10 Best Places to Visit in Luxembourg City
Luxembourg is a small European country located west of Germany, sharing its borders with France, Germany, and Belgium. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is well known for being one of the four institutional seats of the European Union and the EU’s Court of Justice. Apart from these important offices, Luxembourg City is famed for its fortified medieval old town perched on sheer cliffs. It is a treasure trove of medieval architecture and natural beauty.
Recently, we made a two-day trip to Luxembourg City as part of our three-day holiday. On the third day, we visited Trier, a small town in Germany, located just 60 kilometres east of Luxembourg City.
You can read about our Trier visit here and check out a lovely photo gallery of Trier, Germany, here.
Before I move on to the best places to visit in Luxembourg, I will inform my readers about travel, accommodation, and public transport within Luxembourg City.
Arriving at Luxembourg City
By Car
Since we live in Darmstadt, Germany, it was an easy 260 km drive, which required about 3 hours to reach. So, we started in the morning, around 9 a.m., and we were in Luxembourg around 12:00 p.m.
If you don’t own a car, you can rent one. We have rented from SIXT multiple times and found their cars to be of top-notch quality. I have also written about my experience of renting a car in Germany. Do check it out.
If you are yet to start driving in Germany, read my articles about 10 Reasons to get a driving licence in Germany and the Step-by-Step guide to getting a driving licence in Germany.
By Train
However, if you travel from any location in Germany and don’t prefer driving, you can take the Deutsche Bahn (DB)- Germany’s Railway network and book a train on their official website.
If Luxembourg City visit is a part of your holiday in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg (Benelux), the best and most cost-effective way to travel is with a Eurail Benelux Mobile Pass. Check out more details here.
By Air
Luxembourg Airport is about 8 km from the city centre.
You can check your flight options here.
The official website for the airport is https://www.lux-airport.lu/.
Accommodation in Luxembourg City:
We stayed at the Novotel Hotel (Kirchberg) in Luxembourg City. We usually prefer homestays for our holidays, but we booked a hotel room instead since this was a short visit. Luckily, we got spacious accommodation with two double beds. Therefore, we could all (two adults and two children) easily be accommodated and have a comfortable stay. The rooms were not too small, as with most hotel rooms. They had a sumptuous buffet breakfast spread, allowing us to have a meal before starting our day. Also, the breakfast was complimentary for children under 16. Therefore, the prices worked out well. There were plenty of parking spaces (for which we were charged 19 Euros per day), so we didn’t have to look for one. Additionally, the hotel was a 5-minute walk from the nearest tram stop, making it easy for us to access places using public transportation.
I recommend this hotel for a comfortable stay in Luxembourg.
Travel within the city:
One of the advantages of Luxembourg City is that public transportation is free of charge. Finding a parking spot in the city can be challenging, and it’s also expensive. So, even if you have arrived by car, it is best to keep it parked and use public transport to visit various places of interest.
Here are four ways in which you can explore the city:
- On your own. Read blogs like this one, gather information from the internet, and use this information to explore the city on your own.
- Start your visit with a walking tour and learn some basics about the city, its culture, and history from a local. Then, explore the city on your own.
- Take a train, bus or e-bike tour through the city with an audio guide.
- Take the Hop on Hop Off Bus and explore the city.
Now, let’s talk about the places you can visit in Luxembourg City.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Luxembourg City
1. Luxembourg City Centre
It is best to start by visiting the city centre first. Alight at the tram stop called ‘Hamilius’. From there, walk up to the city centre. You will notice that the place is quite busy and crowded, and you will indeed feel like a bustling city when you enter this area. There are numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, and more. Additionally, this area boasts many historical monuments and sites of interest. So, spend some time here, walking on the cobbled streets and soaking in the city’s vibes.
2. Palais Grand Ducal (Grand Ducal Palace)
About 750 m from the Hamilius Tram stop, you will find Palais Grand Ducal. It is the official residence and office of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. You can either stop by to admire the lovely architecture of the building or witness a simple ceremony of changing the guard every half hour. Alternatively, you can explore the palace from the inside or even go for a guided tour. Check out their official website for tour schedules, opening times, etc.
3. Cathédrale Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame Cathedral)
Walking 300 m from the Grand Ducal Palace, you will find Notre Dame Cathedral. This 17th-century Roman Catholic Cathedral is a noteworthy example of late Gothic architecture with many Renaissance elements and adornments. Entry to the cathedral is free, but do check its opening hours before your visit. You can use this link to do so.
4. Gëlle Fra (Monument of Remembrance)
About 300 m from the Notre Dame Cathedral, you will find Gëlle Fra ( Monument of Remembrance). It is a war memorial dedicated to the thousands of Luxembourgers who volunteered for service in the armed forces of the Allied Powers during both World Wars and the Korean War. A series of steps from the monument takes you to a lovely park. You can visit it too if you like.
