Why travel far away when good things are so close? Anyone whose bucket list consists of more than just run-of-the-mill destinations would do well to travel to Luxembourg. Because here, between Belgium and Germany, lies the country of around 630,000 people, which boasts a capital city that can easily compete with Paris, Berlin and the like. Luxembourg City is a place of contrasts, honest and authentic, yet never tired of moving with the times. FACES visits Luxembourg City and takes you along for the ride.
Hotels in Luxembourg
With an area of just under 52 square kilometers, Luxembourg City is a manageable size. The good thing about it: no matter which hotel you choose, you are always right in the middle of the action. However, this doesn’t make the choice any easier, as the capital offers numerous beautiful and cozy accommodations. La Pipistrelle for example, is located in the middle of the old town and has just four rooms. If you are lucky enough to get a reservation, you can look forward to stylish rooms with French flair. The
Hotel Le Place d’Armes
with its chic rooms and cozy vibe is also a favorite, and if you like minimalism, the
Graace Hotel just right. Mama Shelter ‘s rooftop terrace alone would be reason enough to stay at the newly opened hotel; the stylish interior provides additional reasons to make a reservation here.
La Pipistrelle,
26 Montée du Grund, 1645 Luxembourg, pipistrelle.lu
Hotel Le Place d’Armes,
18 Place d’Armes, 1136 Luxembourg, hotel-leplacedarmes.com
Graace H
otel, 10 Rue Sigismond, 2537 Luxembourg, graacehotel.com
Mama Shelter, 2 rue du Fort Niedergruenewald, 1616 Luxembourg, mamashelter.com
SHOPPING
Strolling through one of Luxembourg’s markets is a priceless experience. Every district, from the station district to Bonneweg or the city center, is home to Marketswhere you can sample the local range of fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, confectionery and jams. The center also hosts an evening event every first Sunday of the month.
flea market
and twice a month you can look for bargains on the Place d’Armes.
An overview of all markets can be found here.
In between, you can also simply linger in one of the picturesque corners of Luxembourg City.
EATING
170 nationalities live together in Luxembourg City – and this becomes apparent when you look at the restaurants and their menus. Rarely can visitors find such a variety of dishes, thanks to Luxembourg’s multiculturalism!
Typical local dishes are served at the
Brasserie du Cercle on Place d’Armes and Brasserie Guillaume in the city center.
and the best hot chocolate in town at the Chocolate House
. If you don’t want to enjoy your after-work beer in a dive bar, but surrounded by stylish interiors, sit down in the Brasserie Siegfried, the Um Plateau or the Tempo, and if your stomach is rumbling, their menus offer numerous Luxembourg specialties. Don’t feel like changing locations after dinner? Then Hitch is the place to be, as the restaurant is transformed into a huge dance floor at the weekend from 11pm. The Kamakura restaurant is undoubtedly the best address for Japanese food and the Michelin-starred Mosconi restaurant is the best place to enjoy Italian delicacies. Those with a sweet tooth will be happy at the Oberweis and Namur patisseries, as long as they don’t count calories, of course.
Bras
serie du Cercle,
2a Rue des Capucins, 1313 Luxembourg, brasserie-du-cercle.lu
Brasserie Guillaume, 12 Pl. Guillaume II, 1648 Luxembourg, brasserieguillaume.lu
Chocolate House,
20 Krautmarkt, 1728 Luxembourg, chocolate-house-bonn.lu
Brasserie Siegfried,
41 Allée Scheffer, 2520 Luxemobourg, siegfried.lu
Um Plateau, 6 Plt Altmuenster, 1123 Luxembourg, umplateau.lu
Tempo, 1 Pl. de l’Europe, 1499 Luxembourg, tempobaroumanger.lu
Hitch,
21-25 Allée Scheffer, 2520 Luxembourg, hitch.lu
Kamakura, 4 Rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg, kamakura.lu
Mosconi, 13 Rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg, mosconi.lu
Oberweis, various locations, oberweis.lu
Namur, various locations, namur.lu
Thomas Linkel
The MUDAM Museum is not just an architectural highlight on the outside.
