A TRANQUIL URBAN OASIS OR A GILDED CAGE, DEPENDING WHO YOU ASK

One of Europe’s smallest countries, Luxembourg isn’t a common tourist stop. To be honest, the only reason I went was because it added to my country count and was pretty conveniently on my path from Holland to Paris. I’m glad I went, though, because I found the city to be a really peaceful place to spend a few days. It’s a small city but a beautiful one full of parks and surrounded by green spaces. While it isn’t particularly lively or vibrant, it’s clean, quiet, and serene. I heard mixed reviews from locals - from a beautiful livable city, to a great place to raise children but not to be a more adventurous person, to a golden cage. I think all are true, and it doesn’t offer a lifestyle for everybody. It does offer a peaceful escape from the chaos of Europe’s larger cities while still offering the comforts of urban life, though.

ENJOY THE CITY’S MANY GREEN SPACES

Luxembourg is full of green spaces, so you’ll never be far from a forest view. The two places I most recommend are Parc de la Petrusse, which wraps around the city core, and the Grund, a river near the historic district that offers stunning view of the city’s ancient fortifications. Both are easy spaces to spend several hours admiring the views or going for a walk.

WANDER THROUGH THE OLD QUARTER AND CITY CENTER

Luxembourg is very small, so it only takes a few hours to wander around most of it. Its center city is clean, slightly monochrome, and charming; it’s where you’ll find the Palais Grand-Ducal and Cathedrale Notre Dame - two of the cities commonly visited tourist sites. If you walk through the city core to the cliff’s peak, you’ll get to the Bock Casements - ancient fortifications that have been built into a public space - and the Chemin de la Corniche, sometimes called Europe’s most beautiful balcony for its view of the old quarter valley and the Grund. Then, if you head down to the bottom of the valley, you can stroll through the old quarter, which has a more old world charm.

The city lacks any specific thing that inspires grand awe or is an individual takeaway, but it has an overall ambience of being extremely pleasant and lovely. I found myself entranced in a state of peace wherever I went - though the city never inspired sparks of excitement or fire.

TAKE A DAY TRIP

Luxembourg is small, so if you’re there for more than a couple of days, the best thing to do is to take a day trip somewhere else in Luxembourg. The most common trips are to Vianden (and its castle), Echternach (and its lake), and Mullerthal (for its nature and hikes). It’s also a short trip into Germany, Belgium, or France.