Luxembourg Things to Do Tips by TooTallFinn24

Walking the Avenue de la Liberte to Downtown

From the Luxembourg Train Station ( The Gare) mit is a short 15 to 20 minute walk to the historic city center which is called the Ville Haute (High City) . There are essentially two routes to go; Avenue de la Liberté or Avenue de la Gare. I would recommend taking Avenue de la Liberte because it is more scenic. As you enter the street you see a number of architecturally prominent but unmarked buildings along the street. To make sure you are on the right street the avenue is a one-way arterial road, with four lanes of traffic. As you continue down the avenue eventually you will come to the very elegant Adolphe Bridge (see review). There are beautiful views down the bridge into what I believe is called the Petruse Valley. A nice park awaits you near the bridge. Follow the street down to the Ville Haute to the Place d' Armes. The Place d' in Luxembourg City is somewhat compact and full of hustle and bustle when we there on a Saturday afternoon.

Walking from the central plaza to the edges of the Ville Haute you will look down into the Villa Basse (The Low City) of Luxembourg City. None of the walk is strenous except getting from the High City down to the most extreme areas of the Low City. All in all it is worth the walk.

Aldophe Bridge

Walking across the Aldolphe Brige which connects the Gare area with the old city center is an experience. The bridge is magnificently wide and down below are a series of lush trees and homes. The rail bridge is also designed in similar arches to the Adolphe Bridge. The pedestrian access lanes are wide which was somewhat unusual for the time of construction. The Adolphe Bridge was designed by French architect Paul Séjourné in 1902. The bridge consists of a large central arch flanked by smaller arches on either side. With a span of 278 feet, the central arch was the largest of its day.

Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City Grand Ducal Palace Review

Walking through downtown Luxembourg City we were completely unaware what we were looking at when we arrrived at the Grand Ducal Palace. The palace is not set back from the street and aside from its size, the presence of guards out front, and the flags flying from the roof it is sometimes mistaken for something else.

The palace is the official residence of the Grand Duke where he carries out his administrative functions. There are extensive state rooms on the first floor of the palace and the rooms are used to receive heads of state and dignitaries from other countries.

The palace was built in the late 1500's and served as the Luxembourg City Hall for over 200 years. Beginning in 1890 the palace was exclusively reserved for the Royal Duke and his family. Around the same time the palace received a major rennovation and a new wing was constructed.

The Grand Ducal Palace was occupied by the Nazis during World War 2 and the interior was significantly damaged. Over the next fifty years the palace was restored to its previous glory.

While it is said there are tours of the palace, we could find no evidence of such tours while we were there. We only admired the front facade and took pictures.

Address: In the city centre

Phone: 22 28 09

Bock Casements

The Bock refers to a series of rocky cliffs that are above the River Alzette in the northeastern corner of Luxembourg City. The cliffs over the centuries offered a near perfect natural fortification for defending the area from invading troops. Beginning in 963 Count Siegfried begin building a castle on the Bock. The castle became the basis for the town of Luxembourg City and over the years the castle was added to including a series of underground tunnels, passageways and cuts through the rocks that are called the casements. A few of the tunnels remain to this day and are open to walk through.

Walking the encasement area is enjoyable. I could almost imagine the area being defended by cannon fire against invading enemies while rummaging through some of the passageways. For a more detailed tour of the tunnels a small fee is required to tour. We chose not to see the more elaborate tunnels. The Bock Encasements became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.

Address: %gMontée de Clausen

Directions: The Bock is locaed in the northeastern portion of Luxembourg City and easy to find.