Luxembourg: 7 tips and sights for your city trip

Defiant bulwarks, deep gorges and state-of-the-art high-rise buildings that are currently being given the finishing touches; the multi-layered history of Luxembourg is reflected in the potpourri of buildings from different eras. As a result of the economic boom of recent years, the Avenue de la Liberté is currently being “dug up”. To save the city from the imminent traffic collapse, the tram is to run here in the future. However, Luxembourg is accustomed to constantly adapting to new starting points and needs and to growing with them.

The old town district, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the booming – European-oriented – new town, as well as numerous cultural institutions, make the capital of the Grand Duchy of the same name an exciting city break destination. If you have 1.5 to 2 days, you can immerse yourself in the tangled history of Central Europe.

#1 Travel to Luxembourg by train

I have set myself the goal of avoiding flying on short trips as much as possible and consciously choosing destinations that are easily accessible by public transport. Luxembourg meets these criteria. The capital of the Grand Duchy (which is half the size of the canton of Bern) can ideally be reached from Zurich with a single change in Mulhouse in just over four hours by TGV. And best of all, Luxembourg can hardly be found in any of the top city break destinations in Europe. Accordingly, the city is relaxed on weekends (so relaxed that the majority of restaurants remain closed on Sundays). Alternative connections lead via Mannheim / Saarbrücken to Luxembourg and take much longer (around 7 hours). It is therefore worthwhile to look for the right TGV connections. We were unlucky that on the Sunday we wanted to travel back, the TGV line remained closed due to construction work. So the return journey led us via Germany.

#2 Get to know Luxembourg on the Wenceslas Way

At first, the city’s topography jumps seem confusing. A good first overview is offered by the signposted Wenzel circular trail. This starts at the “Casemates du Bock” (Bock Rocks). It is the cradle of Luxembourg City and at the same time one of the most beautiful viewpoints over the Alzette Valley with the “Ville Basse” (Grund). Below us are the imposing casemates, once considered the longest in the world. From 1 March to 3 November, the Bock casemates can be visited individually or as part of guided tours (entrance fee 7 euros).

The Wenceslas circular route leads from here over the castle bridge along the Corniche towards Grund. There we pass the cultural centre of Neumünster Abbey and then follow the path to the Rham plateau opposite.

A good two hours should be planned for the tour. The altitude difference between the Alzette valley and the plateaus can alternatively be overcome by lift.

#3 Taste the sweet side of the city

Luxembourg is the only place I know where you can drink a hot chocolate and watch the changing of the guard in front of a government building at the same time. Directly opposite the city palace is the Chocolate House, which is known for its products made from Belgian and French chocolate as well as all kinds of fine cake creations. I would save the visit for Sunday morning, as it is one of the few places that is open on Sunday.

We researched some nice coffee places in advance and failed practically everywhere due to the incorrectly communicated opening hours. The best thing to do is to check the opening hours stored on Google and Tripadvisor directly on site.

A place to take a break after a stroll through the old town is Kaale Kaffi. Here you will find cozy armchairs and fine homemade cakes – a bit like grandma’s.

#4 Explore the European Quarter

The European Quarter is located in the northeast of the city on the Kirchberg plateau. Some European institutions, such as the European Court of Justice, have set up shop here. During our visit, the European Quarter felt like a huge construction site – there are construction cranes everywhere. It’s worth taking a detour to the European Quarter to visit the architecturally outstanding Philharmonie Luxembourg, as well as the MUDAM – the Museum of Modern Art – and the Fortress Museum Dräi Eechelen. We only looked at the latter from the outside.

I find it exciting that the fortress museum has its origins in the protests against the originally planned MUDAM building. The concept, presented at the beginning of the 1990s, envisaged the destruction of almost the entire structure of Fort Thüngen in favor of the Museum of Modern Art. Later, the project was revised in such a way that the modern and historical structures of the two museums now merge smoothly into each other.

The European Quarter can be reached from the Old Town by walking across the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge or by tram (or bus). Good to know: all public transport can be used free of charge on Saturdays. On the other days, the day ticket costs 4 euros (single ticket 2 euros). If you want to save time, you can download the app mobiliteit.lu and easily get the tickets there. From March 2020, all public transport in Luxembourg will be free of charge. Admission to MUDAM costs 8 euros for adults.

#5 Learn more about the history of the small state

One museum that you should definitely plan two hours for is the Historical Museum of the City of Luxembourg. Over three floors, it vividly leads through the history of the city’s origins to its current status as a small state with the seat of individual institutions of the European Union. Admission to the museum costs 5 euros, and admission is free on Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. It is also interesting to take a look at the rooms that deal with the future development of Luxembourg. The city is booming, but at the same time groaning under its economic success.

If the weather is as mixed on your visit as it is on ours, it’s worth taking a look at the National Museum of History and Art. Part of the permanent exhibition (which leads from the Stone Age to modern times) can be visited free of charge. The counterpart to this is the National Museum of Natural History, which is located in a historic building in the Grund district. This was completely redesigned in 2017. If you are travelling with children, I recommend a detour there (free admission < 21 years).

#6 Dine at the best restaurants

Luxembourg’s cuisine is characterised on the one hand by the rural surroundings and on the other hand by its location in the middle of Europe. In terms of culinary delights, you will find the entire palette from simple burger joints to French and Italian-inspired gourmet kitchens. In the city of Luxembourg, there is one restaurant with two Michelin stars and three restaurants with one Michelin star each. One evening we dined at the restaurant Clairefontaine (1 Michelin star), which is considered the “culinary institution of Luxembourg”. Chef Arnaud Magnier’s French roots run through the menu. I am rather critical of French cuisine, but the 5-course menu Gourmand (159 euros with wine accompaniment) convinced me from A to Z. The operation and the pace were also very pleasant. If you want to treat yourself to a special evening, you’ve come to the right place.

Modern, fresh and with a small, fine menu is the restaurant L’Annexe. There are also vegetarian options here. I see potential for improvement in the operation, which was partly as linguistically confused as I was. Sometimes we are addressed in German, sometimes in English, sometimes in German. But luckily we are flexible. The population in Luxembourg is very international. In addition to Luxembourgish, French and English are the most common languages (German seems to be less popular in the city as the third official language besides Luxembourgish and French). I communicated mostly in French.

The new restaurant “Kobe” in the old town appealed to us spontaneously. Japanese-Peruvian-European fusion cuisine is served here. Conclusion: casual restaurant and really delicious sushi creations.

I would have liked to try Lux’burgers in the station district. Unfortunately, the well-reviewed burger restaurant is closed on Saturday and Sunday. As an alternative, we tried the Snooze Pub – recommended for an uncomplicated lunch on weekends (has local beers on offer as well as burgers).

#7 Sleep in historic walls

We booked two nights at B&B la Pipistrelle (affiliate link), which is located in the Grund district. At first glance, this does not seem to be the best starting point due to the height offset, but the hotel is less than 30 meters away from the lift access of the Ascenseur Elevator Plateau St.Esprit Grund. This takes us up to the old town in less than a minute. The sights and restaurants in the center are all good and can be reached on foot in a few minutes.

The bed and breakfast is located in an old building nestled against the steep rocks of the Alzette Valley. The four rooms can be reached via an adventurous spiral staircase and if you catch the top room like us, we recommend that you travel light. The rooms are all individually decorated. The top room is the cheapest (from 215 euros per night). The downside is that there is no shower, only the bathtub pictured (and showering in it is not exactly fun due to the sloping ceilings). The other three rooms have a “real” shower.