Luxembourg City Overview

As an international banking hot spot, Luxembourg City (pop. 76,000) has become one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Though small, the metropolis has a lot to offer, from the relics of its military history to the boons of its thriving economy. The majestic cliffs and gorgeous valleys make it an atypical city with great scenery and a fast paced urban lifestyle.

• Flights: Findel International Airport ( LUX; www.aeroport.public.lu), 6km from the city. Bus #16 (€1.50, 2-4 per hr.) runs to the train station. Taxis to the city center are €17-25 and are generally more expensive on Sundays.
• Trains: Gare CFL, pl. de la Gare (☎24 89 24 89; www.cfl.lu), a 15min. walk south of the city center. To: Amsterdam, NTH (6hr.; 1 per hr.; €52, under 26 €36); Brussels, BE L (2hr., 1 per hr., €30/16); Ettelbrück (25min., 3 per hr., €5); Frankfurt, GER (3hr., 1 per hr., €52); Paris, FRA (2-4hr., 1 per 2hr., €25-84).
• Buses: For travel within the city, buy a billet courte distance (short-distance ticket; €1.50, book of 10 €10), valid for 1hr. A billet réseau (network pass; €4, book of 5 €20), also accepted on trains, allows for unlimited travel throughout the entire country for 1 day and is the most economical option for intercity travel. Most buses run until midnight. The free night bus (☎47 96 29 75) runs F-Sa 10pm-3:30am.
• Taxis: €2.40/km. 10% more 10pm-6am; 25% more on Su. Colux Taxis: ☎48 22 33.
• Bikes: Rent from Vélo en Ville, 8 r. Bisserwé (☎47 96 23 83), in the Grund. Open Apr.-Oct. M-Sa 10am-noon and 1-8pm. €5 per hr., €13 per half-day, €20 per day, €38 per weekend, €75 per week. Under 26 20% discount for full day and longer. MC/V.

Orientation And Practical Information

Five minutes by bus and 15min. by foot from the train station, Luxembourg City’s historic center revolves around the Place d’Armes. From the train station, follow av. de la Gare or av. de la Liberté, then watch for signs with directions to the city’s main sights. From the pl. d’Armes, walk down r. de Chimay; you will see the Pétrusse Valley in front of you, the Place de la Constitution on your right, and the Pétrusse Casemates to your left. Once there, the city’s lower areas, the Grund and the Clausen, will be located diagonally to your right and left, 10min. and 15min. on foot, respectively. Between these areas are the Bock Casemates.

• Tourist Offices: Grand Duchy National Tourist Office (☎42 82 82 20; www.ont.lu), in the train station. Open daily June-Sept. 8:30am-6:30pm; Oct.-May 9:15am-12:30pm and 1:45-6pm. Luxembourg City Tourist Office, pl. Guillaume II (☎22 28 09; www.lcto.lu). Free maps. Open Oct.-Mar. M-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 10am-6pm; Apr.-Sept. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 10am-6pm. In summer, look for the helpful “Ask Me” representatives around the city. Centre Information Jeunes, 26 pl. de la Gare (☎26 29 32 00; www.visitluxembourg.lu), across from the station inside Galerie Kons, provides young travelers with everything from tourist info to help on finding jobs in the area. Open M-F 10am-6pm.
• Embassies: Ireland, 28 rte. d’Arlon (☎45 06 10). Open M-F 9:30am-12:30pm. UK, 5 bd. Joseph II (☎22 98 64; www.britain.lu). Open M-F 9:30am-12:30pm. US, 22 bd. Emmanuel Servais (☎46 01 23; luxembourg.usembassy.gov). Open M-F 8:30am- 5:30pm. Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders should contact their embassies located in France or Belgium if necessary.
• Currency Exchange: Banks are the only option for changing money or cashing travelers checks. Most are open M-F 8:30am-4 or 4:30pm. Only the banks at the airport and at the train station are open on weekends. Travelers should expect to pay commissions of €5 for cash and €8 for traveler’s checks.
• Luggage Storage: (☎49 90 55 74), can be found in the train station. €3 per bag. 1-day storage during opening hours. Open daily 6am-9:30pm.
• Laundromat: Quick Wash, 31 pl. de Strasbourg (☎26 19 65 42), near the station. Wash and dry €10. Open M-F 8:30am-6:30pm, Sa 8am-6pm.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacies are marked with green crosses. Call ☎90 07 12 34 32 for a list of available of 24hr. pharmacies located throughout the city.
• Hospital: Clinique St-Thérèse, 36 r. Ste-Zithe (☎49 77 61 or 49 77 65; www.zitha.lu). Call ☎90 07 12 34 32 for a schedule of 24hr. hospitals.
• Internet: Centre Information Jeunes has limited free Internet for students. Cyberbeach, 3 r. du Curé, (☎26 47 80 70; www.cyber-beach.lu), by pl. d’Armes. From €1 per hr. Open M-F 10am-10pm, Sa 2-8pm. The city has free Wi-Fi.
• Post Office: 38 pl. de la Gare, across the street and to the left of the station. Open M-F 6am-7pm, Sa 6am-noon. Poste Restante. There is a branch located at 25 r. Aldringen, near pl. d’Armes. Open M-Sa 7am-7pm, Su 7am-5pm.

