Vianden

Luxembourg is a home to about 130 Châteaux. Some are fortified castles, others are lavish mansions. So, our weekend getaway would not be complete without visiting one of them. We entered Vianden into our A4 navigation system and let the car guided us to the famous and large medieval Château de Vianden.

On the way to the Château, we had some fun with the efficiency program. This program shows all consumption-relevant data and actively provides recommendation on the ideal moment to change gear. Coupled with a TDI engine that produced abundant 236 lb-ft torque at as low as 1400 rpm, the gear change recommendation will maintain the most optimum engine speed over various driving conditions. This way the fuel consumption can be minimized by up to 30 percent depending on the driving style.

Another eco feature that most people do not think of is the front curvy LED daytime running light (DRL) and taillights. The LED lighting is noticeable for its dramatic ability to elevate the car image to its Hollywood status. But the best benefits are not easily visible. With only one square millimeter in size, each LED generates more white light from electrical power than any other conventional light source.

In 2008, Audi performed a study on sold vehicles with LED lights. Since A4 LED DRL consumes only 15 watts, this translates to 0.2 liter per 100 km and 4 grams fewer CO2 emission per kilometer per car. Using the 2008 sales figure and average driving number based on dealer service records, ten million of fuels were saved and 25,000 tones of fewer CO2 emission was produced in one year. Since then, LED lights are extensively use not only for DRL but also for taillights, headlights, and interior lighting.

Additionally, LED has a virtually unlimited life cycle. It can be turned on and off up to ten times faster than regular bulb. And this hundreds of millisecond advantage of seeing LED brake lights sooner in emergency situation can actually save lives and reduce trauma.

As soon as we left the highly populated areas, the view opened up and we were greeted by autumn foliage colors covering the vast rolling hills. At this moment, there was nothing better to do than absorbing the mesmerizing continuous frames of perfect postcards. After passing a few more small towns, we finally arrived at Vianden’s main street, Grand Rue. This street climbs up a forested steep hills from the tiny bridge over River Our at the city center. We eagerly drove up this street following the sign for Château de Vianden.

Mightily sits on a high ground, the eleventh century castle of Vianden glowed in the dusk. The mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance features of this castle made this castle a perfect place to have a Halloween party. Many kids and their parents dressed in scary, funny, and medieval customs were dancing in a very large, tall, and airy hall at the heart of the castle. Walking around the castle ground, we soaked the fairy-tale panoramic view of dark deep blue sky, orange band of sunset on the horizon, and rolling lush hills highlighted by lights from small towns below. It was a great place to end our weekend getaway.

Vianden

Luxembourg is a home to about 130 Châteaux. Some are fortified castles, others are lavish mansions. So, our weekend getaway would not be complete without visiting one of them. We entered Vianden into our A4 navigation system and let the car guided us to the famous and large medieval Château de Vianden.

On the way to the Château, we had some fun with the efficiency program. This program shows all consumption-relevant data and actively provides recommendation on the ideal moment to change gear. Coupled with a TDI engine that produced abundant 236 lb-ft torque at as low as 1400 rpm, the gear change recommendation will maintain the most optimum engine speed over various driving conditions. This way the fuel consumption can be minimized by up to 30 percent depending on the driving style.

Another eco feature that most people do not think of is the front curvy LED daytime running light (DRL) and taillights. The LED lighting is noticeable for its dramatic ability to elevate the car image to its Hollywood status. But the best benefits are not easily visible. With only one square millimeter in size, each LED generates more white light from electrical power than any other conventional light source.

In 2008, Audi performed a study on sold vehicles with LED lights. Since A4 LED DRL consumes only 15 watts, this translates to 0.2 liter per 100 km and 4 grams fewer CO2 emission per kilometer per car. Using the 2008 sales figure and average driving number based on dealer service records, ten million of fuels were saved and 25,000 tones of fewer CO2 emission was produced in one year. Since then, LED lights are extensively use not only for DRL but also for taillights, headlights, and interior lighting.

Additionally, LED has a virtually unlimited life cycle. It can be turned on and off up to ten times faster than regular bulb. And this hundreds of millisecond advantage of seeing LED brake lights sooner in emergency situation can actually save lives and reduce trauma.

As soon as we left the highly populated areas, the view opened up and we were greeted by autumn foliage colors covering the vast rolling hills. At this moment, there was nothing better to do than absorbing the mesmerizing continuous frames of perfect postcards. After passing a few more small towns, we finally arrived at Vianden’s main street, Grand Rue. This street climbs up a forested steep hills from the tiny bridge over River Our at the city center. We eagerly drove up this street following the sign for Château de Vianden.

Mightily sits on a high ground, the eleventh century castle of Vianden glowed in the dusk. The mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance features of this castle made this castle a perfect place to have a Halloween party. Many kids and their parents dressed in scary, funny, and medieval customs were dancing in a very large, tall, and airy hall at the heart of the castle. Walking around the castle ground, we soaked the fairy-tale panoramic view of dark deep blue sky, orange band of sunset on the horizon, and rolling lush hills highlighted by lights from small towns below. It was a great place to end our weekend getaway.