Brussels to Luxembourg City

“What is that blasted noise?!”, I wonder to myself as I groggily search for the offending sound. “Mtshew! Just my alarm”, I hiss…and sigh. I set my alarm for 6 am to get ready for my Luxembourg City tour at 8.45 am.

Why so early, you ask? Well, I snooze for 30 minutes and I want to be at the Brussels City tour office early just in case my Discover card is declined. I left my Visa & Mastercard in NYC and Discover is not universal here, as I have been discovering. Thus, in case it declines, I want to find an early bureau de change to change dollars. I am intent on visiting Luxembourg City on my Benelux tour.

So far, I have spent the most time in Belgium with two nights in Amsterdam; Luxembourg City will be my final Benelux pit stop, so help me God! I get to the office in time and cross my fingers as I insert my card. It takes! Phew! Bless ’em because they give me a 4 Euro discount as this is my second tour with them in two days.

At 8.45 am sharp, we head towards the bus, board and we’re off by 9 sharp. No time wasting as we have a three hour estimate to reach Luxembourg City from Brussels because of construction at the border. I have come prepared with pastries and iced tea in my refillable water bottle.

Our tour guide, Bruno, is a tri-lingual Belgian like most Europeans in general and he serenades us with the history of the region we are passing through as well as that of Luxembourg. Since I absolutely love learning historical facts and culture, I settle down to listen and take notes.

Regional History

When most tourists think of Europe, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is not the first or even tenth country to spring to mind and that is understandable. Its land-locked nature and small size might be the reason for that but for those in the know, it offers stunning architecture, amazing nature and a highly fascinating history.

Luxembourg is to the south of Belgium with Belgium to its left, Germany to the right and France below it so you can imagine what fun times it must have had in the past. Click To Tweet

We head south and pass through small towns of the region with their own history as well.

Belgium is tri-lingual (excluding English which they all speak) with French, German and Dutch but where each language is dominant depends on the region.

For example:

• Brussels Capital Region is in the middle of the country hence French is dominant but they’re also bi-lingual with English.
• People near the German border speak German.
• North Belgium (Ghent, Antwerp & Bruges) speak Dutch predominantly and,
• South Belgium (Charleroi, Namur etc) speak French.

We go through Namur, the capital of the Wallonia region of Belgium, located between Liege and Charleroi and this old military town has gone through the Romans, Burgundys, Spaniards and Austrian Hapsburgs. During WW I & II, it was at the front lines and fell to the Germans thus suffering damages and casualties in both wars.

Namur is famous for its Citadel with underground passages and gardens and it is said to be impregnable but fell to the Germans in both wars. Hmmn.

Titillating Tidbit: The symbol of Wallonia is the rooster. No one really knows why but it is assumed to be so because the region is French-speaking and the rooster is France's symbol. Click To Tweet

The northern part of Belgium is referred to as the Flemish region, or Flanders, and their symbol is the lion while the Brussels Capital region has the yellow iris as a symbol.

Still hurtling through the region, we pass the famous Ardennes. This region of thick forests, hills, and rough terrain covers south Belgium extending into France and Luxembourg and was used as a natural border in medieval times.

The Ardennes saw the Battle of the Bulge where U.S. troops were attacked by the Germans and suffered more casualties than the landing at Normandy. Medieval castles in the area served as forts but have since been converted to plush residences for local aristocrats. See video below of Ardennes from bus.

Luxembourg City Walking Tour

Luckily, there is no traffic at the border so we arrive well before our three hour estimate which gives us more time to see interesting sites, architecture and take copious pictures on our Luxembourg City day trip. I am born ready so let the walking tour begin! Lol.

• Place de la Constitution: Also referred to as Constitution Place, this is a war memorial symbol erected to honour the lives of Luxembourgers lost during WW I but it represents resistance and freedom today. The “Gelle Fra“, located on top of the column, is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.  This is our arrival and departure point in the city and cannot be missed as it is where all tour buses convene. It is literally a stone’s throw from Place D’Armes and is a known tourist hub. There is a souvenir shop and a bathroom here which is welcome after a 2.5 hour ride.

 

• Notre-Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg City: This is near Place de la Constitution and is the largest in the city. Its architecture is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles and the tomb of the members of the Grand Duke family is located here.
  

  I just love this angle of the Notre-Dame against the turning fall colours.

