You may have heard about how tiny Luxembourg but is one day in Luxembourg really enough? Since the country of Luxembourg is roughly only 2,500 square km in size, most people tend to visit Luxembourg for the day. And since it’s landlocked with 3 major other European countries, it’s the perfect spot for a day or weekend trip!
To answer the original question, one day in Luxembourg City is definitely enough time. And this guide will break down exactly how to spend one perfect day in Luxembourg City. I’ll go over where we stayed, how to get around, and the highlights of Luxembourg City!
But if you really want to visit Luxembourg, the country, you should think of adding another day or two to your itinerary. At the end of this post, I’ve also added a few castle recommendations that are worth checking out if you have additional time!
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Where did we stay?
Luxembourg is known as one of the most expensive places in Europe. It’s funny to think that a country so small could be so expensive to visit! Not that this should put you off of traveling there, but it’s something to keep in mind. There are ways of course to keep your expenses low!
One easy way in particular was not actually staying in Luxembourg. The beauty of this small country, as I said above, is that it’s really easy to day trip to. We situated ourselves in an Airbnb in Germany close to the border and drove into Luxembourg for the day. You can easily do this if you’re visiting Belgium or France as well! In our situation, the drive into Luxembourg was no more than 45 minutes!
To keep in mind: This option worked well for us because we had access to a car (our visit was part of a much larger road trip). If you don’t have access to a car, check train and bus options on sites such as Omio to compare ticket prices. It still might be cheaper to stay close to the border and travel in for the day!
Want to stay IN Luxembourg City?
Youth Hostel Luxembourg City ($): From researching on TripAdvisor and Hostelworld, this seems to be one of the only hostels in Luxembourg City and has an 8.5 rating on Hostelworld!
Meliá Luxembourg ($$): This hotel has over 1,000 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor! Its pet friendly, and is equipped with a gym and spa!
Le Royal Hotels & Resorts – Luxembourg ($$$): This hotel has recently won the TripAdvisors Travelers Choice award! It is very centrally located, and is equipped with a pool and gym!
How to get around?
Something really exciting about Luxembourg City is that PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS FREE! You can simply walk onto any bus, tram or train and it’s completely free. (Who says Luxembourg has to be super expensive!?)
If you are arriving by car, I’d recommend parking on the outskirts of the city at one of the Park and Rides and then use the public transportation. On our one day in Luxembourg, we saved money this way (its free anyways, why not use it)! The rest of the day, we did everything on foot – its a very walkable city!
PRO TIP: another way to keep your trip to an expensive city a little less expensive is to use a travel-friendly credit card! I have been using Wise for 4 years and it has made my travels a lot smoother. With Wise you can have multiple currencies all on one card. This means, when I move money onto my card in the local currency, I don’t have to pay additional fees when I use my card. The money paid in the currency you are spending in! I can’t recommend them enough!
How to spend one day in Luxembourg?
Morning
HIGHLIGHT: Walk around the Chemin de la Corniche
This spot offers the most beautiful views of the Lower City! If you didn’t know this about Luxembourg (because I didn’t) it’s built in two parts. The reason for this is the huge natural rocky structure of the area as well as the river that runs straight through! This means that the city has an Upper part (on the hill) and a Lower part (in the valley).
The original castle was built in the Ville Haute (Upper City) and this particular street, the Chemin de la Corniche, walks along the former city wall! A Luxembourg writer describes it as the “most beautiful balcony in Europe”. It has some of the most spectacular views and I highly recommend going for a stroll to start your day!
Visit the Bock or Pétrusse Casemates
I was so excited to visit the Bock Casemates on my one day in Luxembourg visit. And I was so disappointed when I saw that they were closed – they are such an interesting part of the city’s history! I have since read that they were closed for maintenance but have reopened! You can book tickets here!
What are the casemates exactly? They are an underground network of tunnels built in 1644 that were used to fortify and defend the city! How cool is it to be able to explore a city from underground? You can either visit Bock Casemates or the Pétrusse Casemates. The Bock location is closer to the Chemin de la Corniche and the Pétrusse location is closer to the Place de la Constitution.
Wander around the Grund
Remember I said that there is an Upper and Lower part of the city? Well, the Grund is in the lower part! It’s a little isolated from the main city centre. But it actually makes it a really calm, unique and quaint place to visit! Quite the contrast to the bustling Ville Haute!
