LUXEMBOURG CITY Travel Guide | A surprisingly perfect city break
Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in the world Its unique character comes from its fortified foundations It is surrounded by beautiful nature creating incredible scenery It has charming valleys, scenic cliffs and stunning panoramic views This is the only remaining Grand Duchy in the world
Luxembourg is also one of the capital cities of the Europe Union There are so many fantastic places waiting to be discovered I want to introduce this vibrant city to everyone You will be amazed with how perfect Luxembourg actually is Luxembourg City is divided into two parts…
The Upper Town is the modern part located on top of the cliff The Lower Town is located in the picturesque valleys Luxembourg is the first country with FREE public transport The network is well organised with a modern app There are also public transport maps at most Bus/Tram stops
However, the city centre is small and compact, so is easy to walk I divided my trip over 2 days Let’s go~ >___< I only used public transport to and from my hotel on the first day I visited all the places in the Upper and Lower Towns on foot
Today I only used Bus Stop F.D. Roosevelt to travel to the city The Bus Stop F.D. Roosevelt is in front of the Cathedral It is a good place to start exploring Luxembourg It was originally the church of Jesuit Monastery built in 1613
The church was elevated to cathedral status in the 19th century The crypt has the tombs of important people in the country It is worth a visit to see this remarkable gothic cathedral This square has the national monoment “Gëlle Fra” The statue commemorates people who fought in World War I
There is an open market with shops and cafes It was fun to walk around The best thing is the fantastic panoramic view from the balcony~ So beautiful >__< The city main square is named after King William II He was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg
He granted the first parliamentary constitution to the city The Town Hall is used for the city administration There are two bronze lions guarding the building The Tourist Information Centre is also located here This square is surrounded by lively cafes and restaurants
The square is commonly referred to as the “Parlour of the city” It is used for open-air events, Christmas markets and concerts Musicians sometimes perform in this pavilion The Cercle Cité is an administrative building It is the culture and conference centre for city indoor events
This is a lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor seating Desserts look so amazing with lots to choose from Chocolate is also tasty with creative flavours~ I ordered raspberry chocolate cake, it was so good!! This building used to be the Town Hall
Now, it is the official residence of the Grand Ducal family The Grand Duke uses the palace for his audiences in the capital They open the palace for guided tours during the summer This is a good place to sit down and have a break
There are plenty of cakes to try in the chocolate house I really like the cosy indoor seating upstairs~ Chocolate layer and Tiramisu cakes were delicious~ The best thing was this half circle chocolate, it was soooo GOOD!! This museum is HUGE!!! If the weather is good, I suggest you move on to the viewpoint
If it is raining, then, this is the best place to be >__< The Archaeology displays objects from prehistory to the Middle Ages There are 5 floors dedicated to human activity during that time I was fascinated by the models of people’s houses in the past
The museum has done a fantastic job of showing their history This showed how to make strong walls for the city fortress The mosaic from Vichten is really impressive to look at You can also see the whole mosaic from the upper floor I really enjoyed walking around the Coins and Medals display
So many little beautiful coins to explore~ Arts and Crafts display the evolution of decorative arts The exhibition shows furniture, silverware, ceramics and clocks The model rooms show how people used to live For painting lovers, the Fine Art section is a must visit
There are masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the present day The origins of this church go back to the 7th century It was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times The current interior dates from the 17th century The first counts of Luxembourg built the castle here in 963
It was abandoned for a long time before the Austrians arrived They turned it to an impressive fortress to protect the city The fortified tunnels were dug inside the rock I was sad that when I visited it was closed for renovation However, the panoramic view from the balcony was amazing!!
