Luxembourg Travel Guide

Overview and Things to Consider

Luxembourg is one of the three remaining Grand Duchies in the world, and it has been occupied, annexed and guaranteed neutral more times than a country this size should have to put up with. It achieved permanent neutrality in 1867, was occupied by Germany in both World Wars, and was among the founding members of the European Union. Luxembourg City is one of the three EU capitals and home to the European Court of Justice. GDP per capita is among the highest in the world, and prices reflect it.

Luxembourg City is the main draw, and two full days covers it. The old town (Ville Haute) on the plateau above the valleys, the Grund neighborhood down in the valley and the modern EU quarter on the Kirchberg plateau give the city an unusual up-and-down layout. The Casemates du Bock, underground fortifications carved into the sandstone, are the most distinctive sight in the country.

Getting There and Around

Luxembourg Airport (LUX) is compact, with flights to Brussels, London, Frankfurt, Paris and other European hubs on Luxair, the national carrier, and on budget airlines. It's 6km from the city centre, reachable by the free T1 tram (running to the airport since March 2025), free buses or a cheap taxi. Luxembourg was the first country in the world to make all public transport free: since March 2020, trains, buses and trams cost passengers nothing.

In Luxembourg City, free buses and trams cover everything, and the old town, the Grund valley and the Pfaffenthal are easy to walk between. For the Ardennes and the Moselle Valley, rent a car or use the national train and bus network. No journey within the country takes more than 90 minutes.

What's Changed Since 2016

Free public transport (since 2020) drew attention worldwide and made Luxembourg easier and cheaper to get around than any other country in Europe. It hasn't cut private car use much, since car ownership is still high, but it helps visitors and the commuters who cross in daily from France, Belgium or Germany.

Kirchberg, the EU quarter, has added cultural institutions as the city tries to be known for more than finance. The Philharmonie Luxembourg (a concert hall) and MUDAM (Museum of Modern Art) are both worth a visit. The restaurant scene has improved too, with more independent places and not only expense-account restaurants for EU civil servants.

Ideas to Consider for Your Visit

The Casemates du Bock are the defining Luxembourg experience: a 23km network of tunnels and casemates carved into the Bock promontory from the 10th century onward, which sheltered up to 35,000 people during WWII. Open March through October. The city's signature view is from the Chemin de la Corniche, which visitors have called 'the most beautiful balcony in Europe' since the 17th century, across the Alzette valley to the Grund below.

The Ardennes, in the north, has Vianden Castle, a fully restored medieval castle in a river valley and one of the best-preserved in Europe. Echternach is Luxembourg's oldest town and home to the Basilica of St Willibrord. The hiking trails run through beech forests and river valleys that stay quiet outside summer weekends.

The Luxembourg Moselle wine region along the southeastern border with Germany produces Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Crémant de Luxembourg sparkling wine. The villages along the river - Remich, Grevenmacher, Stadtbredimus - have wine estates offering tastings. Luxembourg Moselle wines are little-known internationally and well-priced for their quality.

Realities to Be Aware Of

Luxembourg uses the euro and is one of the most expensive countries in Europe for hotels and restaurants. A mid-range hotel in Luxembourg City runs €150-250 a night, and a restaurant main course €20-40 per person. Free public transport offsets some of that. Plenty of travelers skip the hotel bill by visiting as a day trip from Brussels (3 hours by train), Trier in Germany (50 minutes) or Metz in France (50 minutes).

If Luxembourg Is Part of a Longer Trip

Luxembourg borders Belgium, Germany and France. The Benelux circuit (Brussels, Bruges, Luxembourg and the towns between) makes a natural two-week Western European itinerary. The Moselle wine country runs straight from Luxembourg into Germany, so a wine trip can follow the river across the border.

Yearly Things to Consider

Luxembourg has a temperate continental climate - four proper seasons, with cold but usually snow-free winters in the city and colder, snowier winters in the Ardennes. Spring and autumn are pleasant for the city and for hiking. Summer is warm and the most popular for the Ardennes and Moselle. The country is small enough that weather variation within it is more about altitude (the Ardennes plateau versus the Moselle valley) than north-south differences.

Ideas for Itineraries

3 Days in Luxembourg

Three days covers Luxembourg City properly and adds a regional excursion. Day one: the old town (Chemin de la Corniche, Bock Casemates, Cathédrale Notre-Dame), the Grund valley below. Day two: MUDAM museum and the Kirchberg European quarter in the morning, afternoon at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial (Patton is buried here). Day three: drive or train to Vianden Castle in the Ardennes, returning in the evening.

5 Days in Luxembourg

Add the Ardennes: base in Vianden or Echternach for two nights, hike the Mullerthal trail region (the area known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland, a sandstone canyon landscape east of the capital) and stop at Echternach Abbey. On the final day, you can add a Moselle Valley afternoon of wine tastings at Remich on the way back toward Luxembourg City.

1 Week in Luxembourg

A week works best as Luxembourg plus day trips across the borders: Trier (50 minutes, the Roman Porta Nigra and the cathedral), Metz (50 minutes, an excellent Gothic cathedral and the Pompidou Centre Metz) and the Belgian Ardennes (Bouillon Castle, the Han-sur-Lesse caves). Luxembourg is better as a base for the greater Ardennes region than as a standalone destination.

2 Weeks or More in Luxembourg

Two weeks based in Luxembourg City suits people working or doing business in the EU quarter; the city has a large international community and is easy to live in. For travelers, two weeks means pairing it with Belgium (Brussels, Bruges and Ghent are all within 2 hours), the German Moselle and Alsace in France. Luxembourg is small, but the region around it isn't.