Luxembourg is the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a small country wedged between Belgium, France, and Germany. The city is in the south of the country, at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers.
Luxembourg’s site on a plateau has given it strategic importance since Roman times. The city has, at times, fallen under the control of the Spanish, the French, the Austrians, the Prussians, the Burgundians, the Dutch, and the Germans. We invaded the city ourselves on a pleasant morning in August 2019.
Castles in the sky. Much of Luxembourg is perched on a plateau high above the two rivers that have cut deep gorges through the area. Here, the Adolphe Bridge spans the Pétrusse River. The castle-like buildings on the far side of the gorge are both banks—Luxembourg is a noted centre of banking in Europe.
The Grund. Nestled along the banks of the Alzette River, the Grund quarter sits around 70 metres below the upper level of the city. The Grund area is accessed via a few steep roads; pedestrians can take the Plateau St Esprit Grund elevator, which descends through the rock from the terrace of the cité judicaire complex.
Bock casemates. The rocky sheer-sided cliffs above the Alzette River were once riddled with tunnels and defensive fortifications. From many places in the old Grund district you can still see openings from where the barrels of cannon formerly poked out. Most of the fortifications were removed in the late 1800s.
Greenery and gardens. Luxembourg’s population is only around 140,000. Its low population density leaves plenty of space for parks, paths, and gardens. This is Nation Square, which is adjacent to extensive park areas along the Pétrusse River.
Cité judicaire. A complex of judicial buildings on a promontory overlooking the Grund quarter. Luxembourg is also home to several institutions of the European Union.
Old is new again. The cornerstone for what became the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg was laid in 1613. The west tower, on the left of this photo, dates to the 1600s and is the oldest of the three towers. The west tower was heavily damaged by fire in early 1985 but was quickly repaired.
Travel note: The Luxembourg Airport is 6 kilometres from the city centre, and is accessible by bus and tram. Frequent train service runs between Luxembourg and cities in France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Public transportation in Luxembourg City, including rail, bus, and tram, is free.
