During my month in Europe in July 2022, I had a random 24 hours with not much to do and decided to spend it in Luxembourg. I got there in the afternoon, after a 4hr train from Belgium. Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe and the only remaining Grand Duchy in the world - they have a constitutional monarch, Grand Duke Henri, who is the Head of State. Luxembourg sits between Belgium, Germany and France.
Ville Haute, Luxembourg’s Old Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and my short time there was just enough to explore it to my satisfaction. Public transportation and WiFi are free all over the country and given it's size, most places are within walking distance. I saved €60-100 by renting a place away from the city center but even that turned out to be only 24 minutes walking distance or a 10 minute bus ride away. I booked it on Airbnb and redeemed my money back using points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Google maps worked reliably for walking, bus and tram routes.
I took the bus from Fonderie to and got off at the Place d'Armes bus stop. I walked across the street to the Monument of Remembrance aka Gëlle Fra (meaning Golden Lady in Luxembourgish). It is a war memorial dedicated to the Luxembourgers who served in the armed forces of the two World Wars and the Korean war.
Just behind Gëlle Fra, you can see panoramic views of Petrusse Valley, the landmark Adolphe Bridge, and Place de la Constitution (Constitution Square) which contains a memorial dedicated to the heroes of World War II. The square has manicured gardens and multiple Luxembourg flags that flutter against the backdrop of the bridges and dense forests. It was a great way to start the trip and I was ready for lunch. There is an ice-cream and souvenir store right there too. If you can wait, hold off and shop at one of the stores further inside the city for better prices.
From there, I walked less than 5 minutes to Place d’Armes to eat. It’s is a square in the old town with lots of restaurants and shops that attract a large number of locals and visitors. Place d’Armes originally served as a parade ground for troops defending the city but today, it serves as a great spot for summer shenanigans and in winter, there are Christmas markets and holiday celebrations at the square.
I walked across the entire square and side-streets, checking out menus and what other guests were eating so I could make an informed decision. I started with a Cider and water at Uno just up the street... they had live music and the place looked cute.
I then walked back to the center of the square and ate outdoors at La Boucherie Restaurant. I opted for their €17.80 deal for dinner and a starter or dessert and had Warm Goat Cheese Salad to start and a main of Steak tartare which with a side of fries. It was absolutely delicious! They also provided endless baskets of French bread.
After lunch, I walked about 3 minutes to Notre Dame Cathedral, the only cathedral in the country. It has Gothic architecture with Renaissance elements.
I walked another 3 minutes up the street, to a town square called Place Guillaume II. It has several markets, cafes, and gourmet stores offering locally made products. It is also within walking distance from the Palais Grand-Ducal, the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
The Palais Grand-Ducal is also where the Duke performs his duties as head of state. Guided tours to the palace are offered from mid-July to August only.
Across the street, I spotted a pastry shop, The Chocolate House, and went there for a snack break. They had coffee, chocolates and a wide variety of cakes.
Unfortunately for me, my visit to Luxembourg was on a Sunday Musee National d’ Histoire et d’Art (The National Museum of History and Art) was closed. It is a small, free museum that sits where the Fish Market used to be and I was really looking forward to spending some time there.
However, the surrounding area was quite busy so it was fun to just walk around and people watch.
I then went to Lëtzebuerg City Museum aka Musee d’ Histoire de la Ville, a museum that displays the rich history of Luxembourg via permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum is open every day except Mondays and it cost €5 to get in.
Afterwards, I took a bit of a long walk over to Chemin de la Corniche - a bridge built over the Alzette river, offering the finest views of the valley, bridged and Luxembourg city.
The only other view that came close was from the Pfaffenthal Lift. This is a glass elevator connecting the “Pescatore” park to the Pfaffenthal area at the bottom of the Alzette valley. You can approach it either up top or from the bottom (if you visit the Grund) and get mesmerizing views on the way up or down. The elevator was free and not crowded so I shamelessly rode it 4 times.
I got off the top floor of the lift and walked 6 minutes to my bus stop, past The Pescatore JP Foundation - a retirement home built in 1892 and known as one of the pioneers of retirement homes.
The bus stop is also just behind the Parc De Municipal De Luxembourg (Municipal Park of Luxembourg), a public park where I spotted families having picnics. I had spent the day before celebrating a friend's birthday in Belgium so I was thoroughly fagged out after walking around. I went home at about 8:30pm, slept through the night and my friends picked me up the next day as we drove to Italy.
A little more about Luxembourg
Due to being one of the 4 capitals of the EU, about 50% of Luxembourg’s population is made up of immigrants from Portugal, France, Germany etc and it is the only country on this trip where I thought “oh yay, Black people!” I highly recommend at least one visit and if you are a black person looking to move to/within Europe, I think it’s worth adding to your list as a potentially comfortable place to exist.
There are 2 major stops I would have liked to make but didn’t due to exhaustion. First is the Casemates du Bock, a complex of underground tunnels and galleries that you can visit for about €7 - it used to be known as one of the most formidable fortresses in Europe. Second is the Grund, a historic quarter located in the lower part of Luxembourg city. It also houses the The Neumünster Abbey which is a bright yellow Benedictine monastery with gardens and lanes, exhibitions and workshops. The Abbey is also said to host cultural and musical events like the Jazz festival. You either have to hike down to the Grund or take the Pfaffenthal Lift from up top. I took the Lift downtown but only walked around for a minute or 2 before heading back to the Lift because I knew I was too tired to enjoy the experience.