Luxembourg
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (the official name) is a very small country that borders Belgium, France and Germany. It is located in North Western Europe. The country has a population just over 500,000 and the country is one of the wealthiest in the world based on per capita income. The countries cultures are heavily influenced by France and German and the national languages are French, German and Luxembourgish. The country is lead by the Grand Duke and a parliament called the Council of Deputies. Luxembourg City is the capital and is a Unseco World Heritage site due to its very well preserved fortifications surrounding the city on the cliffs and plateau. Luxembourg City is also one of the capitals of the European Union and is the home to the European Court of Justice (the equivalent to our Supreme Court). We visited the country in October of 2019 and we found its country full of friendly people, great food and many things to do. It was a great place to visit and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting the country!
Getting to Luxembourg and Transportation
There are a few different ways you can get to Luxembourg. You can fly to the countries International airport near Luxembourg City in the Southern Part of the Country. There are quite a few European Airlines that fly to the airport. You could also fly into Paris, Belgium or a German city and then take the rail into Luxembourg City. The TGV French High Speed Rail services Luxembourg City. You could also choose to rent a car and drive to Luxembourg from elsewhere in Europe. We flew British Airways into Luxembourg Airport and we also visited Paris and used the TGV to go between Paris and Luxembourg City. The rail is very fast (goes around 200 mph at times and takes around 2.5 hours) and is a comfortable transportation type. When in Luxembourg there are many great transportation options. In Luxembourg City there are many buses and light rail available to get you pretty much anywhere. There are also many Taxi Cab available for use. If you want to go out into the countryside of Luxembourg you have commuter rail service and buses that will take you anywhere you want in the country. We used buses, Luxembourg Rail and taxis heavily while we were in the country. They also have a funicular that will take you from the valley portion of Luxembourg City to the high portion of the city. They system works very well and we had no trouble getting around.
Luxembourg Card
One item I heavily recommend purchasing before online or at the tourist office in Luxembourg City is the Luxembourg Card. Its offers free or discounted admission to many of the museums and sites within the country and also gets you free public transportation throughout the country (bus, rail and light rail all included). We used our cards heavily and used the public transportation and visited multiple museums and sites for free using the card. Its only 13 Euros for a 24 hour pass so it really helps make visiting Luxembourg more affordable and allows you to see some great things!
Luxembourg City
The capital of Luxembourg and the countries largest city is a very historic city. Over the years many different nations controlled the fortress city until in the 1800s the city and country became independent. Today you can still see some of the historic and formidable walls of the city. The fortress is part of the reason Luxembourg City is a Unesco World Heritage site. The city is very modern with a great pedestrian shopping area in the center of the city that has many clothing, jewelry and retail shops and many brands you would recognize. The city also has a great district in the lower area near the river called Grund that has some great local eateries, museums and its a peaceful place to just take a nice walk through the beautiful area. While in Luxembourg City you can walk past the Grand Ducal Palace and the Chamber of Deputies. The Grand Ducal Palace is the home of the monarch of Luxembourg, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and the Chamber of Deputies is the parliament of Luxembourg. The city has some nice green spaces and is small enough to get around pretty quickly. Constitution Square with the Monument of Remembrance that is dedicated to those who died in WWI and WWII. There are also many beautiful churches you can visit throughout the city. There are other great sites and museums you can visit in the city that I will talk about below!
Luxembourg City Museum
On the first day in Luxembourg after taking a walk through the city we used our Luxembourg Card to get us entry into the Luxembourg City Museum. The museum does a great job chronicling the extensive history of the city from its beginning of a small fortress to a much larger city being fought over by powerful European countries. The museum is in a historic building and has great artifacts and exhibits going all the way to today’s Luxembourg City that is a banking hub and a capital of the European Union. The exhibit is several stories high and has temporary exhibits you can visit. At the time of our visit they had an exhibit on the Luxembourg Fair and cast iron art. It will take a couple hours to go through the museum and is a great place to stop and learn about the capital of Luxembourg.
The National Museum of Art and History
A short walk from the Luxembourg City Museum is the National Museum of Art and history. The museum goes over Luxembourg history from pre-historic ages to the current and also features an art museum. You start multiple levels underground and can view Luxembourg City’s rocky layers through glass as you see exhibits on pre-historic man, Roman Rule over Luxembourg including a beautiful restored mosaic, and exhibits through WWII and current Luxembourg. The second half of the museum has sculptures, and classic paintings. There are even exhibits on the furniture of Luxembourg. There is also an exhibit on the currencies of Luxembourg that goes all the way to the current currency of the Euro. There is also Temporary Museum exhibits you can walk through. The exhibit we saw was a history of voting in Luxembourg. The museum takes a couple hours to walk through and most of the exhibits are in German, French and English. The museum is free with the Luxembourg card.
