Here’s the handy-dandy guide I put together in case you’re moving to Luxembourg or planning a visit.
TRANSPORT
Since the 1st
of March 2020, public transport in
Luxembourg is free. You don’t need to purchase tickets or make reservations
when you want to travel by bus, tram or train within the Luxembourgish borders.
As a trainee, this was amazing! The only thing you still have to pay for are taxis,
which are really expensive because each driver can set their own rates, but you
can use public transport to go pretty much anywhere, so you can get away with
not spending a dime on transport.
You can
also use the Velóh system to rent a
bike. There are lots of bike stations around the city and through the app you
can purchase a subscription or pay daily rates and find the nearest available
bike. I do have to say Luxembourg is all about levels so you might want to
think twice about renting a bike if you need to go between Ville Haute and
Ville Basse (although the many lifts around the city certainly help!).
Finally,
the best app for all your travel needs is Mobiltéit.
You can download it for free on your phone and it’s really trustworthy in terms
of schedules, live tracker and routes. However, if you’re planning to visit
smaller towns around the country, a car is definitely the most efficient way
(distances are not large but there might not be a direct public transport route
to your destination).
ACCOMMODATION
Personally,
I lived in a rented room so I don’t have much experience when it comes to
tourist accommodation. I stayed in Campanile Hotel near the Airport on my last
two nights before coming home, which was good for the price, but overall
Luxembourg is pretty expensive. I bet Airbnb
is probably your best bet, but there are also youth hostels!
WEATHER
When I
arrived in March, it was cold, rainy and
it even snowed. Luxembourg can get really cold and damp so carrying an
umbrella and a coat is a must. However, after lockdown it was already Spring
and the weather was lovely and sunny.
It barely rained and, this year, it has been warmer than some places in the
south of Europe. On my last week there the thermometer recorded temperatures of
over 30 degrees on a couple of occasions! According to many people who have
lived in Luxembourg for years, this heat is not normal, but just bear in mind
that if you go there in the Summer you’ll need to bring Summer clothes and lots
of sunscreen!
LUXEMBOURG CITY
My first piece
of advice? Head to the Tourism Office
in Place de Guillaume II to grab some maps and get info on bus routes, ticket
prices and opening times. They were super helpful the couple of times I popped
in. People in Luxembourg speak mostly French, German or Luxembourgish, but many
also speak English. In daily life, I spoke French.
When it
comes to museums, Luxembourg boasts
a few different ones. From contemporary art in MuDAM or The Casino, to history
of the city or country in the Museum of the City of Luxembourg or Musei Drei
Eechelen. There is also an amazing exhibition on Portugal and Luxembourg at the
Abbey, as well as other interesting exhibitions in Villa Vauban, the National
Museum of National History or the National Museum of Art and History.
In terms of sightseeing, it’s perfectly feasible to visit Luxembourg in one day and on foot (yes, the capital is small enough). The Tourism Office can give you fliers with different routes to follow such as the City Panorama Walk or the Wenzel Walk (along the remnants of the medieval fortresses). Here are some of the places you shouldn’t miss:
- The Casemates: a system of tunnels and caves used to protect citizens during WWII.
- The view over the Grund from Chemin de la Corniche – amazing photo spot! Another great view is the one from the lift in Pfaffenthal.
- Visit the Cathedral and the “Golden Lady” nearby and walk down the path into the Pétrusse park which you can follow along until you reach the Grund neighbourhood.
- In Kirchberg you can visit the Philharmonie as well as the EU buildings such as the Schuman and Konrad Adenauer Buildings (European Parliament) or the European Court of Justice, among many others. La Coque, the sports centre, is also an interesting building in this neighbourhood.
- Don’t forget to see the Ducal Palace from the outside, as well as the two main squares, Place d’Esprit and Place de Guillaume II.
- If you’re looking to shop, most shops are located in the Centre and Gare neighbourhoods.
- Finally, there are many different parks and green spaces in the city, which I loved. Visit the Pescatore Park, Parc Merl, Parc Municipal…
While I was
there, my favourite thing to do was to relax and read at the park. I went to
Parc Municipal often for yoga classes, but the view of the sunset from the park
behind MuDAM and Drei Eechelen is beautiful!
PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK
Eating out
in Luxembourg is pretty expensive. A
meal at a restaurant can cost anywhere between 25 and 40 euros per person,
which is expensive for someone coming from Spain. If you want to save money,
there’s always McDonalds and kebab shops, but my go-to solution has always been
grabbing something from a supermarket.
There are lots of different chains: Auchan, Delhaize, Monoprix, Cactus…
For food, I’d recommend Chiche in
Limpertsberg for Lebanese food, as well as Mamacita in the city centre for
Mexican food. You can get good pizzas from La Torre in Limpertsberg and good
Italians are Vapiano (different locations) and Partigiano (Gare).
Konrad is a
nice place for coffee and, if you’re
looking for drinks (Diekirch is the
national beer and crémant the national drink), the Grund and Clausen
neighbourhoods are the place to be for bars and clubbing. Give Updown (Clausen)
or Scott’s (Grund) a try! If you’re looking for an international atmosphere,
The Tube in the city centre is a good shout on Fridays or Saturdays.
If you like
markets, there is a food market in
Place de Guillaume II on Saturdays from 7am to 1:30pm, as well as the
Glacismaart in Place du Glacis in Limpertsberg which has a bit of everything
(third Sunday of the month between March and November).
LUXEMBOURG COUNTRY
There are
many quaint towns around the country which are worth visiting:
·
Vianden. This town is famous for its castle
overlooking the valley and river. It’s a reconstructed medieval castle which has
become the symbol of Luxembourg.
·
Clervaux. Home to another castle, in this one you can
find the famous exhibition Family of Man, showcasing photos about humankind
around the world. There is also an Abbey on top of the hill which is a monastery.
·
Echternach. A town next to the border with
Germany. There is a picturesque basilica as well as a lovely lake to picnic
around and a Roman villa. It’s also the perfect place to begin many of the
hiking trails that run around Müllerthal
or La Petite Suisse, famous for its
rock formations and spots like the Schiessentümpfel
waterfall.
·
If
you’re looking to swim, head over to the Haute-Sûre natural park in Esch-sur-Sûre where you can swim in the
lake.
·
For
wine, the Moselle Valley and places
like Remich are the place to be.
·
If
you’re an EU buff, how about visiting the roundabout in Schengen? One road leads to Germany, the other to France and the
third to Luxembourg!
·
Finally,
there are many other little spots which are easy to reach by car but not
through public transport. For example, you could visit the castles in Beaufort or Bourlingster.
AROUND LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg
is a great base to visit bigger cities in France, Germany and Belgium.
Unfortunately, because of the pandemic I was not able to visit many places as
borders had shut down. However, I do recommend a day trip to Trier in Germany, to see the Roman
Porta Nigra, cathedral and old palace, Roman baths and amphitheatre…or do some
(cheaper) shopping! Metz in France
is also close and I hear is worth a visit, and Paris or Brussels are
not very far either!
I hope you
enjoy this succinct list of recommendations for Luxembourg. I wish I had had
more chances to explore while I was there, but this what I learnt while I did
my traineeship and I hope it will come in handy for those visiting after the
pandemic! Stay safe and let me know if you check out any of my suggestions!
Zoe
Follow me
on social media:
·
Instagram: @zoeamz (personal) / @ecobyzoe
(zero waste)
·
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