Mexico or Mallorca? No way, we’ll take you to the places that are not yet on every 0815 bucket list. First and foremost: Luxembourg City.
Philippe Weber and Pascal Hochstrasser visited the capital of Luxembourg as FACES reporters. Her conclusion: “You won’t be disappointed by this city!”
FACES: How do you describe the city of Luxembourg?
Philippe and Pascal: Luxembourg is an incredibly clean and beautiful city, where modern architecture and infrastructure mix with historic buildings to create a unique atmosphere. Right from the start, you can see the many different influences that shape this unique cityscape, due on the one hand to Luxembourg’s turbulent history and on the other to the more than 170 nationalities that live in the city today. Incidentally, Luxembourg takes her story very seriously, and there are several ways to look at it in detail. Luxembourg generally likes its museums, as there are 16 of them in the city, including several art, history and nature museums.
Q: What was your highlight of the trip?
P&P: Our personal highlight in Luxembourg was dinner in a Japanese restaurant on Friday evening. Not only were the food and service fantastic, the whole package was just perfect. Situated right next to the Rives de Clausen, Luxembourg’s famous outskirts, we had a wonderful view of the ancient buildings and the sunset in the background and were able to amuse ourselves by watching the crowds of partygoers pass us by.
Q: Why should one definitely visit Luxembourg City?
P&P: Through multicultural coexistence, the people of Luxembourg have created an atmosphere that felt unique to us. We were warmly welcomed everywhere, were able to experience and discover a lot and simply had a wonderful time. The fact that there was good beer was definitely a plus. As there are not so many travelers at the moment, we were able to gain a very authentic impression of Luxembourg, which makes this city an insider tip for us. Luxembourg City is very close to Switzerland, just a 50-minute flight separates us, but admittedly the city was not on our bucket list until now. That has definitely changed after this trip and we definitely want to travel to Luxembourg again.
Q: Where did you like it best in Luxembourg City?
P&P: It’s difficult to highlight a single area of Luxembourg, because the city is incredibly complex. In this way, different areas merge together and each offers its own unique charm. But if we had to choose, we would say we liked a small bar on the edge of Luxembourg’s upper old town the best. As the bar was set up right on the cliff, you had a breathtaking view over the valley surrounding Luxembourg, including the lower old town, Rives de Clausen and the Pfaffenthal. But the Petruss casemates, which are beautifully illuminated from the outside, especially at night, also offer a unique experience that we really enjoyed.
Q:What is your ultimate tip for travelers to Luxembourg?
P&P: Since Luxembourg’s public transportation is free for everyone, it is incredibly easy and uncomplicated to explore the city on your own. You should definitely take advantage of this, as it allows you to discover things that might otherwise be forgotten. In general, you have to get into the vibe of Luxembourg and let yourself drift a little. We liked the spontaneous ideas, such as the visit to the Luxembourg City History Museum or the streetcar ride through Luxembourg’s old town, because we were able to learn so much about the city and its characteristics. So our tip would be: don’t plan too far in advance, but let the city inspire and surprise you. You will certainly not be disappointed.
You can find more information about Luxembourg City at Visitluxembourg.com
“This city is an insider tip!”
©LFT GauvinLapetoule
©A.Schösser
The Diary
At the beginning of July, Philippe and Pascal, our FACES reporters, spent three days taking a close look at Luxembourg City. First from Zurich to Luxembourg and then off to Mama Shelter, one of the coolest hotels in the city. From their home base, the two explored the city on their own, strolled through the old town, took the panoramic lift to Pfaffenthal, soaked up culture at MUDAM and the Philharmonie and plunged into the hustle and bustle of Luxembourg’s clubs in the Rives de Clausen district in the evening. After a night on the slopes, Philippe and Pascal started the day with a leisurely stroll through the weekly market before catching the train to Esch-Belval to experience Europe’s Capital of Culture 2022. Then they quickly watched the cracks skateboarding at the LXB Street Festival and took in the Luxembourg Pride, and the two of them were back on the plane home with a ton of impressions and great stories in their luggage. Follow Philippe and Pascal on their journey through Luxembourg. You can find her experiences on the FACES Insta account @facesmag.