   

• Statue of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg: This is in Place Clarefontaine and is a tribute to the duchess who went into exile during WW II when Luxembourg was part of the Third Reich. Her history is fascinating and you should read up on it but in summary: she assumed the throne in 1919 after the abdication of her sister and during WW II, the Grand Ducal family fled at the arrival of the Nazis into Luxembourg. She finally ended up in London where she broadcast encouraging messages to her people about resistance. Afterwards, she sojourned with her family to the U.S. where she met with FDR to raise the profile of Luxembourg and get the support of the Allies. She died in 1985 and is interred at the Notre-Dame Cathedral. What a woman!

 

• Grand Ducal Palace: This is the official residence of the Grand Duke and his family and has been so since the 1890s. Grand Duke Jean is the son of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and he uses this palace for official functions. Since this is off-season, there are no tours available but I hope to visit during summer for a tour. It’s a treat to see a Ducal soldier marching in front of the palace like something out of a fairy-tale.

• Rue de L’eau: We go down this street and it literally is us descending down a gradient to cobbled streets with old buildings and the famous view of the old historic quarter down the vallee d’Alzette. The many historic buildings on Rue de L’eau are now modern residences such as the old monastery which is being renovated as a plush apartment residence. Mais bien sur!

• Place D’Armes: This is a very boisterous square in the heart of the old town teeming with locals and tourists alike. Even at off-peak season, it is pretty much pedestrian heavy but still bearable. It was a parade ground for defence troops and the old city hall is located here. Currently, its cobbled streets have cafes, restaurants, brasseries, souvenir shops, hotels and chocolate/ pastry stores. The latter stores you can be sure I patronized heavily lol. Place D’Armes also holds Christmas markets in December and I’m sorry not to experience that as it’ll be very magical. From here, you can take a side street towards Place de la Constitution, which I have as a landmark.

 

• Vallee d’Alzette: On with our walking tour. We head on down Rue de L’eau towards the bridge where we look down into the vallee d’Alzette with picturesque views of the old historic quarter, casements and fortress. While the view from up top is beautiful, it is even more amazing in the valley looking up.
• To reach the valley, you either walk down the fortress steps or take an elevator down located within the Palace de la Justice, a stone’s throw from the Notre-Dame Cathedral. I choose the latter option and do not regret it.

The remnants of the fortress are a UNESCO heritage site complete with casements and forts located in the valley and the country itself has passed through the hands of the Burgundys, Hapsburgs, Spanish and French, the latter of whom extended the fortresses in the historic quarter. This gave rise to Luxembourg’s moniker, the “Gibraltar of the North” because of its many forts and casements.

Walking this quarter, the street layouts are identical to centuries ago and the historic buildings were once the old residence of the Grand Duke, a monastery and a women’s prison.

The Alzette river is devoid of boats, barges and the rushing sound that comes with a water body and it is clean enough that I spy some water fowl floating on it.

The area is a breeding ground for bird and insect species with a botanic garden at the foot of the fortress. The former churches and houses of worship are now museums of sacred art that can be visited. Alas, no time for that.

The Bock casements within the fortress house underground galleries created from rock and they served as bomb shelters during the war for city residents. Alas, these are closed so we are unable to view these renowned casements.

Read more on this UNESCO heritage site  —>  City of Luxembourg: Old Quarters & Fortifications

 

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We finish our tour of the valley and its historic quarter and ascend via the elevator at the Palace de la Justice. At this time, we’re famished and have just enough time to buy some pastries and souvenirs before heading to Place de la Constitution for the bus back to Brussels.

I thoroughly enjoy my Luxembourg City walking tour and I have some knowledge about the city to know what to experience when I return in the near future and when I do, I’ll be sure to take advantage of affordable accommodation rates in this beautiful royal city.

Booking.com

This concludes my Benelux solo trip for the year.

 

Read More: Solo Travel Musings of an Introvert

Facts You Definitely Didn’t Know About Luxembourg City

• It is located at the junction of two rivers: the Alzette and Petrusse.
• It has a heavy French influence because French troops occupied Luxembourg City over generations.
• The Luxembourg Coat of Arms is the symbol of Louis XIV, the Sun King, who built Versailles. Again, heavy French influence.
• When Napoleon was defeated in 1815, the British decided to create a buffer state by uniting the region.
• There is no border between Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg because in the 1930s, a special agreement was made between both countries and after WW II, BeNeLux was created with The Netherlands. Click To Tweet
• Luxembourg is a very wealthy country and Luxembourg City is known as the “City of Banks”!
• They have their own language, Luxembourgish, which sounds like both Dutch and French, depending on the word. “Moien” is good morning or hello in Luxembourgish.
• There is a part of Luxembourg known as “Little Switzerland” famous for its gorgeous scenery. Bucket list!

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Let me know if you’ve been to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and what you enjoyed about it.

Don’t forget to comment and share and see you on the social streets! xoxo

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