If you thought that Luxembourg’s capital was nothing more than banks and European offices, you’ll be delighted at discovering the attractive reality, and there could be nothing sweeter than that.
The Kirchberg district does have plenty of faceless shiny glass corporate architecture but the Unesco-listed Old Town is an unexpected gem, thanks largely to its unusual setting, draped across the deep gorges of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers.
Public Transport
A ‘light tram’ is planned to link the main train station, Gare Centrale, with Kirchberg via Ave de la Liberté and Blvd R Schuman. Until it’s built (and that’s years off), buses are the most convenient way to cover much of the city.
The main city bus stations are Gare Centrale (city buses leave to the right as you exit the train station) and Place Hamilius in the Old Town. Public transport information offices are located inside Gare Centrale and underneath Place Hamilius. Most buses run from 5.30 AM to 10 PM, when a limited night bus service (24 89 24 89) takes over (Friday and Saturday nights only). Depending on the route, these buses run every 15 or 30 minutes until about 3.30am.
Getting Around Luxembourg City
The national capital, technically known locally simply as Luxembourg, the same as the country, but usually called Luxembourg City (Ville de Luxembourg) to avoid confusion, is split into a number of distinct districts, divided by the enchanting gorges of the Alzette and Pétrusse valleys. To the northwest is the delightful old town center (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), complete with elegant squares, imposing historic churches, shops, underground networks of tunnels used formerly for defending the city called “casemates”, and the classic cobblestone streets; to the northeast is the more modern area on the Plateau du Kirchberg, home to Luxembourg’s renowned international finance business sectors, and to shopping malls and entertainment venues. Proud of its role as a founding member of the EU, Luxembourg sees itself as playing a prominent position in European affairs and a number of European Union institutions are also based here on the plateau. To the south is Gare, the railway station area containing shops and budget hotel options. Separating the three main upper districts is the Pétrusse Valley, now parkland, and, by the banks of the Alzette River, the lower town districts of Grund and Clausen. The former is home to a number of bars, restaurants and museums; the latter is principally home to Rives de Clausen, the city’s primary nightlife area among the younger crowd.
The northern half of Luxembourg is dominated by the beautiful landscape of the Ardennes, an area of high plateau into which deep, steeply-sided wooded valleys have been carved out over time, another perfect landscape waiting to be discovered by walkers of all abilities.
Balmoral International Group Luxembourg Travel & Tours easily provides the most up-to-date information about getting around Luxembourg.
