Luxembourg City (population 140,000 in the city, 640,000 in the Grand Duchy as a whole) is the capital and largest city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg — one of the six founding members of the European Economic Community (1957) and now one of the three official capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels and Strasbourg). Luxembourg is the smallest country in Europe with a capital city, the wealthiest country in the world by GDP per capita (approximately USD 140,000/person — nearly twice that of Switzerland or Norway; the wealth is driven by the Luxembourg financial sector (the world's second-largest investment fund centre after the United States) and the EU institutions). Luxembourg City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1994 — specifically the old fortifications and the Bock Casemates: the 23km of subterranean tunnels, casemates, and defensive galleries carved into the sandstone cliffs of the Bock Promontory; the most extensive surviving medieval fortification system in Europe). The Pétrusse and Alzette rivers created the dramatic geological setting of Luxembourg City: two river valleys (forming a deep gorge on three sides of the historic Bock Promontory) that made Luxembourg one of the most strategically impregnable fortresses in Europe for 400 years (the 'Gibraltar of the North'). The cultural landscape: the Grund (the valley district below the city cliffs — a quarter of medieval streets, baroque convents, and craft workshops that survived the destruction of the fortress); the Kirchberg plateau (the EU institutions district — the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors, and the Philharmonie Luxembourg). Best months: May–September.
Bock Casemates (Chemin de la Corniche 10 — the most extraordinary attraction in Luxembourg and the defining experience of any Luxembourg City visit: the 23km network of subterranean tunnels, casemates, cannon galleries, and military chambers carved into the red Luxembourgian sandstone (the 'grès de Luxembourg' — the Jurassic sandstone that forms the cliff faces of the Bock Promontory and Pétrusse valley); the fortification history (the Bock promontory was the original fortification site (963 CE — the year traditionally given as the founding of Luxembourg: Count Siegfried of Ardennes acquired the Bock rock and built the first castle above the Alzette valley; the 'castle of the Lucilinburhuc' ('little castle') is the foundation of both the city and the country)): the casemate development (the fortress was progressively expanded and enlarged by: the Burgundians (1443–1477), the Habsburgs (1477–1648 and 1714–1794), the French (1684–1697 and 1795–1814), and the Prussians (1815–1867); the final fortress by 1815 was one of the most powerful in Europe (the 'Gibraltar of the North')): the 1867 Treaty of London (after 1867, Luxembourg was declared perpetually neutral and the fortifications were demolished over 16 years (1867–1883); 24km of the original 26km of casemates were destroyed; only 2km are preserved today (the 23km quoted (2km = 23,000m? note: some sources say 23km total system, 2km open to visitors)). Adults €7.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideChemin de la Corniche (the 'most beautiful balcony in Europe' (the local tourist marketing phrase — it is not inaccurate)): the Corniche (a 500m pedestrian walkway along the edge of the Bock cliff, giving the most spectacular views of the Grund valley (the lower city, 70m below), the Alzette River valley, and the Rham plateau with its medieval towers and the St John of the Rock Church (a baroque church built into a former rock-face shrine)): the geology (the Corniche walkway runs along the top of the sandstone cliff face — the same geological formation as the Bock Casemates below; the cliff is 60–80m high at the Corniche viewpoint; the erosion patterns in the sandstone create the distinctive stacked-arch geology of the Luxembourg cliffs); the Alzette valley (the view from the Corniche of the Alzette valley: the medieval bridges, the Abbaye de Neumünster (the former Benedictine abbey, now a cultural centre), and the green valley floor of the Grund). Free.