The abbey was founded by a monk called Willibrord who travelled to this part of Europe to teach and to build. The monks who lived here were great scholars - they created beautiful hand-written books decorated with colourful illustrations and gold leaf. Some of those books still survive in museums and are among the most beautiful objects ever made in Luxembourg.
Today the abbey buildings are partly used as a school - the Lycée Classique d'Echternach. Imagine going to school every day inside a building that is more than a thousand years old! The courtyard is cool and shaded, with stone arches all around it.
The town of Echternach sits beside the Sûre river, right on the border with Germany. In summer the riverside meadows are full of people paddling, picnicking and cycling. The old town centre has a beautiful market square where the abbey overlooks a pretty fountain.
Every spring Echternach hosts a very special event: a famous hopping procession where thousands of people dance through the streets in a long, twisting line. It is one of the most joyful traditions in all of Luxembourg.