It was a breath-taking view of Luxembourg~ So beautiful >__< The opposite side of the street has other remains of the fortress This tower had a platform to see the fantastic view This is the other side of the Lower Town The red bridge is the “Grande-Duchesse Charlotte Bridge”
It connects the city centre to the European Quarter Part of Montee De Clausen Street is in fact a bridge! The Castle Bridge was built using red sandstone in 1735 It connects the Bock Casemates to the city There is a small road leading to the Lower Town
Be careful when you cross the main road to other side I really enjoyed walking down slowly to the Grund It was quiet and it made me feel like visiting a small town I had completely forgotten that I was in a capital city Look at this wonderful view~ Everywhere is sooooo cute~ >___<
The Wenzel wall was a part of the old city wall It connected the Lower Town to the main city’s defensive ring The original version had a 875 meters long wall with 37 towers It must have looked so impressive back then This is the lovely view from the Wenzel Wall
It was very pretty >[]< The Alzette River runs through Luxembourg City It has created deep winding ravines and rocky valleys This forms a strong natural defensive location It also provides a source of water for the city It was very peaceful to walk around the river
I was in the city with modern buildings 10 minutes ago… …then, I was surrounded by nature with lots of trees It is a really lovely contrast within the city >___< This complex was the old Benedictine abbey dating from 1606 It was used as a barracks and prison during the French Revolution
The abbey is now a Cultural and Exhibition centre There was science exhibition about space when I visited The models looked so awesome!! St. John’s Church was built at the same time as the abbey The tower of this church can be seen from every view point
Pilgrims come here to see the Black Madonna from the 14th century This is the famous 3D printed statue of the mermaid Melusina She married Count Siegfried, the founder of Luxembourg According to legend, she wanted to be alone every Saturday But The Count broke his promise by spying on her
He discovered Melusina’s secret that she was a mermaid Melusina was upset and threw herself from the castle She disappeared in the Alzette river, never to be seen again The Grund is probably the most charming district of the city It is located at the heart of the Lower Town
The Grund gives the vibe as “a village within a city” It made me felt calm and chill when I was walking around It is definitely a must visit district~ This is the quickest way to go up and down from the Grund There are beautiful pictures inside the tunnel to the elevator
It is also FREE to use as part of the city public transport The Justice Quarter is right in front of the elevator The buildings around this square are law courts The judicial authorities moved to their offices in 2008 This fountain has 10 doves flying down to touch the water
The first dove carries an olive branch representing peace The view from the old fortress was stunning!! I could see all the way from Bock Casemates to the Grund It was nice to sit down and looked at the beautiful view here~ There is a small road leading down to the Rose Garden
It is located directly below the citadel I was a bit sad as all the roses were still budding It must be so beautiful when they are in bloom However, I still enjoyed the wonderful view here Such lovely scenery to end the day~ I took advantage of FREE public transport on the second day
Tram line (Purple line on the map) is convenient to travel I planed to stop at 3 places along the way to European Quarter This square is so grand with neo-renaissance buildings The main financial centre of Luxembourg is located here There is Bank Museum exhibiting the 150 years of financial history
This is an unusual place to see contemporary art The 15 metres deep tunnel connects banks together They use the empty space to exhibit photos and paintings The permanent exhibition is dedicated to Edward Steichen He was a world famous photographer from Luxembourg
I think it is awesome to experience an art exhibition in a tunnel The top floor of Galeries Lafayette has a FREE viewing terrace It is easy to get here, just take the elevator to the rooftop floor The panoramic view of Luxembourg City is right there
The City Centre is very modern with lots of new buildings I could see as far as the European Quarter It was very enjoyable to walk along the 4 corridors Nice 360° view around the building~ The Philharmonie has 3 concert halls to host various performances The concert hall’s capacity varies from 120-1,500 seats
They perform both classical and contemporary music here Next place is behind the Place de l’Europe, a bit of a walk… Museum of Modern Art Grand Duke Jean exhibits modern arts There are contemporary artworks by more than 100 artists The building was designed by the famous architect I.M. Pei
I didn’t visit the art gallery, just stopped here for lunch This old fortress is awesome!! The three towers are known as the “Three Acorns” A deep moat in front of the fortress was used as a defence wall However, most of the structure was demolished Then, the foundation walls were rediscovered in 1991
The moat is still in good condition It looks so strong and it is hard to penetrate from the ground Let’s go inside the tower~ This is an excellent museum of the history of fortresses Lots of documents showing the city with massive fortifications
