33 cool things to do and see in Luxembourg

It’s tiny, fascinating, and makes an unusual European destination for guided travel adventures. Meet Luxembourg, a place with no coastline, one of the smallest nations on earth with a population of just 683,500 or so. Let’s take a lightning tour of Luxembourg and see what’s on the menu for guided travellers.

Looking back in time – Ancient Luxembourg

Bordered by Belgium, France and Germany, Luxembourg has been taken over and controlled by all sorts of places and people over the centuries until, in the 900s, it finally became a separate entity in its own right.

The earliest human remains discovered here date back more than seven thousand years but we know next to nothing about the people who first lived in the area. The Treveri and Mediomatrici tribes arrived around 450 BCE, and the Romans turned up in 53 BCE. The Franks occupied the country in the 400s, and Christians finally began to make their mark in the late 600s.

Bearing in mind the location it’s no surprise there are three languages spoken here. This is where the Germanic and Romance language communities of Europe collide, resulting in a polyglot society speaking Luxembourgish, German and French. As an original member of the Benelux Economic Union, which dates back to 1944, these days it sits right at the heart of the EU.

Luxembourg’s different regions

The northern third of Luxembourg is called the Oesling. It includes a chunk of the Ardennes Mountains that pokes out from south Belgium. A high flat plateau 450m above sea level, this is a place of rich forests, deep valleys and tumbling rivers, and you’ll find romantic ruined castles dotted everywhere.

The other two thirds, to the south, is called the Bon Pays in French and Gutland in German, both meaning ‘good land’. About half as high above sea level as the northern plateau, most of the country’s people live here and it is home to the capital itself, also called Luxembourg.

In the east of this region there’s a massive forest of beech trees called the Müllerthal, and to the east several great rivers form the border with Germany: the Our, Sûre, and Moselle. You’ll probably recognise the name ‘Moselle’ for its fine wines, but you might not know about the weather here, so good the region is nicknamed the Little Riviera.

Mild and wet, Luxembourg’s summers are not as hot as they can be in the UK, with July temperatures only averaging 17C or so. In the Oseling it’s chillier, being higher above sea level. The south west and south east are the wettest of all and the sunny Moselle region has a calmer, gentler, climate.

Luxembourg has a high number of foreign residents, almost half of the population being Portuguese, French, Italian, Belgian and German. And that gives it an unusually varied cultural flavour as well as providing all sorts of unusual interesting and varied things to see and experience.

33 exciting things to do and see in Luxembourg city and beyond

1. Check out the Old Quarter of Luxembourg city, the Ville Haute, a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring beautifully preserved medieval and Renaissance buildings, the Grand Ducal Palace itself, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Chemin de la Corniche with its fantastic views
2. Visit the bizarre Casemates du Bock, a spooky network of underground tunnels and chambers built in the 1700s as defences, then extended to more than 10 miles under the city of Luxembourg
3. Photograph the ‘Golden Lady’ Monument of Remembrance war memorial , 21m high with a huge bronze gilded statue of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike
4. Top up your knowledge of the country’s military history at the Museum Dräi Eechelen thanks to artefacts including weapons, uniforms, equipment and more
5. Stroll the massive Walls of the Corniche, a walk of just over a mile along the city’s ancient walls with fabulous views
6. Ride the glass Pfaffenthal Panoramic Elevator that joins the upper part of the city with the lower Pfaffenthal district
7. Eat out at Chiggeri, a famous restaurant and wine bar offering the world’s longest wine list
8. Watch the changing of the guard ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace and take a guided tour, both available in summer
9. Get cultural at the magnificent Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art
10. Walk across the 153m Pont Adolphe bridge, whose mighty 85m main arch was one of the world’s biggest when it was first built
11. Visit 1600s Neumünster Abbey, with its artworks by sculptor Lucien Wercollier
12. Walk Across Passerelle Viaduct, 290m of gorgeous pedestrian bridge over the pretty Pétrusse Valley with more epic views
13. Discover Knuedler, AKA Guillaume II, the main square where you’ll often find events, markets and festivals
14. Head for the scenic Grund district, the Old Quarter dating back to the 1300s, rich in history and culture with loads of great places to eat – maybe enjoy a picnic on the river bank
15. Wander around the National Museum of Natural History, home to 8000 year old ‘Loschbour man’
16. Take the Wenzel Circular Walk, a self-guided historical trail leads you through the old town, and the three mile Vauban Circular Walk past the Bock Promontory, Three Towers, and the Niedergrünewald fort
17. Visit the National Museum of History and Art in Fishmarket
18. Nap the Red Bridge, the Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte suspension bridge spanning the Pétrusse Valley, painted bright red
19. Go to the Valley of the Seven Castles, a region stuffed with gorgeous old castles, each different: Mersch, Schoenfels, Hollenfels, Ansembourg Castle and the New Castle of Ansembourg, Septfontaines and Koerich. Some are open to the public and there’s a 17 mile hike to enjoy, which connects the castles
20. Bourscheid Castle is the country’s biggest, an awesome partially-restored hilltop medieval fortress dating back to the 11^th century
21. See 11^th century Vianden Castle in the Our Valley, one of the country’s best-loved attractions
22. Discover Hohllay Caves, old mines hollowed out during Medieval times, some featuring stalactites and stalagmites. There’s a guided tour if you like
23. Find your way to the Minett Park Fond-de-Gras in Differdange, a massive open air museum with trains to ride on
24. Visit Useldange Castle, a 1100s medieval fortress with a high tower and panoramic views
25. Chill out at the Mondorf-les-Bains Thermal Baths
26. Walk the 70 mile Mullerthal Trail through ‘Little Switzerland’, rich in curious natural sandstone bridges, pillars and arches
27. Go to 11^th century Castle Beaufort, part ruined medieval fortress and part Renaissance château
28. See the farming village of Kahler, famed for its striking graffiti art
29. Visit Luxembourg’s oldest town, Echternach, dating back to Roman times with scenic Sûre River views and an ancient abbey, Echternach Benedictine Abbey
30. Go to Larochette, a town with yet more magnificent medieval castle ruins high on a hill
31. Drink local cider at Ramborn Cider Company in Born, and take a tour of the brewery
32. Walk the rural delights around Berdorf, a natural paradise for lovers of nature stacked with strange rock formations like the Teufelsschlucht – AKA Devil’s Gorge – and the dramatic Hohllay Caves
33. Bob along on a solar boat at the gorgeous Upper-Sûre Lake in the Ardennes region, and include the charming town of Wiltz with its medieval castle and quaint ancient streets

Luxembourg might be small but it has far more than its fair share of cool things to do and see, from the country’s rich tapestry of history to its many modern day charms. Whatever you like to do best on holiday, there’s so much to discover. And because you’re never far from France, Germany and Belgium, there’s even more potential for guided travel adventures. See you there!

admin

See Full Bio