National Museum of Natural History
Located in the lower area of the city near the river in Grund you can visit the National Museum of Natural History. The museum goes over mainly animal life around the world with many displays of mammals, reptiles, fish and birds. There are many interactive exhibits and videos about our planet. There are exhibits on space and also the Luxembourg countryside. A couple of particularly interesting artifacts are Luxembourg flags that the United States flew to the Moon on Apollo 11 and Apollo 17. There are also pieces of Moon rocks from both missions in the museum as well. There is also a small garden behind the museum that overlooks the River Alzette. Its a nice quiet place to enjoy a nice view. The museum is three stories tall and will take an hour or so to go through depending on how quickly you go through the exhibits. This museum is also included in the Luxembourg Card so it is free.
Casemate Du Bock
Located not far from the museums you can visit the Casement Du Bock located in the cliff face that protected the Old Town. The fortifications were built over many years starting in the 900s. The old tunnels and fortifications are now a museum where you can walk through and see what used to protect the city. There are many passages you can walk through and an archaeological site. There are beautiful views of the city and the River Alzette through the openings that still house some old cannons. There are spiral staircases and many ways to go while touring this site. The site can take an hour or so to tour depending on how many passageways and levels you decide to visit. This site is also included in the Luxembourg Card so it is free to visit.
Kirchberg
A very modern district in Luxembourg City is Kirchberg. Its located on a plateau not far from the city center. The district is home to a concert hall, sports centers, convention centers, many businesses and is also the Luxembourg European Union Capital area. Its home to the Court of Justice for the European Union, and many other European Union offices. They also have schools and other facilities for the EU employees and their families. The district is also home to the Luxembourg Modern Art Museum and historic Fort Thungen. Fort Thungen is a reconstructed fortification that was part of the large fortress of Luxembourg City. It is now a museum you can visit. We did not get a chance to visit much of Kirchberg but did tour it on the Hop off Hop on bus and saw much of the area. Its a neat area to go through and definitely is different than the Old Town City Center.
Travel to the Luxembourg Countryside
After touring the different areas in Luxembourg City we took trains and buses out into the countryside. Luxembourg is a small country so going from the Southern Part of the country to the Northern Part of the country was only around 40 or so miles but it was easy to get to without a car using the excellent public transportation system. We took Luxembourg rail up to the city of Ettelbruck and then caught a bus to the city of Vianden to visit a castle. The public transportation workers were very helpful directing us where to go to transfer once we got to the rail station in the nice city of Ettelbruck. On the way up to Vianden on the bus we decided to stop off and walk across the border into Germany to the Very small city of Roth an der Our. While there we walked up a tall hill to a small German castle called Schloss Roth. It was a pretty walk in a cozy German town along the river that is the border of Germany and Luxenbourg. You could still see the old border checkpoints that are no longer in use since the Schengen agreement allowing open borders. With the Luxembourg card all the public transportation is included so it was basically free to make this journey up to Vianden.
Vianden Castle
In Northern Luxembourg sits a beautiful little town along the Our river called Vianden. Its a beautiful city to walk through with small shops and cafes. On top of a small mountain sits the impressive Vianden Castle. The castle has been there since medieval times and feudal days as the ruling Counts of Vianden lived in the castle. After many years of disrepair the castle was refurbished very nicely. After a long hike up to the top of the hill/mountain you reach the huge castle. For a few dollars (its free with the Luxembourg card) you go in the castle for a self guided tour. You start at the bottom of the castle and weave your way through different rooms. There is armor, chapels, dining halls and many other places to explore in the extensive castle. As you make your way up to the top there are great views of the river valley and the city. There are great markers in the museum explaining the history of the different rooms and halls. There is also a great museum with high tech exhibits that gives more history on the castle and area. There is a video that shows how the castle has changed over a thousand years. A variety of films have been shot at the castle over the years as well. As we finished our visit we met another friendly cat as we walked down the hill to the bus station to head back to Luxembourg City.
Food in Luxembourg
Being in between France and Germany Luxembourg has a variety of food. Much of the traditional food is similar to German food with Sausage, a type of fried chicken and pork and beans. They also have great beer and wine in Luxembourg. We ate at a local brewery suggested to us at our hotel by a local in the lower town area of Luxembourg City near the river. It was a very nice eating and entertainment district. The food there was some of the best food we have had in our travels. You can get a variety of other food options in Luxembourg including American food like McDonalds and Subway.
Tips for Luxembourg
While Luxembourg might be a small county that does not get a lot of fanfare it is not one you should underestimate. There is a lot to do in the country. From great museums, monuments, fortress walls, castles and nice shopping there is a variety of things to do. There are also outdoor activities available such as hiking in the wilderness areas of the country. The Battle of the Bulge also partially occurred in Luxembourg so you can visit sites of that battle. Staying in Luxembourg City was the best option for us and it was easy to get out into the countryside with the great public transportation. I heavily recommend getting the very affordable Luxembourg Card that gives free or discounted admission to museums and sites around the country and gives you free access to trains, trams, and buses around the country. Spend at least a couple days in the country to be able to learn about and soak up the culture. Luxembourg is well connected to other countries through high speed rail and air. We took French TGV high speed rail to Paris from Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a great country to visit so give it a chance and go!