If you are ever in the area, a visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is well worth your time. If you only have a day to spare, fear not! Here is a self guided walking tour of Central Luxembourg that will allow you to cover the major sites.
Boulevard Royal:
Start walking from the Boulevard Royal, which is one of the major roads near the city centre. This is also the area where most of the financial buildings of the city, including the Bank of Luxembourg are situated and the part of the city where the more modern of the buildings are.
The Eternal Flame:
Further south, we came across the National Monument of the Solidarity, where an eternal flame burns in memory of those who lost their lives in the second world war.
Grand Ducal Palace:
One thing that struck us about Luxembourg is how close various government buildings are to each other (also how small they tend to be). Within a space of ten minutes, we saw the judiciary buildings of Luxembourg, the ministry of agriculture, until we reached the grand finale- the Grand Ducal Palace.
The palace is also directly connected to the Chamber of Deputies, the Luxembourg Parliament building via a glass walkway.
Chocolate House:
The palace is only open to public a few weeks in a year, but there is a lovely little cafe called the Chocolate House that serves delicious chocolate cake directly opposite the palace. If the weather is nice and you are able to snag an outdoor seat, you may also be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the changing of the guard at the Palace. It was quite a nice surprise for us!
Place Guillaume II:
After being stuffed full of chocolatey goodness, walk west along Rue de la Reine to reach Place Guillaume II, a 13th century square named after King William II.
Church of St. Michael:
After exploring the square, head back east to the Church of St. Michael, which is the site of the oldest church in Luxembourg. The building itself has been destroyed and rebuilt over the years.
Chemin de la Corniche:
Luxembourg is strategically placed to be one of the most fortified places in Europe, so much so that it was known as the Gibraltar of the North. It is worth your time to visit the fortifications, which have been classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The Chemin de la Corniche, which runs along the Alzette valley and has been called one of the most beautiful balconies of Europe. Stop here for a while and take in some spectacular views.
Luxembourg is small enough that even though we only spent a day, we did manage to see a lot. Covering the area by foot was also a good idea, since we got to see the details we might have otherwise missed. Due to the low taxes in Luxembourg, it’s also a great place to fill up your car before you head off!
Pin this for later:
Leave a Reply