Luxembourg 2023

We enjoy train travel, so boarded yet another taking us from Ghent to the very small country of Luxembourg, about 2.5 times larger than New York city and also regarded as one of the world’s richest, which we could tell by the prices they charge for an average but pleasant hotel.

Train route from Ghent, Belgium to Luxembourg city

It is also one of the cleanest cities we have ever visited and the parliament for the European Union is based there.

In trying to describe an overall first impression of Luxembourg the city, words like calm, petite, relaxed and almost slightly understated with a sense of tradition. Luxembourg is not big and brash or with a busy or frenetic feel.

Typical style of street within the main
shopping areas of Luxembourg

One of the nice things about being in this wealthy country is public transport is free which made our journey of discovery so much easier, and by the way, it is free public transport to anywhere in the whole country.  There is also free WIFI throughout the city. 

Luxembourg is a city to walk around and through or use
the free tram(s) to get from one ned of it to the other

Modern free trams in Luxembourg

Now how to describe this surprising city which had begun life in the Middle Ages.

The old part of the city had extensive walls, towers and fortifications for protection, and is located above a ‘valley’.  

In the ‘valley’ is a river surrounded by the buildings of the oldest part of the city called the Grund.  To reach the Grund, you can either walk down/up stairs, down roads or by taking one of 2 lifts down the side of a ‘cliff’, one of which is made of glass.  We took the lifts.

Looking down on the Grund from the upper level of Luxembourg

Closer view of some of the homes/apartments in the Grund

The glass lift down to the Grund

The Grund is an intriguing area to walk through with its narrow roads or lanes, zig zagging and winding throughout it, gorgeous small bridges to cross with sections of the wall constantly visible above and around it.  There are quirky little pubs and cafes and was certainly very popular with tourists.

Down walking in the Grund

A cafe down in the Grund

The newer section of the old town radiates away from the ‘cliffs’ around which are walkways, known as Chemin de la Corniche, enabling you to look down on various sections of the Grund which we walked extensively both during the day and at night.

View from the walkways above the Grund

Panoramic views from the Chemin de la Corniche walways around the 'cliffs'

Carved into a section of the cliffs are the Bock Casemates or caves, built by the Spaniards and Austrians and all part of Luxembourg’s fearsome reputation as a fortress city, at one stage known as the ‘Gibraltar of the North’.

There are also multiple bridges used by cars, trams and trains to negotiate their way into and around this delightful city.  Some bridges look like viaducts.

Just a few of the bridges throughout Luxembourg

Road bridge viewed from the walkway above a park

Luxembourg was only taken once by surprise in 1443 and the person who conquered it was tasked to improve its defences.  The only other time it was taken was when it surrendered to the French in 1795.

The upper old town is quite understated but classy and also very pleasant to walk amongst, again with curved roads or pathways and in other sections, straight walkways where classy shops can be found.  Like many old European cities it is rich in churches, one called Notre-Dame Cathedral, built from 1613 of Gothic style.

One of the dominant churches in Luxembourg

which is elegantly understated

The beautiful lead light windows in the cathedral

The buildings are old but not over the top

Another old grand building scattered throughout the city

There is a Grand Duke of Luxembourg who resides in a an ~500-year-old building and since 1890 the palace has been solely used by the Grand Duke, on a normal street within the old city.

The Grand Dukes accomodation in downtown Luxembourg

But not all our time was spent in the city of Luxembourg and with are public transport available, we spent one of days in this country visiting the oldest village or town in Luxembourg called Echternach.

Train and bus to reach Echternach and bus
back to Luxemboug... ALL free

To reach it meant first taking a small local train to a specific town before boarding a small local bus for the rest of the journey.  The bus trip was a real treat as we did a ‘milk run’ to various little villages, through farm land whilst being able to see how the country people lived.

The bus terminal in Echternach was about 1km from the city centre, but it wasn’t long before we were standing in yet another old marketplace square actually being used for a market and where people were visiting, including a large group arriving on scooters to enjoy the food, beer and other goods available.

Main central square in Echternach

Local band provided entertainment amongst the patrons

The scooter club held a
rally to Echternach 

And yet another beer to taste
with its unique glass

Echternach is right on the border with Germany, the border being a river with a bridge over it, so after visiting the Pavillon within the large parks, then finding and following the river to the bridge, we briefly crossed it to step foot into Germany and returning.

The Pavillion in Echternach

The river is the border and the bridge took
us into Germany... briefly

There are a few remains of the wall that was used to defend Echternach but it is still visible  as we found our way back to the square for lunch in a pub and then discovering the main old street of the town, narrow and with lots of quaint historic shops and cafes to tempt us.

The Echternach Abbey

Lovely main shopping street
in Echternach

To return to Luxembourg city, we decided to take a larger bus back to the concert hall just on the edge of the city before boarding the tram to take us the rest of the way.  Our final sojourn into town was at night to try our luck at some night photos down onto and within the Grund before catching a bus the following morning to the airport for a flight to another and brand new country.

Back down in the Grund at night with the upper city in the background

After a lift ride back to the top another view of
the Grund at night from above

View down the main street looking at the
central railway station

Luxembourg had been a very pleasant surprise indeed and we both think it would be a nice place to visit during winter when the addition of snow would add to the relaxed scenic spectacle that this city is.

CLICK HERE for more pics of Luxembourg 2023

So the next post will be something a little different so until then, go well!