A Hidden Gem - Luxembourg
- Allison
- Jan 26, 2020
- 3 min read
Before entering Luxembourg I had no idea what to expect. I knew the main languages were French and German and I knew they used the Euro; however, that was the extent of my knowledge. I was greeted at the train station by a bustling city, heavy winds, and a multitude of taxis.

While there are many nice hotels and Airbnb options near the train station, I booked a room at Hotel Vauban right in the city center. The taxi took about 7 minutes and once I arrived, the meter said 9€. The walk was doable as well, but after running through the last train station with my bags I decided to give myself a break and make friends with a taxi driver. After dropping my bags off at the hotel, I stepped outside, into the main square to wander around. The street of old quarter Luxembourg could have been out of a movie. I walked along streets lined with small restaurants and shops. The shopping seemed to lean towards high-end fashion despite being an abundance of different quality restaurants to chose from. The buildings, made of old stone, had sleek modern interiors. The plazas were filled with excited tourists and locals who were ready for lunch. Naturally, I found a bookstore shortly after I began exploring - which led me to spend quite a bit of time window shopping as my bags were suddenly too full to take part in any actual shopping.

About an hour later I met up with a friend from SAS (Semester at Sea), Xiao Xiao. We went for lunch at a small place in the Place D'Armes. From there we walked along the streets, stopping in a church and the national library when we got caught in the rain. Eventually, we said goodbye as I called it a night and relaxed in my hotel, everything closes at 1800 anyway so I felt content that I was not missing out on any adventures.
The next morning I woke up and had breakfast at my hotel. I was out the door, checked out of my room, and ready to explore by 09:30. Suffice to say, the rest of Luxembourg was not. I wandered nearly empty streets, gaped in awe at the Grand Ducal Palace, and stopped in the very few stores that were open - including another all English bookstore near the Grand Ducal Palace! After sticking my nose in more books, I headed toward the Pfaffenthal panorama elevator, which is a glass elevator transporting people and bikes from the suburb below Luxembourg City to the center. My walk there included a beautiful park just above and a quaint historic town afterward. Of course, as soon as I started walking around Pfaffenthal it started to rain; because of this, I took the elevator back up to wait out the rain undercover.
The day before I had passed the museum of Luxembourg City so I decided to check it out. If you ever find yourself in the city you should go! The museum, free for anyone under 21, was both informative and interactive. It is modern and uses lots of glass but is built using the original rock and stone from the hill it is built upon. The architecture of it left me in awe. Sadly, my time was almost up, I had one last meal in the restaurant near my hotel in the Guillaume II square before grabbing my bags and catching a taxi to the airport.
Next stop - Vienna!!
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