Luxembourg
Luxembourg City
A clifftop fortress capital with tunnels in its rock, a village-like quarter in the gorge below and free public transport nationwide.
Luxembourg City is a small, wealthy capital built on a rock above two deep river gorges, once so heavily fortified it was called the Gibraltar of the North. The old town on the clifftop and the remains of its fortifications are UNESCO-listed, and the Bock casemates, tunnels cut into the cliff, are the signature sight. Below, the Grund and Clausen quarters line the Alzette in green valleys, while the Kirchberg plateau across the Red Bridge holds the European institutions and the modern art museum. Public transport across the whole country is free.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Luxembourgish, French, German
Currency
EUR
Timezone
UTC+2
Why you'll love Luxembourg City
The gorges the city drops in sheer walls to the Alzette and Pétrusse valleys, with bridges, viaducts and paths linking the levels
The fortress the Bock casemates, ramparts and gates of a stronghold fought over by Burgundians, Spain, France, Austria and Prussia
The Grund a riverside quarter of stone houses, an old abbey and cosy pubs, a lift ride below the old town
Easy movement compact, safe and walkable, with free buses, trams, lifts and trains to the rest of the country
Best time to visit
Apr-Oct
14-24° days
49.611° N, 6.130° E
UTC+2 · Europe/Luxembourg
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Weather & when to go to Luxembourg City
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Apr-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Luxembourg City
December to February are cold, grey and short-dayed, with frequent drizzle, and the casemates and some sights cut their hours or close. December's Christmas markets on the old town squares are the reason to come anyway. Weekends feel quiet, as cross-border commuters stay home and most shops close on Sundays.
Top things to do in Luxembourg City
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Bock Casemates - walk the tunnels in the rock
history 👍 PopularKilometres of defensive galleries were cut into the Bock promontory in the 17th and 18th centuries, able to shelter soldiers, horses and workshops. A stretch is open to explore, with gun openings looking straight down onto the Alzette valley and the Grund.
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Chemin de la Corniche - the city's clifftop balcony
scenic history 👍 PopularA promenade along the old ramparts, often called the most beautiful balcony in Europe, looking down over the Grund, the abbey and the river bends. Walk it from the Bock end towards the Plateau du Saint-Esprit in the late afternoon light.
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Grund - descend into the Alzette valley
scenic history 👍 PopularTake the lift through the rock from the Plateau du Saint-Esprit or walk down the old stairways to this riverside quarter. The former Neumünster Abbey, now a cultural centre, sits by the water, and old pubs fill the lanes in the evening.
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Wenzel Walk - a thousand years on foot
history scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedA signposted circular walk from the Bock down through medieval gates in the Wenzel Wall, across the river and back up, taking in towers, bridges and fortress remains. It is the best single way to understand how the city's levels fit together.
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Grand Ducal Palace - the monarch's town residence
history culture artsA Renaissance facade with Flemish touches on a narrow old-town street, with a sentry posted at the door. The interior is shown only on guided tours in summer, when the Grand Duke is away.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral - the Jesuit church turned cathedral
history culture artsBuilt by the Jesuits in the early 17th century in a late Gothic style with Renaissance detail, it has a slender spire visible across the city. The crypt holds the tombs of the grand-ducal family and of John the Blind, the medieval count and King of Bohemia.
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MUDAM and Fort Thüngen - modern art on the Kirchberg
culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedI.M. Pei's glass-roofed modern art museum stands on the foundations of the old fort, whose three towers, the Three Acorns, now house a museum of the fortress and the country's history. The Philharmonie concert hall is a short walk away.
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National Museum of History and Art - the Fish Market collections
history culture artsOn the old Fish Market square, the oldest corner of the city, this museum runs from prehistory and Gallo-Roman finds, including a large mosaic of the Muses, to Luxembourgish painting and decorative arts.
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Pfaffenthal lift and funicular - ride between the levels
scenicA glass-walled panoramic lift drops from the edge of the old town to the Pfaffenthal quarter in the valley, and a funicular climbs from the station below the Red Bridge up to the Kirchberg. Both are free and give sudden views of the gorge.
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Luxembourgish cooking and Moselle wine
foodTry judd mat gaardebounen, smoked pork collar with broad beans, bouneschlupp green bean soup and crisp potato fritters called gromperekichelcher. Kachkéis cooked cheese turns up on bread, and the country's dry Moselle whites and crémant are poured everywhere.
Best areas to stay in Luxembourg City
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Ville Haute
First-time visitors $$$Clifftop old town of squares and ramparts
Explore hotels in Ville Haute →
Grund
Couples $$Riverside quarter deep in the gorge
Explore hotels in Grund →
Gare
Day-trippers by rail $$Busy station district, practical and central
Explore hotels in Gare →
Kirchberg
Business travellers $$$Glass towers, EU institutions and museums
Explore hotels in Kirchberg →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Luxembourg City
Getting to & around Luxembourg City
Getting there
Fly into Luxembourg Findel (LUX), about 20 min by free bus to the centre, or arrive by train from Paris, Brussels, Metz or Trier
Flight
Luxembourg Airport (Findel) (LUX)
Findel sits on the plateau just east of the city. Buses run from the terminal to the old town, the Kirchberg and the central station in about 20-25 min and are free like all public transport; a taxi takes about 15 min.
