Where to Stay in Luxembourg
Currency: EURTimezone: Europe/Luxembourg🇪🇺 EU memberSchengen area
Luxembourg City is small (115k people) and dramatically beautiful — a UNESCO old town built on cliffs above two river valleys. One night is short; three nights covers it well. The choice is Ville Haute (upper town, polished, central) or Grund (lower town, atmospheric, requires the lift or a steep walk).
What Luxembourg is known for
Luxembourg is known for being small (the size of Rhode Island), wealthy (highest per-capita GDP in the EU), trilingual (French, German, Luxembourgish), and an EU institutional center. The travel draw: a UNESCO old town built on dramatic cliffs above two river valleys, with a network of casemates (defensive tunnels) you can walk inside.
Top attractions in Luxembourg
UNESCO upper town on cliffs above the Alzette and Pétrusse valleys. Place d'Armes is the central square.
17th-century underground defensive tunnels carved into the cliff. 17km total; 1.6km open to visitors.
Atmospheric lower town along the Alzette River. The panoramic elevator from upper to lower town is free.
I.M. Pei-designed modern art museum on the Kirchberg plateau. Combine with the European Court of Justice nearby.
11th-century castle in the Ardennes. 30 minutes north of the capital; Victor Hugo lived here in exile.
112km hiking trail through dramatic sandstone formations. The Schiessentümpel waterfall is the postcard.
Luxembourg's wine country along the German border. Schengen is where the EU border-free agreement was signed in 1985.
Resting place of 5,000 American WWII soldiers including General Patton. East of the capital.
Major cities in Luxembourg
When to visit Luxembourg
May-September is Luxembourg's broadest window — long daylight, mild weather, the Mullerthal hiking accessible, the Moselle wine festivals. The country is workable year-round; January-February is cold (-1 to 4°C) but the Christmas markets at Place d'Armes (late November to December 24) are real. Schueberfouer (the country's biggest fair, late August to early September) takes over the city.