5. Panoramic Elevator of the Pfaffenthal (Panorama-Aufzug Pfaffenthal)
A kilometre walk from Gëlle Fra brings you to the Panoramic Elevator of the Pfaffenthal. This public elevator connects the Ville Haute- the historical city centre, with Pfaffenthal in the Alzette valley below. It offers its passengers panoramic views of the Alzette River valley. Access to the elevator is free. You can either take the elevator and go down to Pfaffenthal or return and enter the city centre again.
6. Bock Casemates
Once you leave the Panoramic Elevator, you can walk ( about 1.6 km) or take public transport to reach Bock Casemates—a defence system and a vast complex of underground tunnels and galleries constructed in 1644 and used as WWII bomb shelters. You can walk in the passageways and get lovely valley views from these high balconies. You can buy tickets for your visit on their official website.
7. Chemin de la Corniche
After seeing the Bock casemates, head to Chemin de la Corniche. Also called “the most beautiful balcony of Europe”, it runs along the Alzette valley on the ramparts, built by the Spaniards and the French in the 17th century. Take a walk along the walls and enjoy the lovely views. Every other spot provides a different view of the valley, and each is more beautiful than the other. When you have explored the upper part, take the steps, come down, and walk along the river.
8. Philharmonie
Located about 2 km from the city centre is Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte, also known as Philharmonie Luxembourg. It is a massive concert hall that hosts over 400 shows annually. It had a grand auditorium that can seat more than 1500 listeners, a Chamber Music hall that boasts of its beautiful acoustics and a Discovery Space used for experimental and electronic music, projects in the fields of film, art or video, workshops, and a large number of concerts and performances for children and young people. You can check their official website for shows and guided tours.
9. Fort Thüngen
Four hundred meters away (a 5-minute walk) from Philharmonie is Fort Thüngen. Fort Thüngen is an 18th-century fort that houses a museum. More than 600 artefacts, a wide variety of collections, maps, photos, and paintings in the permanent exhibition illustrate the history of Luxembourg. The underground galleries and passageways offer a unique experience. Access to the museum is free. You can check their official website for information about opening hours and other details.
10. Fort Obergrünewald and a hike in the forest
About 700 mts from Fort Thüngen is Fort Obergrünewald. These are the ruins of an old fortification. The highlight of this place is the lovely views that you get from the adjoining garden. After exploring the fort, you can hike in the adjacent forest, which is covered with trees and thick bushes but has a clear hiking path. The end of the hiking track brings you near a youth hostel, from where you can easily take public transport.
How to plan sightseeing in Luxembourg City:
The city has a lower part and an upper part. The two are connected by steps as well as by elevators. So, people with mobility issues can use these public lifts (free of cost), and others can use the steps. The lower part allows you to walk along the river and explore the valley, while in the upper part, you can walk along the rampart of the old fortifications.
The city centre, the Grand Ducal Palace, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Monument of Remembrance and the Panoramic Elevator of the Pfaffenthal are close to each other. Hence, these places can be grouped.
Similarly, Philharmonie, Fort Thüngen and Fort Obergrünewald are close to each other and can be clubbed together.
Chemin de la Corniche is the most interesting and requires time, too. If you casually walk along the walls, exploring everything that comes your way, and then come down and walk along the river and combine it with Bock Casemates, you need about three hours.
Consider all these factors and plan your sightseeing in Luxembourg City.
Here are some more experiences you can add to your Luxembourg itinerary if you have more days, depending on the time of the year you visit the city.
- Visit Museums
Apart from these places, you could also include the National Museum of History and Art, Neumünster Abbey, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Villa Vauban, Casino Luxembourg ( Entry is free), City Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Contemporary Art Museum. If you’re a museum fan, you can visit the Museum Days Luxembourg website, where, for two days, entry to many participating museums is free and special programs are held. If you arrive on any other day, the most cost-effective way to explore the museums is with a Combi-Ticket City Train & the 7 Museums Pass. - Make a half-day trip to Vianden Castle.
Vianden Castle is 50 km north of Luxembourg City and can be reached in less than an hour from Luxembourg City. It is located in the medieval city of Vianden. Visit the castle, which is high above the valley and offers spectacular views of the medieval city. You can buy tickets for your visit here. - Make a day trip to Trier.
Trier is a lovely city in Germany, 60 km east of Luxembourg City. It can be reached in an hour. We spent a day in Trier, and I already shared the link earlier in the article. If you want an all-inclusive trip to Trier that includes travel and a guided tour of the city, click here. - Make a day trip to Vianden, the “Little Switzerland”, Echternach and the Moselle River.
This trip includes travel, access to all the sites and an audio guide. Check out the trip details here.
Check out my Photo Gallery, where I have uploaded many more pictures taken during our visit.
To read about other holiday destinations, check out my Travel and Holidays Page.
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