CULTURE
If you visit Luxembourg, you can’t miss the impressive old town and its fortress. Particularly beautiful: a view of the city walls from the Grund district or a walk along the Alzette. Incidentally, the walls have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for 25 years. A visit to MUDAM is one of the highlights for anyone whose heart beats faster at the sight of modern art. The building itself, designed by Ieoh Ming Pei, takes your breath away, and the contemporary art on display here takes your breath away. Who would have thought it: Luxembourg is also home to catacombs, which the city owes to the Spanish. Part of the original 23-kilometer-long underground Bock and Petruss casemates are normally accessible for tours; Corona is currently putting a spanner in the works, but who knows, maybe a little crossing of fingers will help for a speedy reopening. If you are fascinated by the history of the casemates and want to find out more about Luxembourg’s fortress, pay a visit to the Dräi Eechelen Museum . After a long day full of history, an evening at the Philharmonie will clear your head: every year, the performances attract over 150,000 visitors who are enchanted by the acoustics of the building and the skill of the musicians.
A
ll about the old town, the fortress and Luxembourg’s UNESCO World Heritage Site can be found
here
.
Mudam Luxembourg, Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, 3, Park Dräi Eechelen, 1499 Luxembourg-Kirchberg, mudam.com
You can find out more about the Bock casemates here.
Museum Dräi Eechelen, 5, Park Dräi Eechelen, 1499 Luxembourg, more information can be found here
Philharmonie Luxembourg,1, place de l’Europe, 1499 Luxembourg, philharmonie.lu
An overview of all the museums in the city can be found here .
Around 150,000 people visit the Philharmonie every year.
PARTY
Speaking of: If you want to burn off a few calories dancing after dinner, you can do so in one of the pubs in the old town or around the
Place d’Armes
. Many Irish and English bars are located in the lower town
Grund and Clausen
, particularly hyped at the moment
Les Rives de Clausen
the former industrial site of the Mousel and Clausen breweries, which has now mutated into a nightlife district. The Hollerich district is the place to be in the Rue de Hollerich brings together the trendiest bars that Luxembourg City currently has to offer.
Of course, all entertainment is subject to the Corona protection measures. You can find out about the current measures and travel conditions here
for more information.
Les Rives de Clausen, rivesdeclausen.lu
Luxembourg City is particularly easy to explore by bike.
MUST DO
If you don’t like walking in Luxembourg, the city has a special treat in store for you: The entire
public transportation
are free here and therefore ideal for exploring the city. When the weather is nice, you can explore the alleyways by bike. The newly opened UNESCO Bike Tour The first UNESCO cycle route takes you past Luxembourg’s old town and its fortifications, leaving you in awe. Also worth a walk: the Wenzel circular path, which connects the upper and lower town and guarantees the best view of the fortifications.
UNESCO Bike Tour, more information can be found here
Wenzel Rundweg, more information can be found here
Who dares to put their skills to the test in the Péitruss skate park?
PLACES
Luxembourg City has numerous places where it is worth staying a little longer. These include the
Péitruss skate park
or the
Kyosk beer garden
on Kirchberg, where you can reflect on the experiences of your visit amidst the most modern architecture. The nightlife districts
Les Rives de Clausen
and
Grund are not only the best addresses for loud party nights, but also the perfect places to catch a magnificent view of the city.
Skatepark Péitruss, 2 Rue Saint-Quirin, 2327 Luxembourg
Kyosk on Kirchberg,
10 Rue Léon Hengen, 1745 Luxembourg
,
kyosk.lu
You can find even more useful knowledge and information about Luxembourg and Luxembourg City here.
The VisitLuxembourg app
With the VisitLuxembourg app, traveling locally is even more enjoyable, as all tips, tour suggestions and highlights are collected here. Put together your sightseeing tour in the app, book visits, mark your favorites, get the weather forecast for your trip and also the best transport connections.
You can find more travel and short trip articles here.