Train
Luxembourg station (Gare)
High-speed trains from Paris take a little over 2 hr; regular services run from Brussels, Metz, Trier and Koblenz.
Drive
Motorways arrive from Belgium, France and Germany; use the edge-of-city park-and-ride sites and the free buses and tram, as old-town parking is underground and limited.
Getting around
Walking
The old town is compact; steep paths and stairways connect it with the valley quarters, and lifts take the strain.
Free
Tram
One line runs from the Kirchberg across the Red Bridge, through the centre and past the station.
Free
Bus
A dense network covers every district, the airport and the park-and-ride sites.
Free
Lifts and funicular
Public lifts link the old town with the Grund and Pfaffenthal, and the funicular climbs to the Kirchberg.
Free
Shared bikes
Vel'OH! stations across the city; the electric bikes help with the climbs out of the valleys.
TBC
Day trips from Luxembourg City
Vianden
Half dayCastle town
A restored hilltop castle, one of the largest in the region, towers over a small town on the Our river near the German border. A chairlift climbs above the town for the classic view across to the castle.
Getting there
car | train | bus
About 1 hr by car, or by train and bus via Ettelbruck
Mullerthal and Echternach
Full daySandstone forest trails
The region called Little Switzerland: mossy sandstone gorges, rock passages and small waterfalls along the Mullerthal Trail, ending in Echternach, the country's oldest town, with its basilica of St Willibrord.
Getting there
bus | car
About 45 min by bus or car
Moselle valley and Schengen
Full dayWine region
Vineyards slope down to the river along the German border. Taste Riesling and crémant at the cellars, walk Remich's riverside promenade, and visit Schengen, the village that gave its name to Europe's open-border agreement.
Getting there
car | bus
About 30-45 min by car or bus to Remich
Trier
Full dayRoman city
Germany's oldest city sits just over the border: the black Roman gateway of the Porta Nigra, the Imperial Baths, Constantine's Basilica and a great cathedral, all within walking distance.
Getting there
train | bus
About 45 min-1 hr by train or bus
Clervaux
Half dayArdennes castle town
A slate-roofed town in a wooded Ardennes valley whose castle houses The Family of Man, Edward Steichen's landmark photography exhibition. A path climbs to a Benedictine abbey above the town.
Getting there
train
About 1 hr by train
A little history of Luxembourg City
The city began in 963, when Count Siegfried acquired a rocky spur above the Alzette and built a castle on it. His successors' dynasty went on to produce Holy Roman Emperors and kings of Bohemia, and the town grew into one of the strongest fortresses in Europe, taken and rebuilt in turn by Burgundy, Spain, France, Austria and a Prussian garrison. The tunnels, walls and gates of those centuries shaped every level of the city.
The 1867 Treaty of London made Luxembourg neutral and ordered the fortress dismantled, and the city spread beyond its walls onto the plateaus. Occupied in both world wars, it became a founding seat of European institutions in the 1950s, and today the Kirchberg's courts and banks sit across the gorge from the medieval old town.
Count Siegfried acquires the Bock promontory and builds a castle, the start of the city
The county of Luxembourg is raised to a duchy
French forces take the city after a siege, and Vauban rebuilds its fortifications
The Congress of Vienna makes Luxembourg a Grand Duchy under the Dutch king, with a Prussian garrison in the fortress
The Treaty of London splits off the French-speaking west, which becomes a province of Belgium
A second Treaty of London declares Luxembourg neutral, and the fortress is dismantled
German forces occupy Luxembourg, and Grand Duchess Charlotte leads a government in exile until liberation in 1944
The city becomes the seat of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community
The old quarters and fortifications are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+352
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Luxembourg City
▸ When is the best time to visit Luxembourg City?
April to October is the best-weather window, from mild spring days to warm summers ideal for the valley walks and outdoor terraces. December to February are cold and grey, though December's Christmas markets give the old town a festive draw. March and November are cool and changeable.
▸ Is public transport in Luxembourg really free?
Yes. Buses, the tram, the city's lifts and funicular, and second-class trains anywhere within the country are free for residents and visitors alike, with no ticket needed. You only pay for first class or for trips that cross the border.
▸ What language is spoken in Luxembourg City?
Luxembourgish, French and German are all official, and most street signs and menus are in French. English is widely spoken, especially in shops, hotels and the international business districts, so visitors rarely have trouble.
▸ Is Luxembourg City expensive?
It is one of the more expensive cities in Europe for hotels and eating out, particularly on weekdays when business travel fills rooms. Free public transport and the many free walks, viewpoints and lifts help balance the cost.
▸ How many days do you need in Luxembourg City?
Two days covers the old town, casemates, Grund and a museum or two. Add a day or more for Vianden, the Mullerthal or the Moselle, all easy to reach on free trains and buses.
▸ Is the city hilly?
Very. The old town sits on a plateau with steep drops to the river quarters below. Free public lifts and the funicular cut out the worst climbs, but comfortable shoes are a must for the Corniche and Wenzel Walk.