Luxembourg: The City, the Gorges, and What to Do in Two Days

Luxembourg City is a small capital – population 130,000 – that manages to look considerably more dramatic than its size suggests. The Old Town sits on a plateau above the Alzette River gorge, and the Bock promontory juts out above a 70-metre drop into the valley below. The casemates (underground fortifications) carved from this rock during the 17th century run for 17km beneath the city. That combination of high plateau streets and deep wooded valleys directly underneath gives the city topographic variety that much larger European capitals lack.

The whole country is about the size of the English county of Dorset. You can drive across it in 45 minutes. This means day trips from Luxembourg City to the Ardennes forests, the Moselle wine valley, and the Müllerthal rock formations are all straightforward from a single base.

Luxembourg City

The Casemates du Bock (Montée de Clausen): the most visited attraction in the city. Underground passages cut into the Bock rock by 17th-century Spanish and then Austrian engineers. 17km of tunnels originally; about 400 metres open to the public. Emerging onto the rampart walk above the Alzette valley gives the best view of the gorge. Entry around €10. Open March through October.

The Old Town: the central plateau around the Grand Ducal Palace, Cathédrale Notre-Dame (a 17th-century Jesuit church with a revered Black Madonna in the crypt), and Constitutional Hill. Public transport in Luxembourg has been free since 2020 – the first country in the world to do this. Hold on to your rail ticket as it serves as a transit pass within the country.

The Grund and valleys: accessible by lift from the Plateau du Rham or by walking steep paths down. The wooded valley floors contrast sharply with the plateau 70 metres above. The circuit of both the Alzette and Pétrusse valleys takes about 2 hours. Several bars and restaurants at valley level.

MUDAM (Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean): I.M. Pei’s glass-and-steel contemporary art museum on the Kirchberg plateau. Entry around €7.

Vianden

40km north of Luxembourg City in the Ardennes foothills, Vianden sits beneath one of the larger restored Romanesque-Gothic castles in western Europe. The Castle of Vianden was substantially rebuilt in the 20th century; entry around €9, views of the Our River valley from the ramparts. Victor Hugo lived here briefly in 1871; his house is a small museum with free entry. The town is about 2,000 people and several restaurants.

Müllerthal

The sandstone formations of northeastern Luxembourg, 30km from the capital, have been eroded into gorges, caves, and unusual rock shapes. The Müllerthal Trail covers 112km in three marked routes; individual sections take 2-4 hours. The Schiessentümpel waterfall near Grundhof – a three-arched stone bridge over a waterfall – is the most photographed spot in the region, about 30 minutes’ walk from the car park.

The Moselle Valley

The Moselle forms Luxembourg’s eastern border with Germany. Luxembourg Riesling and Auxerrois from this stretch are underknown outside Luxembourg and Belgium; the whites are dry, mineral, and genuinely worth the detour. Remich, 25km from the capital, is the main wine town; the Caves St-Martin limestone cellars under the river cliff have guided tours with tasting for around €12-15.

Eating

Judd mat Gaardebounen – smoked pork neck with broad beans in cream sauce – is the national dish. Gromperekichelcher (potato pancakes) are standard café food. Restaurant Chiggeri on Rue du Nord in the Old Town does reliable traditional Luxembourgish cooking for around €25-40. Brasserie Mansfeld in the Grund valley is good for lunch after the valley walk.

Getting There

Luxembourg City Airport connects to major European cities via budget airlines. Brussels is 3 hours by train; Paris 3 hours 45 minutes by TGV.