7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Luxembourg.

Big enough to be in the European Union, but small enough that most people probably can’t locate it on a map. So when we planned our nearly three-week-long train trip to kick off in Brussels, Belgium, I knew we needed to make a stop in this little-known destination to check another country off the list.

We’d visited Andorra la Vella a few years prior, and I expected Luxembourg City to be much the same — small, sleepy, and slightly artificial. But I’m so happy to report that I was totally wrong! We really enjoyed our time in the Luxembourgian capital. So, here are 7 reasons I think you’ll want to visit Luxembourg City for yourself.

1. Luxembourg City is a Hidden Gem

Maybe I’m just weird, but I love going places that nobody I know has even been to. Apparently, the entire country of Luxembourg only gets about 1.5 million visitors per year, nearly half of those are business travelers, and most of them are from nearby Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Do I know any Americans who have ever been to Luxembourg or Luxembourg City? Nope. Am I going to start recommending it to all my American friends in Spain when they’re looking for a weekend trip? Yep.

2. It’s Still Easier To Get To Than You Might Think

Gare de Luxembourg / Luxembourg Central Station

Despite being located in a small country, it is really not hard to get to Luxembourg City. When we were there, the number of planes I saw in the sky was shocking. You can get direct flights to Luxembourg City airport (LUX) from a lot more cities than I was expecting — of course, typical places like Amsterdam and Zurich, but also cities like Sevilla, Warsaw, and Istanbul. I guess I’ve never seen a flight going to Luxembourg City on an airport monitor so I kind of just assumed they didn’t exist.

But you can also take the train like we did! Originally we planned to go from Brussels, but when we rearranged our route a little bit, there was no issue traveling to Luxembourg City from Cologne, Germany, instead. It only took about three hours, including a connection in a town called Koblenz, but it wasn’t difficult to manage at all. Plus, when you travel by train, you get to see all the scenery pass you by!

3. The Whole City Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The entire Old Town, or the Ville Haute, of Luxembourg City is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — thanks to the fact that it was one of Europe’s most important fortified cities from the 16th to the 19th century. From the Grand Ducal Palace, to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame (no, not that Notre Dame), to “Europe’s Most Beautiful Balcony” Chemin de la Corniche, reminders of the city’s history as a heavily guarded stronghold are everywhere.

And this makes for some interesting architecture. Not as grand and intricate as Paris or Brussels, but charming in its own way — with lots of old stone walls and bridges. A good mix of medieval and modern.

4. It’s Like Two Cities in One

I’ve been to plenty of cities that are divided by a river — Budapest and Porto come to mind — but this was my first time visiting a city divided by a massive cliff?!

Yes, part of Luxembourg City sits on the edge of a cliff, and the other part is in the valley below. I call these the “upper town” and the “lower town.” Many of Luxembourg City’s famous sites are in the upper town, but the lower town (the Grund) is 100% worth exploring as well. You can hike down to the Grund from the Chemin de la Corniche area like we did, though there might be other places from which you can hike down as well. Or, you can take the free public elevator.

Compared to the typical European “city” feel of the upper town, the Grund — which is one of Luxembourg City’s oldest neighborhoods — is all cobblestone streets, old bridges over the gently flowing Alzette River, and weeping willows. It’s a great spot to immerse yourself in nature and a quieter pace of life for a few hours.

5. There Are So Many Parks and Green Spaces To Enjoy

Speaking of nature… Luxembourg City really knows how to do parks and green spaces. (And I don’t think this opinion is totally biased by the fact that I essentially live in a seaside desert in Alicante.) In fact, it’s Europe’s second-greenest capital, after Paris, and the city limits contain 48% green space and 32% tree cover.

Back in the upper city, we stumbled across Luxembourg Municipal Park. Not only was it a good size with lots of walking paths, but we loved the number of people who were sprawled out on the grass, enjoying the first warm days of spring. We found a park bar with beer and cider, and we spent a couple of hours lounging in the provided lawn chairs with drinks in hand.

6. It Has an Extremely Diverse Population

Luxembourg was never a country I’d thought too much about. I guess if I had to say who I thought lived in Luxembourg, I would say… people from Luxembourg.

Wrong. 😜

Immigrants make up just over 50% of the country’s population, and in Luxembourg City, that number is even higher — more than 70% of residents were foreign-born. The biggest immigrant groups in Luxembourg City are French, Portuguese, and Italian, though 168 different nationalities are represented in the city’s population! Pretty crazy for a city with less than 150,000 residents.

While I don’t get to enjoy restaurants the way I used to anymore after my celiac disease diagnosis, I feel like Luxembourg City must be a great foodie city. I mean, imagine all the different types of cuisines you can probably find there, thanks to having such an international population.

7. All Public Transportation Is Free

Last but not least… the rumors are true.

All public transportation (in the entire country of Luxembourg) is free. For both residents and tourists alike!

From the colorful striped buses running through Luxembourg City, to the longer-distance intra-country trains (as “long distance” as they can be for a country that you can drive across in less than an hour), all public transportation has been free since 2020.

That was something I had never encountered before in the 34 countries I had visited up to that point. And I’m always looking for novel experiences, so I was a big fan! But also, I think the fact that Luxembourg even has free public transport points to what the country values — sustainability, equity, and efficiency. Those are some of my values, too, so it felt like the money I spent as a tourist in Luxembourg City was going toward supporting those values. 🙂