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Grund ('the Ground' — the valley district of Luxembourg City, 70m below the upper city plateau, accessible by a steep set of stairs (the Corniche stairs) or by the historic elevator from Place Saint-Esprit (a 19th-century lift cut into the rock)): the Grund (the most historically atmospheric quarter of Luxembourg City: the valley-floor district that developed in the medieval period as the lower-city commercial and craft zone (the upper city plateau was occupied by the nobility and the fortress administration; the lower city (Grund) was for the merchants, craftspeople, and brewers)): the streets (the Grund has narrow cobblestone streets (Rue Münster, Rue de Trèves) lined with 17th–18th century stone-built houses, baroque garden walls (the convent gardens of the former Benedictine and Capuchin communities that occupied the Grund in the 17th century), and the finest small restaurants in Luxembourg City (the 'bistrots' and traditional 'winstubs' (wine taverns) of the Grund are the most atmospheric dining settings in Luxembourg)). Free to explore.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuidePlace d'Armes (the central square of the Luxembourg City upper town — the most animated public space in the city): the square (the Place d'Armes was the parade ground of the Luxembourg garrison (the 'armes' — 'weapons' — refers to its military function in the fortress period); the square became the social hub of the upper city in the 18th–19th century and is now surrounded by the finest cafés and brasseries in Luxembourg City): the Grand Ducal Palace (the working palace of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg — one of the smallest reigning monarchs' working palaces in Europe: a 16th-century Spanish Renaissance building (built 1572 — during the Spanish Habsburg period; the characteristic Spanish Renaissance feature: the arcaded loggia on the ground floor and the Flemish crow-step gables above)): the changing of the guard (the Luxembourg Palace Guard — a small ceremony (the Luxembourg army is 1,000 strong for a country of 660,000 — one of the smallest professional armies in Europe) that takes place daily at the Grand Ducal Palace entrance). Free.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideJudd mat Gaardebounen (the national dish of Luxembourg — the defining expression of Luxembourgish cuisine: 'smoked collar of pork with broad beans': the pork collar (the 'Judd' — the neck/collar cut of the pig, which has significant intramuscular fat and connective tissue that makes it ideal for low-temperature smoking); the smoking (the Judd is cold-smoked over beech and juniper wood for 48–72 hours, creating a deep mahogany colour and an intense smoky, slightly sweet flavour); the cooking (the smoked Judd is soaked in cold water for 12 hours (to reduce the salt), then slow-braised in water with: onion, celery (celeriac root — the German/Luxembourg celery preference), bay leaf, and black peppercorn for 2–3 hours until completely tender (falling off the bone)); the Gaardebounen (the broad bean — the Vicia faba: the most important legume in the traditional Luxembourg cuisine; the beans are blanched, peeled (the outer skin is removed — the 'peeled broad bean' has a completely different texture and flavour from the unpeeled: smooth, tender, bright green rather than grey-green)); served with boiled new potatoes (the Luxembourgish 'Gromperen') and a cream-enriched bean sauce. Best restaurant: Brasserie Schuman or Wengler. €22–32 for the Judd dish.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideMudam Luxembourg (Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean — 3 Park Dräi Eechelen, Kirchberg Plateau; a 10-min walk from the Philharmonie or Bus 2 from Central Station): the building (designed by Ieoh Ming Pei (I.M. Pei — the Chinese-American architect who also designed the Louvre Pyramid (Paris), the Bank of China Tower (Hong Kong), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland)); the Mudam building (completed 2006) is built on the site of Fort Thüngen (a section of the Luxembourg fortress demolished in 1867); the museum building incorporates the restored remains of the Fort Thüngen casemates into the foundation (the glazed sections of the floor allow visitors to see the original fortress stonework below the museum galleries)): the collection (the permanent collection of Mudam focuses on contemporary art from 1980–present; strong holdings in: textile art, video installation, and the Luxembourg-specific collection (the most important Luxembourgish artists of the contemporary period: Su-Mei Tse (winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale 2003 — the only Luxembourgish artist to win the Golden Lion)). Adults €9.