To get there, you can either walk or take an elevator! You can take the Grund Elevator or the Pfaffenthal Lift which can take you directly down into the valley! (They are free to use!)
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Afternoon
Stop for a snack at Chocolate House
Food is where you might start to notice the pricier side of Luxembourg. We decided to keep things cheap by just stopping for a snack in Luxembourg and having our main meal back in Germany.
The Chocolate House is a really cute bake shop that, of course, specializes in chocolate goodies! If you’re looking for a place to sit and enjoy a bite to eat, you’ve come to the right place! The view from the terrace was also a really beautiful spot to relax and people watch!
Explore Ville Haute
I’ve already briefly talked about the Ville Haute because this is where the main city centre is! This is also where the origins of the medieval city and castle lie – so it’s definitely worth wandering about! Most of our day was actually spent walking around the Upper town, checking out the shops and exploring the little streets! One, in particular, worth mentioning is the Fish Market, which is the historical centre of town. Here’s a fun fact for you, Luxembourg City is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Most of the historical sites and main attractions on the rest of the list below can be found in the Upper City! When planning your day, you might consider going into the Lower part of the city right when you arrive. And then spend the rest of your time up in Ville Haute. Avoid going back and forth too much in order to optimize your one day in Luxembourg!
Visit the Grand Ducal Palace
Did you know that Luxembourg is being led by a Grand Duke? Well, this is his palace! It is a really impressive building to admire from the outside! But if you’re visiting during the summer months, you can also visit the inside! They only offer tours in the summer and you can book your tickets with the Luxembourg City Tourist Office.
It is unclear if you can book your tickets online. I tried to but I couldn’t seem to find it. If you’re having trouble, you can visit the tourist office in person!
Pop into the Notre Dame Cathedral
Almost every Europe city has a Cathedral of some sort and in Luxembourg City, it is the Notre Dame Cathedral! This particular Cathedral is Roman Catholic and is a really beautiful Gothic building. You don’t need a lot of time to visit, but do make sure to at least pop in! Another fun fact: It’s the ONLY Cathedral in the country of Luxembourg!
Admire the view from Place de la Constitution
This is another nice spot overlooking the valley below Luxembourg! You have a really nice view of the Adolphe Bridge, the Pétrusse Valley and the Gardens of Luxembourg! This is where we personally had a seat, took a break and enjoyed the view. In the centre of the square, there is the statue of “Gëlle Fra” (golden lady). This statue is a war memorial for all of the soldiers that were lost in World War I.
More than one day in Luxembourg?
If you have more than one day in Luxembourg and are looking for a local day trip, I highly recommend checking out one of the castles. There are 2 popular castles to visit from Luxembourg: Clervaux Castle and Vianden Castle.
Vianden Castle is the most popular day trip from Luxembourg city and it was on our route home so that worked out perfectly for us. The visit to the castle was an absolute highlight for me! It was the perfect size castle for a quick visit, with a really nice view of the region.
⏰ We spent around 2 hours visiting the castle
💰We paid 11 euros per person to visit the castle. We did not book our tickets online, we booked them once we arrived! Your ticket gives you access to the castle and the grounds – not to the museum!
🚗 It’s around a 1-hour drive from Luxembourg City
🅿️ Parking was an issue for sure. The castle is located on a hill and there was barely any parking at the top. Most parking spots were located on the way up to the castle. But there weren’t many! Visiting the earlier, the better!
⚔️ Fun Fact: we visited during the Medieval Festival (it was a pleasant surprise)! The festival takes place around the end of July and into the beginning of August.
🚌 Don’t have a car? Check out this day tour that not only visits Vianden Castle but also visits a waterfall and a small town. Sounds like a pretty great way to see more of Luxembourg!
Enjoy your day in Luxembourg
And there you have it! A complete guide to spending one day in Luxembourg (or more if you’re lucky)! Luxembourg was definitely a beautiful country that I wish I had a little bit more time to explore! If you’re planning a trip to Luxembourg, I hope you now feel more prepared for your visit! Or if you weren’t planning a trip to Luxembourg, I hope you’re inspired to now!
My visit to Luxembourg was part of a larger road trip through Germany, France and Luxembourg. If you’re interested in knowing my budget for this particular road trip, I put together a Complete Road-Trip Budget guide!