Accommodations And Camping

Aside from camping, the city hostel is the only budget option in Luxembourg City. Hotels are cheaper near the train station than in the city center.

• Auberge de Jeunesse (HI), 2 r. du Fort Olisy (☎22 68 89 20; www.youthhostels.lu). Walk 15 min. or take bus #9 (dir.: Neudorf) and get off at Plateau Altmuenster. From the bus stop, take the steep path down the bridge. This new, pristine hostel has river views and a restaurant. Breakfast and linens included. In-room lockers; bring or rent a lock. Laundry €7.50. Internet €2.50 per hr. Bike rentals €8 per half-day, €15 per day. Reception 24hr. Call ahead to reserve shuttles straight from airport (€3) or train station (€2), M-F 9am-5pm. Dorms €23; singles €35; doubles €55. €3 HI discount. AmEx/MC/V.
• Bella Napoli, 4 r. de Strasbourg (☎49 33 67). Hotel located above a pizza place. Simple rooms with hardwood floors and full bath. Breakfast included. Reception 8am-midnight. Singles €41; doubles €48; triples €60. AmEx/MC/V.
• Hotel Du Chemin De Fer, 4 r. Joseph Junck (☎49 35 28). Ordinary, clean rooms right across from the train station. Singles €45; doubles €65; triples €80. MC/V.
• Camping Kockelscheuer, 22 rte. de Bettembourg (☎47 18 15; www.camp-kockelscheuer.lu), 5km outside Luxembourg City. Take bus #5 from the station or city center to Kockelscheuer-Camping. Tennis courts, mini-golf, hot water available. Showers included. Laundry €4. Electricity €2.20. Open one week before Easter-Oct. Reception 7am-noon and 2-10:30pm. Tent sites €4.50, each additional adult €3.75. Cash only.

Food

Although the area around the pl. d’Armes teems with a strange mix of fast-food joints and upscale restaurants, there are a few affordable and appealing alternatives. Stock up on groceries at Supermarché Boon, in Galerie Kons across from the train station. (Open M-F 8am-8pm, Sa 8am-6pm, Su 8am-noon.) Fancier cafes are centered primarily in the City Center, but can be very expensive.

