20230327_105800The Grund (March 2023)

When one thinks of Luxembourg, the word “small” comes to mind. With a population of just over 640,000, this country is but a blip among Europe’s powerhouses, but it offers an astonishingly multicultural environment that’s home to over 160 nationalities who come to work and live here. I would visit as a day trip from Paris, to see what Luxembourg was all about.

As mentioned, Luxembourg is a small country that borders three major ones: France, Belgium, and Germany. Despite its small size, it’s very well-off due to its strong financial sector (i.e. banking), which contributes to almost a third of its economy– that said, it’s a little pricey to visit, but honestly, I didn’t find Luxembourg to be as expensive as, say, Switzerland (another small and wealthy European country). Even more interesting is that due to its location among other European countries, it has three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish. However, many people living and working there speak English, so it wasn’t difficult navigating around.

I had purchased my train tickets in advance for Luxembourg, so I headed to the train station an hour or so before I was scheduled to depart to check in and get settled into my seat for the two-and-a-half hour journey. I left from Gare de l’Est, and it was a smooth, direct ride over the country border and into a new one.

However, due to train strikes that were happening that spring, many trains heading back to Paris were getting cancelled, including the one I’d booked. Upon arriving into Luxembourg City (the capital), I headed to the ticketing office to modify my train ticket. The receptionist advised me to leave earlier than intended, as to not risk get stranded at the end of the day. I ended up changing my return ticket to leave in the early afternoon, but unfortunately, that gave me barely three hours to see the city. All the same, it was better than nothing, so I headed out to start exploring and seeing as much as possible.

The advantage, though, of Luxembourg City is that it’s small enough to walk around and see the main sites within a few hours. I began by taking the (free!) tramway and crossing La Passerelle, where I got views of the verdant parcs de la Pétrusse and the stately Adolphe Bridge. I did a quick tour through Constitution Square at the end of La Passerelle and headed into the city proper to see the Place d’Armes, where I got a postcard and magnet from one of the tabacs. As it was still early (10h00) on a weekday, not a lot of shops and restaurants were open yet.

20230327_102801Hôtel de Ville at Place d’Armes


20230327_103519Roude Pëtz Square, plus Hämmelsmarsch sculpture

I passed by the Palais Grand-Ducal before heading to the Grund. Although I was visiting in late March, it was still very cold to the point that it actually started snowing on my walk over! Not to the extent of a snowstorm per say, but it was a good amount of flurries that lightly coated the ground and truly made it quite the winter wonderland experience in the springtime.

The Grund was probably my favorite part of visiting Luxembourg City. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, the Grund is a 14th-century neighborhood that’s perched over the curving Alzette River and surrounded by gold and white homes along the banks– to get views of it from the top of the fortified walls that line the district is absolutely priceless. It’s incredibly picturesque and worth a dozen (or million) photos, as well as the time to take it all in.

20230327_105021Fortified walls of the Grund

At 12h00, it was time for lunch. I headed back to the city center where I settled on a Luxembourgish restaurant. Similar to its surrounding neighbors (e.g. Germany, northeast France), the cuisine is centered on meaty and creamy dishes that’s sure to leave a hearty feeling in your soul (and stomach)! I opted for kniddelen, which are dumplings doused in cream and bacon– I received a dozen dumplings, and they were super filling! Paired with a crisp glass of Luxembourgish white wine, I was more than satisfied at the end of the meal.

20230327_122232Kniddelen with Luxembourgish white wine

I had less than an hour before I had to head back to the train station and catch my ride back to Paris. Following lunch, I did a quick run-through of the city center again before I took the tram (again, free!) back to the train station, where I caught the train at 13h30. That concluded my visit of Luxembourg City– although I was bummed that my time was cut short due to the train strikes, I am very glad I still got to finally see the country. Luxembourg is small, but charming, with a fascinating blend of different cultures coming together in harmony.

More of my trip last spring to come soon! Stay tuned. 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

69 thoughts on “Destination: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg”

    1. Thanks, Elle! Although I was disappointed having less time to spend in Luxembourg due to the strikes, I did see a lot of the city. It’s a doable (albeit long) day trip from Paris, but worth a go 🙂

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  2. It’s a bummer that you weren’t able to see more of Luxembourg, but all the same it looks like you had a good introductory tour. It’s so strange to me to have a country that’s so small and I also think it would be bizarre to commute across the border every day for work. I know some people do that here in the US too, but at least on the other side, everyone usually still speaks the same language.

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    1. I did the best with the limited time I had, that’s for sure! I agree that it’s hard to believe it’s normal for many workers to commute between countries for work, but I think in terms of the language, there must be a lingua franca (English?) that’s spoken among the different nationalities. Somehow, the people make it work!

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  6. Ah that’s such a shame about the strikes! Sounds like you made the most of it though.

    Also those dumplings look DELICIOUS! I will be seeking those out… if you remember the name of the restaurant, let me know!

    (Believe it or not I’ve read several guides on blogs and none of them have mentioned kniddelen so I’m really glad you did!)

