What to See in Luxembourg
CITIES
Luxembourg is the capital of the country. For the first time in history, the city was mentioned in 963 as a fortification that stood on the Alzet River. From the ancient German Luxembourg is translated as “small castle”. The city is divided into Old Town and New Town. There are many historical sights in the Old Town, which is why it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, along the cobbled streets, there are medieval houses. In the very center of the Old Town is the Constitution Square, from which you can go to the rock chapel of Saint-Kyrin, the Gothic Saint-Michel Cathedral, the Church of St. John on the Stone, the Bastion of the Holy Spirit, the Grand Ducal Palace and the Cathedral of Our Lady. In Luxembourg Separate parts of the city are connected by numerous viaducts (bridges), there are more than 100 of them in total. One of the largest viaducts in the city is the Adolf Bridge, which is 17 m wide. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century in the southern part of Luxembourg. Adolphe Bridge is a kind of hallmark of Luxembourg – it is depicted on postcards, stamps and is indicated in any city guide.
The Cathedral of Our Lady was built in the early 17th century by the Jesuits. Inside the Cathedral, the most interesting is the image of the patroness of the city of Our Lady in the form of an icon called “Comforter of the Sorrowful”, various sculptures and the tomb of the Grand Dukes. Not far from here stands the Refugium of the Trier Abbey of Saint Maximin, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now located. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Luxembourg.
Another area of the city is interesting – Gamilius Square. There is a market here every Wednesday and Saturday. There is a monument to William II and the neo-classical City Hall, the entrance to which is decorated with two bronze lions. Two pedestrian streets depart from Gamilius Square – Post Street and Monterey Avenue. On them you can get to Parade Square (Arm Square). It is surrounded by numerous street cafes and restaurants and is a venue for cultural events. In the summer, sitting at a restaurant table, tourists watch a variety of performances.
Be sure to go to the Royal Palace, where the Parliament now sits. Its building was built in 1572. Particularly beautiful is the facade of the Palace, which is decorated with Moorish-Spanish arabesques.
In the suburbs of Luxembourg, in the valley of the Alzette River, the Le Bock cliff rises, this is exactly the rock on which the ancient fortification of the city once stood, which was destroyed in 1867. Now the remains of an ancient fortress with the ruins of bastions have been preserved here. Beneath them, a network of tunnels was dug in the 18th century, which are called Casemates Le Bock. They served as shelter and defense during wars. Luxembourg has a variety of museums – the Museum of History, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Folk Life, the Museum of Weapons and Fortifications, the Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments, the Museum of Urban Transport, the Museum of Posts and Telecommunications, the Municipal Art Gallery. From Luxembourg you can go to Mondorf-les-Bains park, where a spa-center was opened. There is a mineral spring with a water temperature of +25 degrees. The center offers various treatments – massages, baths and saunas.
The city of Echternach is located in the lower reaches of the Ur River in the so-called “Little Switzerland” in the east of the country (30 km northeast of the capital). This is one of the most ancient cities in Luxembourg. Here it is worth visiting the Abbey around the ancient Basilica of St. Willibror. Willibror was a monk, he built a church, which later, after he was canonized, was named after him. In ancient times, this basilica was the main center of Christianization, and the Abbey produced decorative copies of the Bible, inlaid with precious stones. From Echternach tourists are invited to travel along the “Little Switzerland” – the edge of rocky formations and forested valleys of small rivers.
Clairvaux is the largest northern city in Luxembourg. It stands on the banks of the Clerve River. All buildings in the city are made in the Gothic style. From architectural sights in Clervaux the Abbey stands out, it was built in the 20th century. This stone building is 13 meters high. It is dedicated to the heroes of the fight against the French invaders in the 18th century. It is also worth seeing the ruins of a knight’s castle with a tower from the 12th century. Various exhibitions are constantly held in the castle, among the permanent ones there is an interesting exhibition “Models of ancient castles of Luxembourg” and a collection of photographs and documents called “The Human Community”. In the north of the country, the city of Wiltz is also worth a visit. It consists of the Lower and Upper cities. The lower town stands on two banks of the Wiltz River, while the Upper Town is located 80 m higher and is centered around an ancient fortress. 10 km from Wiltz is the city of Esch-sur-Sur . This is an ancient center of cloth-making. From Esch-sur-Sure
most hiking trails begin along the spurs of the Ardennes and the German-Luxembourg National Park. Just above the city there is an artificially created lake where you can have a great rest. Vianden is located
18 km from Esch-sur-Sur. Vianden is famous for the fact that Victor Hugo lived in it. After restoration in 1948, a museum was opened in the writer’s house, which contains some of the things and books that belonged to Hugo. There is also a medieval castle in Vianden. In the very south of the country there is a small city Schengen , which gained worldwide fame after the signing of the Schengen Agreement in it in 1985. This is one of the centers of winemaking in Luxembourg.
There is a castle here, which was built in the Renaissance style. Now the castle houses a hotel, and the building itself is surrounded by a picturesque park.
CASTLES
Medieval castles can be seen in Luxembourg ‘s numerous river valleys. The most popular castles are located in the “Little Switzerland” region in the east of the country. It is worth visiting Vianden Castle here. It was built in the 11th-14th centuries. The castle is interesting because it stands at an altitude of 450 m, where tourists are delivered by the only lift in the country. Bourched is the largest castle in Luxembourg.. It is located in the spurs of the Ardennes. Bourshed was built in the period from the 11th to the 16th centuries above the valley of the Sur River at an altitude of 150 m. The area of the castle is 12,000 square meters. m, it is surrounded by a circular stone wall with 11 observation towers.
Between Echternach and Diekirch lies the famous for its vineyards, but almost destroyed, the fortress of Biafor, which was built in the 12th century. Today, restoration work is underway to restore the castles – Fels Castle near Christnach, Septfontaine Castle north of the country’s capital, as well as Burglinster Castle are being completed.
WINE TASTING
In the south of the country flows the Moselle River, along which, for 42 km, the border with Germany stretches. Here in spring and summer there is sunny warm weather, which is ideal for growing grapes. Viticulture is most common in the southern half of the Moselle Valley – from Schengen to Remich, as well as to the north, near the villages of Vintrange and Schwebsingen, where especially valuable vineyards are located. Mostly white wines are produced here. The official wine route is considered to be the road connecting Wasserbillig and Schengen. Along the route, there are numerous villages with wine cellars where tastings of wines such as Beaufort, Auxerrois, Elbling, Rivaner, Wormeldang, Krechen, Chemich, Ahn, Ennem, Maetum and Riesling are offered. Alternatively, you can take pleasure boat cruises on the Moselle River in the region.