• Restaurant-Café Chiggeri, 15 r. du Nord (☎22 82 36). Serves traditional French food amid shimmering, night-sky decor in a jovial, yellow house with tons of semi-private seating areas. Wine list offers 2300 vintages. Dine more affordably at the cafe and bar downstairs. Entrees €17-24. Plate of the day €16. Gourmet Sunday buffet €17. Open M-Sa 10am-11pm, Su 11am-3pm. AmEx/MC/V.
• Apoteca, 12 r. de la Boucherie (☎26 73 77 77; www.apoteca.lu). Offers an innovative menu that changes weekly in cool, stone surroundings. Downstairs bar offers a less expensive, but limited menu (€8-10). Entrees €16-29. DJs W-Sa evenings. Restaurant open Tu-Sa noon-2pm and 7:30-10pm; bar open Tu-Sa 5pm-1am. AmEx/MC/V.
• Auberge de Jeunesse Hostel Bar and Restaurant, 2 r. du Fort Olisy. The “Menu of the Day” includes a salad bar, desert, and entree for €9. Where the locals go to enjoy lunch. Order entrees de la carte (€5-15). Sandwiches €2-4. Delicious and extensive vegetarian selection. Open daily noon-3pm and 6-10pm.
• Mesa Verde, 11 r du St-Esprit (☎46 41 26), down the street from the pl. de Clairefontaine. A local favorite, this bright vegetarian restaurant features an ever-changing array of hand-painted murals and billowing fabrics decorating the walls. Entrees €19-25. Open Tu-Sa 6:30-11:30pm. Open for lunch W-F noon-2pm. MC/V.
• Namur, 27 r. des Capucins (☎22 34 08), down the street from pl. d’Armes. Marble floors, outdoor seating, and elegant ambience make the selection of pastries, chocolates, and sundaes (€5-6) even sweeter. Open M 2-6pm, Tu-Sa 8:30am-6pm. MC/V.
• La Table du Pain, 37 av. de la Liberté (☎29 56 63). Serves sandwiches (€5-7), salads (€10-14), and baked goods on wooden tables. Open M-F 7am-6pm. Cash only.
• Schumacher, 18 av. de la Porte-Neuve (☎22 90 09). Get takeout for picnics in the Pétrusse Valley. Sandwiches €3-5. Open M-Sa 7am-6pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

Luxembourg City is compact enough to be explored on foot. The most spectacular views of the city are from Place de la Constitution and from the bridge closest to the Bock Casemates. For guidance on your stroll, follow the signs pointing out the Wenzel Walk. It leads visitors through 1000 years of history as it winds around the old city, from the Chemin de la Corniche down into the casemates.

Fortresses And The Old City. The city’s first fortress, built in AD 963, saw its network of fortifications expand so far over the years that the city earned the nickname “Gibraltar of the North.” The fortress contains the   casemates, an intricate 17km network of tunnels through the fortress walls. First built to fortify the city’s defenses, the casemates were partially dismantled when Luxembourg was declared a neutral state in 1867. Start at the Bock Casemates fortress, part of Luxembourg’s original castle; the fortress looms over the Alzette River Valley and offers a fantastic view of the Grund and the Clausen. A useful brochure allows visitors to tour this system of casemates on their own. (Entrance on r. Sigefroi, just past the bridge leading to the hostel. ☎22 28 09 or 22 67 53. Open Mar.-Oct. daily 10am-5pm. €1.75, students €1.50.) A visit to the   Pétrusse Casemates, built by the Spanish in the 1600s, takes explorers down 250 steps into historic chambers while providing views of the Pétrusse Valley. A tour is required, but it’s interesting, short (30min.), and cheap. (Pl. de la Constitution. English-language tours 1 per hr., July-Aug. 11am-4pm; intermittently in June. €2, students €1.50.) The peaceful paths of the green Pétrusse Valley beckon for a stroll or an afternoon picnic in the shadow of the fortress walls. More sedentary visitors can catch one of the Pétrusse Express tourist trains that depart from pl. de la Constitution and meander through the city and into the valley. (Mid-Mar. to Oct. 2 per hr. 10am-12:30pm and 1:30-6pm. Trip lasts 50-60min. €8. Purchase tickets at pl. de la Constitution.) Double-decker tourist buses allow you to “hop on” and “hop off” at will; recordings play commentary in multiple languages during audio tour. (Info for train and buses ☎26 65 11; www.sightseeing.lu. 3 per hr. 9:40am-5:20 or 6:20pm from marked stops throughout the city. €12, students €10. Ticket valid for 24hr. Wheelchair-accessible.)