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    1. Yes, I did my best with only a few hours in Luxembourg! The restaurant is called Café-Restaurant Um Dierfgen, and it serves traditional Luxembourgish food: delicious and the staff was so nice! Hope you can make it over 😊

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  8. It’s unfortunate that your short trip was made even shorter, but things like this are out of our control. I’m glad you still managed to see the city, which if I remember correctly is one of the most fortified capitals in Europe.

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    1. True, but I made the most of it! Luxembourg has fortified walls that are an architectural feat in themselves, and it was a pleasure walking along them and discovering the city from above. Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. That is great you can see so much in such a short time! It’s hard to plan around/anticipate train strikes. Just the population of Manhattan is almost 3x the size of Luxembourg haha. I’d love strolling the peaceful and beautiful streets.

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  14. How interesting! We’ve used Luxembourg Airport a few times when visiting friends who live in Trier, just across the border in Germany, but apart from a very brief visit to a Christmas market we’ve never stopped to explore the city. Clearly we should – your description of the Grund alone is enticing!

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  16. It’s a shame to spend so little time in Luxembourg, in fine weather it’s great to walk around the city, with its many parks and pedestrian streets. There are several historic sites to learn more about the city’s history. There are also several good museums for rainy days. I lived there for several years and have many fond memories.

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    1. Awesome you’ve lived in Luxembourg! It’s a small, but charming country, and I’m glad you have good memories from there 😊 I went in the colder months, and I can imagine it must be really nice in warmer weather!

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  19. That kniddelen looks delicious!
    We have been to Luxembourg only once for an overnight stay when we commuted from France to Germany by train. Sadly we did not get to explore as much as you did, but we are thankful we had the chance to have gotten acquainted with it.

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  20. I find cities that have rivers running through them so charming. It was interesting to learn more about Luxembourg through your post and photos. So cool there was some snow, too!

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    1. I agree! There’s something about a city with a river that makes the place so tranquil and quaint. The snow was pretty, although it was absolutely freezing! Thanks for reading, Darlene 🙂

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    1. Same! I lived in France for several years and had trips to neighboring countries (e.g. Belgium, Germany, etc), yet it wasn’t until this past trip I finally visited Luxembourg! It’s a doable day trip and worth the time. Hope you can go some day!

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  23. Luxembourg is such a handsome place, I’m glad you got a taste of it (and indeed its delicious kniddelen, an absolute must). Agree with you about the gorgeous Grund. Funnily enough I also went to Luxembourg for just a day. I reckon it’s the only country I have spent such a short amount of time in. It was way back in 2007-2008 and S was on her way to a business meeting there. We lived in Brussels so I just hopped in and spent the day exploring on foot much like you did. At some point I bumped into an old teaching colleague from my Qatar days! We had not kept in touch and I had no idea he was living there. Uh oh… looking back on my files I now realise I went back for another visit the following year for a wedding. Thanks for reminding me of a country that in all honesty I rarely think back on despite its beauty.

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    1. Luxembourg is one of those micro-nations that are often overlooked for a visit, compared to its larger neighbors like France and Germany. Nevertheless, it’s a charming country worth checking out if one has time to do so! I found the people friendly and welcoming, and despite the brief time there, I enjoyed the best of it. It’s awesome you got to go while in continental Europe, and perhaps you’re due for a revisit! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Leighton 🙂

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  29. I love your photos from Luxembourg City, Rebecca. I am sorry to hear you had to experience unnecessary stress due to the horrid Train Strikes. When there’s a rail strike, the message from train companies is pretty much the same across the board. We’re all told that we shouldn’t travel and to find alternatives. But coach travel can become expensive on strike days and it’s slow. Plus, not everyone can just jump in the car instead. When exploring the UK, I always book with Railsmartr as they will let you know if your train will be cancelled by any upcoming strike action. If it’s cancelled, you’re able to get a fee-free refund or amendment, no matter what kind of ticket it is. If your train is running but you still don’t want to travel, that’s no problem either. I am not sure what the policy is in other countries when it comes to rail strikes. Anyway, thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. I believe in France, you can fully refund your tickets if anything like train strikes happens. But from what I remember, I purchased non-refundable tickets months in advance, not knowing the strikes would occur. I could’ve just not gone to Luxembourg and lose my money, but I was pretty adamant about visiting, since I was coming from afar. Turned out okay in the end, but now I’m more mindful about booking refundable tickets, even if I have to pay a bit more! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Aiva 🙂

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    1. Luxembourg is a popular day trip for visitors while in neighboring countries like France, Belgium, and Germany. I hope that, despite my few hours there, this post will help me remember my time in the city in the years to come! Thanks for stopping by, Ruth 🙂

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  32. Thank you for visiting my home country and Luxembourg City. Small, yes, but there’s more to discover in the south. But I understand you had just planned a day trip to the city.

    There are so many nationalities living in Luxembourg that you can stroll through the city and hear 30 different languages in the space of half an hour.

    Keep up the good work. Have a wonderful day 🙏

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