A Guide to Luxembourg: where to go and what to do

Here’s the handy-dandy guide I put together in case you’re moving to Luxembourg or planning a visit.

TRANSPORT

Since the 1^st 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

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