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideKirchberg Plateau (the European Quarter of Luxembourg City — the district where Luxembourg's EU institutions are based; the Kirchberg plateau was a largely undeveloped agricultural plateau east of the old city; it was chosen in 1952 as the seat of the European Coal and Steel Community (the ECSC — the predecessor of the European Union; the ECSC was the first supranational organisation in post-war Europe)): the institutions (the buildings visible from the Kirchberg plateau: (1) the European Court of Justice (Cour de Justice de l'Union Européenne — the gold and silver tower complex (designed by Dominique Perrault, opened 2008; the gold cylindrical towers of the ECJ are the most recognisable modern buildings in Luxembourg)); (2) the European Court of Auditors (the EU's financial watchdog — based in Luxembourg since 1977)); (3) the European Investment Bank (the EU's lending arm — the largest public development bank in the world by assets (€550+ billion)): the significance (Luxembourg is the only place in the world where three EU institutions are permanently based (the others are in Brussels and Strasbourg)). Free exterior.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideMoselle Wine Valley (Vallée de la Moselle — 20km east of Luxembourg City by car or Bus 185 from Luxexpo (45 min); the most important wine-producing region in Luxembourg): the wines (Luxembourg produces some of the finest white wines in Europe from the Moselle Valley: (1) Riesling (the most important variety — the Luxembourg Riesling (grown on the steep Devonian slate slopes of the Moselle valley) is lighter and more mineral than German Moselle Riesling (the Luxembourg wines have a higher natural acidity and a more austere mineral quality (the Luxembourgish term: 'steely') than their German counterparts); (2) Auxerrois (a Luxembourg specialty: the Auxerrois (Pinot Auxerrois — a white grape variety almost unique to Luxembourg and Alsace; it produces a full-bodied, slightly spicy wine with notes of white peach and hazelnuts)); (3) Crémant de Luxembourg (the Luxembourg sparkling wine — made by the traditional method (the same method as Champagne: secondary fermentation in the bottle); the most internationally successful wine category of Luxembourg): the Wormeldange, Remich, and Stadtbredimus wine villages — all have cave cooperatives (the Moselle cooperative wine cellars) open for tasting. Tasting €5–15.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideKachkéis (the national cheese of Luxembourg — the defining dairy product of Luxembourgish cuisine: a processed soft cheese made from Quark (the fresh white curd cheese that is the primary fresh cheese of the Luxembourg-German-Austrian food tradition): the production (the Quark is cooked slowly with butter, caraway seeds (Kümmel — the most important spice in Luxembourg cooking; caraway (Carum carvi) is used in the bread, the cheese, and the meat dishes of Luxembourg as the primary aromatic spice), and sodium carbonate (the 'washing' agent that gives the Kachkéis its characteristic smooth, slightly slimy texture when spread)): the texture and flavour (a soft, very easily spreadable paste (softer than Brie; it can be poured from a jar when warm) with a strong, pungent, slightly ammoniacal smell and a savoury, slightly bitter taste (the aged Kachkéis is more assertive than the fresh): served on rye bread with Riesling white wine (the Kachkéis-Riesling combination is the Luxembourgish equivalent of the French cheese-wine pairing); the Kachkéis is the most important item at any traditional Luxembourg wine tavern (Winstub). €8–14 for cheese + bread platter. Paired with Luxembourg Riesling glass €5–8.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuidePhilharmonie Luxembourg (Place de l'Europe 1, Kirchberg — Bus 2 from Central Station; the most important concert hall in Luxembourg and one of the finest in Europe): the building (designed by Christian de Portzamparc (the French architect who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1994) and opened in 2005: the external design (816 white steel columns (the same diameter throughout, varying only in height) surround the building in a forest of white steel that creates a distinctive screened facade — the columns are arranged in concentric ovals around the main concert hall volume; the building appears different from every angle because of the varying spacing and height of the columns)): the Grand Auditorium (the main concert hall (1,500 seats): designed around the Berlin Philharmonie 'vineyard' concept (the audience surrounds the orchestra on all sides; the stage is in the centre of the room, with the audience rising in terraced sections like a vineyard hillside); the acoustic design by the firm of Müller-BBM (the most technically sophisticated concert hall acoustics in the Benelux region)): attend a morning rehearsal (the Philharmonie offers open morning rehearsals at discounted prices (€5–10) when the programme permits; check the season schedule at philharmonie.lu). €5–15 depending on event.