Museums. The collection at the   Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art includes both modern and ancient art and a chronicle of the conquering powers’ influences on Luxembourg’s art. (Marché-aux-Poissons, at r. Boucherie and Sigefroi. ☎47 93 30; www.mnha.lu. Open Tu-Su 10am-5pm. Th 5-8pm free. €5, students and under 18 free.) There’s no gambling at Casino Luxembourg, only contemporary art exhibits. (41 r. Notre Dame, near pl. de la Constitution. ☎22 50 45; www.casino-luxembourg.lu. Open M, W, F 11am-7pm, Th 11am-8pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm. €4, under 26 and students €3, under 18 free.) The Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg narrates the history of the city with interactive displays. Most exhibits are in French and German. (14 r. du St-Esprit, near pl. de Clairefontaine. ☎47 96 45 00; www.mhvl.lu. Open Tu-W and F-Su 10am-6pm, Th 10am-8pm. €5, students, ages 12-18 and over 65 €3.70.) The Luxembourg Card covers entrance to 55 museums and tourist attractions throughout the country. (www.luxembourgcard.lu. Available at tourist offices and youth hostels. 1-day card €10, 2-day €17, 3-day €24.)

Other Sights. The Palais Grand Ducal, originally a town hall that burned down in 1554, was later rebuilt with a Spanish Renaissance facade and became the official living residence of the Grand Duke in 1890. The palace is currently open to the public each summer while the Duke is on vacation. (Reservations ☎22 28 09. Tickets sold at the Luxembourg City tourist office. Tours mid-July to early Sept. M-Tu and Th-Su 10am-5pm. €6, under 12 €3) Nearby is the 17th-century Cathédrale Notre Dame. (Entrance at bd. Roosevelt. Su mass. Open M-F 9:15am-6:15pm, Sa 9:15am-6:30pm, Su 9-10:30am and noon-6pm. Crypt open daily until 5:30pm. Free.)

Entertainment And Nightlife

There is no central location for nightlife in Luxembourg City, so an evening of barhopping also involves hopping on and off the city’s night bus until bars close at 2am. In summer, the Place d’Armes comes to life with free concerts (www.summerinthecity.lu) and stand-up comedy. Pick up a copy of UP FRONT at the tourist office for a list of nightlife action and events.

• Melusina, 145 r. de la Tour Jacob (☎43 59 22). Eat at its upscale restaurant or dance the night away at the club on weekends. Cover €8. 1 free drink 11pm-midnight. Restaurant open M-Sa noon-2pm and 7-11pm. Menu of the Day €10. Club open F-Sa 11pm-3am. Restaurant MC/V; club accepts cash only.
• Urban, at the corner of r. de la Boucherie and r. du Marché-aux-Herbes (☎26 47 85 78; www.urban.lu). A friendly, crowded bar in the heart of downtown. Live DJ F and Sa nights. Beer €2-4. Mixed drinks €5-6. Open daily noon-1am. AmEx/MC/V.
• The Complex, 42-44 r. de Hollerich (☎48 84 26; www.marx-bar.lu.), is a cluster of bars in the south of the city. Take bus #1 or 22, or walk on av. de la Gare away from the center. Marx caters to the 25+ crowd. DJs W and F-Sa. Beer €2.20. Mixed drinks €6.50. Open M-F and Su 5pm-1am, Sa 6pm-1am. MC/V.
• Chocolate Elvis, (☎29 79 46; www.chocolate-elvis.lu), next door to club “The Complex,” features party music at high decibels and beer (€2.20) that’ll leave you feeling relaxed. Mixed drinks €6-6.50. Open M-F 5pm-1am, Sa-Su 6pm-1am.
• VIP Room, 19 r. des Bains (☎26 18 78 67; www.viproom.lu), near the pl. du Théatre.Glitzy and exclusive with an atmosphere modeled after VIP clubs in Paris and St-Tropez. Open before 7pm for dinner. Club open Tu 7pm-midnight, W-Sa 7pm-late. AmEx/MC/V.
• The Elevator, 48 r. de Hollerich (☎29 41 64), down the road from The Complex. A local favorite, with electronic music that’s never mainstream. Shots €2.50. Wine €2-3. Beer €3-4. W Happy hour 5-8pm with half-price drinks. Open M-F 5pm-1am, Sa 7pm-1am.