Echternach is world-famous for its Hopping Procession.

Every year on Whit Tuesday, pilgrims and spectators from the country and and abroad gather to take part in this unique religious event.

The special thing about the procession is that it allows the whole body to be involved in the prayer: the hopping, accompanied by an incessantly repeated polka melody, is a unique expression of Christian joy. Today, around 12,000 - 14,000 pilgrims take part in the procession through the town to the tomb of St Willibrord, including around 8,000 - 9,000 hoppers

The Echternach Hopping Procession was added to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 16 November 2010. Thanks to this decision, the existence of this centuries-old tradition is guaranteed by the statutes of the UNESCO Convention, which was unanimously adopted by the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies.

To be part of the UNESCO heritage list is an honour, but also an obligation to preserve the uniqueness of this expression of cultural identity.

An Information and Documentation Centre has been set up in the Willibrordus Basilica to provide visitors and pilgrims with the most important information about the basilica, the veneration of the saint and the procession.

Photos: © Peuky Barone-Wagener