city (1 hour)- it has a beautiful castle and is a nice place to walk around.

You aren't far from Strasbourg, Nancy, Metz, Colmar. All lovely cities of varying sizes.

I enjoyed Trier, Germany. It, also, is less than an hour by train and has a number of Roman ruins, is on the banks of the Mosel River, 3 interesting churches and a very nice Museum.

lucky you.

Tons of stuff to do close by, especially for scenery and hiking. The place is absolutely dripping in it.

I'm sure your daughter will want to show off stuff on her doorstep (by the way, in Luxembourg City or somewhere else in the country??) like the forests with hiking and walking routes all over the country (we particularly like one on the way to Arlon) and the beautiful Rosarie and arboretum near Schengen at Mondorf-les-Bains.

If any of you are interested in WW-I or WW-II there is a huge amount around there - just ask.

Nearby is the Mosel (Moselle) River which winds peacefully and extremely scenically east from Luxembourg to the Rhine at Koblenz (somewhat less scenic as it approaches Luxembourg from the south through the industrial and former coal mining region of Thionville and Youtz north of Metz). Boat trips are available, trains don't follow the winding roads following the river because trains prefer straight.

Trier, mentioned above is just across the river from Wasserbillig, Luxembourg. Roman history abounds, vineyards, great viewpoints and moderate or more hiking (plenty of vertical), very nice city. Short train from Luxembourg.

Aachen, with the Charlemagne connection and the spa, just a short distance by car or train is beautiful. Three cities, Aachen Germany, Maastricht Netherlands and Liege Belgium, are very close to each other and form a triangle over the borders. Horse country and Aachen has the horse trials.

Köln (Cologne) isn't too far by train, has the magnificent cathedral containing the relics of the three wise men. On the Rhine.

Then I expect that Russ may chime in about the castles of the Middle Rhine.

Honestly, I could go on for ages. I've barely begun.

Like German beer? Bitburg is just across the border to the east... and so on.....

Vianden, Lux, Trier, Germany, Aachen, Bastogne, The Mosel River Valley.

Luxembourg is a crossroads, a lot of roads lead to there. I like the city, but hate driving there, so I think your daughter's going to know it better than anyone else commenting on this forum.

Vianden castle is a rebuilt, attractive, and popular destination. Just remember it's best to park as close to the main gates as possible (and there's not a lot of parking). Taking the lift from the valley below deposits you on adjoining hill; you still have to walk down the unpaved path (and back up again later) for a bit over a km.

Trier and Saarbrucken are on the major routes into Germany, and are less than an hours drive, or train ride. Both are worth visiting, although I prefer Trier.

The closest French cities are Metz, Nancy and Reims; easy to reach, and worth a visit. Paris is 3 hours by train.

For hiking there's a lot to offer. Look for Naturepark in LUX, there are several.

If you have any interest in the history of WWI or WWII, or the earlier French/German conflict of 1870-1871, there are a number of places to visit not too far from where you'll be staying. Verdun, Sedan, Bastogne; all are interesting, but not especially attractive scenery.

In September you will find a large number of wine related events happening in France and Germany. There will be festivals big and small, and the rural areas will be involved in the "crush" as the grapes are harvested. You may want to consider a drive from Reims towards Chateau Thierry along the "Champagne Road". It's a very pretty drive, with lots of small villages and wine shops, brands you've never heard of, the occasional Chateau or castle, and bargains on bubbly if that's your thing. The same type of thing can be found driving along the Mosel, from Trier north, although the wine will be mostly whites with no bubbles.

We liked Vianden Castle better, but the Luxembourg City History Museum had interesting artifacts and was informative.