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideChâteau de Vianden (Vianden — 40km north of Luxembourg City by bus (Bus 570 from Luxembourg Glacis Bus Station; 1 hr 15 min, €4 return); the most dramatic and best-preserved medieval castle in Luxembourg and one of the finest in the entire Ardennes region): the castle (Vianden Castle occupies a rocky promontory above the Our River (the Our — the river forming the border between Luxembourg and Germany in this section): the castle (11th–15th century; the original donjon (keep) dates from the 11th century; the castle was extensively expanded in the Romanesque and Gothic periods by the Counts of Vianden (one of the most important noble houses in medieval Luxembourg)): the scale (the castle is one of the largest in the Benelux region: 120m long, 40m wide, with a complete circuit of outer walls, multiple towers, a residential palace wing (the 'Palais' — the 13th-century residential wing with the finest Gothic windows in Luxembourg), and the underground cisterns)): the Victor Hugo connection (the French writer Victor Hugo visited Vianden in 1863, 1864, and 1871 (the 1871 visit was during his exile from France following the Paris Commune suppression; Hugo spent his most productive Vianden summer writing and sketching the Ardennes landscapes); the Victor Hugo House (his Vianden residence) is now a museum). Adults €9.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideEchternach (40km northeast of Luxembourg City by bus (Bus 110, 1 hr, €4 return); the oldest town in Luxembourg and the most important Christian heritage site in the Grand Duchy): the Echternach Basilica (the Abbey of Saint Willibrod — built by Saint Willibrod (657–739 CE): the English Northumbrian missionary who evangelised the Low Countries and founded the Echternach Abbey in 698 CE (the oldest surviving Benedictine abbey in Luxembourg; the abbey was founded before the country of Luxembourg existed): the basilica crypt (the crypt of Saint Willibrod: the Romanesque crypt (11th century) beneath the 7th-century basilica contains the tomb of Saint Willibrod (the tomb has been a pilgrimage site continuously since 739 CE — 1,285 years of continuous pilgrimage); the dancing procession (Springprozession — every Whit Tuesday (the Tuesday after Pentecost) the population of Echternach dances to the basilica in a traditional processional dance (the dancers move in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back rhythm (the 'dancing procession of Echternach' is listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list (2010))); the Échternach Market Place (the finest surviving medieval market place in Luxembourg — a rectangular cobblestone square with the 10th-century Denzelt (the covered market building) and arcaded townhouses). Adults free (basilica); €4 bus return.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideGromperekichelcher (the most beloved Luxembourg street food and the definitive comfort food of the Grand Duchy — 'Gromper' (potato) + 'Kichelchen' (small cake): thin, crispy potato pancakes made from grated raw potato, bound with egg, seasoned with grated onion, parsley, and pepper, then shallow-fried in clarified butter or sunflower oil until golden and crisp on the outside and soft and starchy on the inside): the preparation (the potatoes (the Luxembourg favourite potato variety: the Charlotte (a waxy potato with high moisture content that grates well and holds together without excess starch)) are grated on a box grater and the excess moisture squeezed out (a critical step: too much moisture prevents crisping); the grated potato is mixed with egg (1 per 500g potato), grated onion, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and sometimes nutmeg and a small amount of flour (to bind and improve the texture)); the tradition (the Gromperekichelcher are the standard street food at every Luxembourg outdoor event (wine festivals, the Schueberfouer (the oldest annual fair in Luxembourg — established 1340; held for 3 weeks each August in the Glacis area of Luxembourg City)); at the Schueberfouer, the Gromperekichelcher are served from large cast-iron pans with apple sauce or sour cream). €4–6 for a portion at a restaurant or market stall. Best: Restaurant Kamakura (Luxembourg Old Town) or the Grund Winstub. €18–28 dinner.
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