Model of the old castle that it is long gone I really liked the wooden 3D map of Luxembourg It helped me understand the locations of the fortresses This is a bird’s eye view map, everyone can stand on top of the city! The tunnel on the way out is very impressive~
Let’s go back to the city using the bus~ I used Bus No.12 from Philharmonie-MUDAM to Fondation Pescatore The bus stop is at the corner of the other side of the tram stop A lovely park to walk through to the famous elevator It creates a green spot inside the city
I was lucky with the cherry blossom >___< So pretty~ The elevator connects the city centre to the Pfaffenthal area It is a glass elevator with a panoramic view at 71m high! Using the elevator is also FREE!! It was smooth to go down~
Pfaffenthal was very quiet compared to other parts of the city It was peaceful just to look at the river I could see the Red Bridge from here~ I also spent time just looking up at the elevator It was fun to see it go up and down
It was time to go to the next view point I walked past the park in the direction of the city Then, I took Bus No. 14 or 15 from Badanstalt to Rumm When I got out of the bus, I saw this massive city wall
It used to be part of the defensive structure to protect the city There are stairs and a platform to safely walk to the tower The platform connects to the Wenzel Wall near the Abbey So, you can just walk up the stairs from the Grund to Jacob Tower
The panoramic view from this side was so beautiful~ The foundation casemates are very impressive from this angle The next platform allows people to visit the city wall itself!! Luxembourg City really takes care of its visitors The platform is very safe to walk with flat surfaces and handles
I can enjoy the view knowing that it is safe to be here The end of the wall walk is inside the Jacob Tower You can sit down here and watch a video about fortifications I was very impressed by how they treat visitors here
There are 4 towers in good condition opposite Jacob Tower They served military purposes in the 17th century This area used to be the barracks for French soldiers But most of the fortifications were demolished in 1867 Time to go to the best view point~
You can use the same Bus stop at Rumm or walk up to Dinselpuert I used Bus No. 14 or 15 from Dinselpuert to Um Bock/Casemates The view at the Bus stop was pretty too This is well known as “the most beautiful balcony of Europe” The corridor runs along the Alzette valley
It is on top of the ramparts built by the Spanish and the French I really enjoy the panoramic view of the Lower Town~ The bell added a nice sound to the city~ Absolutely stunning~ This museum displays 1,000 years of Luxembourg’s history I learnt a lot about the origin of this amazing city
This is probably the biggest lift that I’ve ever used!! The exhibitions are chronologically shown with urban development I don’t want to spoil all the fun in the museum… …so, I will show only my favorites As a map lover, I was impressed with how they show the 3D map
Virtual graphics tell the story of the fortifications This circular room has a realistic wall painting It made me feel like I was in the scene in real life The modern era was also interesting The exhibitions display the path to independence as a country
It shows how the city has become one of the richest in the word The balcony of the museum has a fantastic view~ It was nice to end my trip here~ Learning about the history of wonderful Luxembourg… …and enjoying this breath-taking view again Luxembourg really surprised me with everything
The city is extremely clean and well organised I felt safe to go anywhere with free public transport Luxembourg makes citizens and visitors feel that they matter I think it is the best way to treat people in the country I hope that you will add Luxembourg to your bucket list…
…and go to experience “the perfect city” by yourself~ Have a great journey in Luxembourg~ If you find this video useful, please click Like and Subscribe Thank you and see you in the next travel guide >__<
Luxembourg City is a modern vibrant capital surrounded by fortresses. The city is extremely clean and safe to travel. Everything in Luxembourg is well organised. They are the first country to have FREE public transport.
I was very impressed with Luxembourg from the first moment I arrived. The streets are so smooth and clean!! The quality of life here is very high. The government has taken care of their people to the next level.
I had about 2 days in Luxembourg. I couldn’t find any negative things in the city. Everything is just perfect as it is. I really want to introduce this lovely city to everyone.
Please join me in exploring Luxembourg City~
Day 1
Cathédrale Notre-Dame
Place de la Constitution
Place Guillaume II
Place d’Armes
Pâtisserie Oberweis Grand-Rue
Grand Ducal Palace
Chocolate House Nathalie Bonn
National Museum of History and Art
Saint Michael’s Church
Bock Casemates
Castle Bridge
Wenzel Wall
Alzette River
Neumünster Abbey
Melusina Statue
The Grund
Elevator Plateau St. Esprit Grund
Justice Quarter
Citadel of the Holy Spirit
Rose Garden
DAY 2
Place de Metz
Am Tunnel Art Gallery
Galeries Lafayette
Philharmonie Luxembourg
MUDAM
Fort Thüngen
Fondation Pescatore Park
Pfaffenthal Panoramic Elevator
Jacob Tower
Rham Plateau
Chemin de la Corniche
Lëtzebuerg City Museum