How To Visit Luxembourg City In One Day From Brussels

Luxembourg City is a small but mighty city – there’s a load of history to discover and out of this world views to check out!

I visited Luxembourg on a day trip from Brussels and had more than enough time to see everything in the city. So here’s everything you need to know about spending one day in Luxembourg City. I’ll go over how to get there (even give you some money saving hacks!), and what to do while you’re there.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

What You Didn’t Know About Luxembourg

Luxembourg is both a very interesting city and country… Luxembourg City (in Luxembourg) is one of the only cities with the same name as its mother country! And did you know they’re the third wealthiest country in the world (and actually the wealthiest if you look at per capita)?

Most of its citizens aren’t even native Luxembourgers. 2/3 of the country are foreigners from Portugal, Spain … etc.

On top of that, there are an extra 200 000 people commuting to the city for work from other countries. They’ll live in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and France and commute to the city every day. That’s because there are a lot of employment opportunities in the city but it’s very expensive to live there.

Freebies In The City That Luxembourg Offers!

Unlike most European cities, Luxembourg offers quite a bit for free… like it’s completely free to use the public restrooms throughout the city.

They also offer free city Wifi everywhere, as long as you have a valid phone number to sign up for it. And as of 2020, all public transport is is free to use in the entire country! Don’t believe me? Read more about it here.

Do They Speak English In Luxembourg?

You won’t have a problem speaking English while you’re visiting. But surprisingly, it’s the 4th or 5th language most locals will learn.

In school, Luxembourgers learn 3 languages: Luxembourgish, German, and French. English is only introduced much later.

And as I mentioned earlier, most families living there are foreigners, so this doesn’t include their mother tongue spoken at home.

How To Get From Brussels To Luxembourg

If you’re going on a day trip to Luxembourg from Brussels, you have a few travel options: you can rent a car, take a bus or train, or go on an organized tour. Brussels to Luxembourg is about a 3 hours away.

Although renting a car gives you the most flexibility and freedom, it also comes with its own sets of problems and risks (driving in a foreign city, finding parking, etc). Rent a car in Brussels here.

Your next option is to take the bus – which is usually the cheapest travel option. The main problem is that the bus doesn’t leave too often from Brussels to Luxembourg. Double check the travel time because it can vary depending on when you want to leave. The bus station in Luxembourg is also further outside the city (P+R Bouillon) so you’ll most like have to take public transit to the city centre. You can check the Flixbus schedule here.

So we opted to take the train from Brussels to Luxembourg…

The train trip is a bit over 3 hours each way (although you also have to watch out some are MUCH longer!). You can walk from the train station in Luxembourg to the city centre (Gare Centrale routière). To make the most out of your day, you’ll want to take the earliest train at 7 A.M. and the last train back at 8:00 P.M. Find train tickets from Brussels to Luxembourg here.

From the train station, it’s a 15-minute walk to the city centre. Or you can opt for one of the countless buses headed that way (remember they’re free!).

Day Trip To Luxembourg From Brussels Train Hack

We noticed it’s not always cheaper to buy a direct train ticket from Brussels to Luxembourg. If you’re under 26 (see discount tickets here), or if you’re travelling on the weekend (see discount tickets here), it’s might be cheaper for you to buy 2 separate train tickets. Let me explain…

Direct trains from Brussels to Luxembourg will always make a final stop in Arlon, Belgium before making it to Luxembourg. So buy one train ticket from Brussels to Arlon, which will give you the Belgian train discounts for youths or weekend travel. Then buy another ticket from Arlon to Luxembourg (about €7 each way).

Just double check that the train number is the same for Brussels to Luxembourg and Arlon to Luxembourg before you buy any ticket (you don’t have to switch trains in Arlon). We did this both ways and had no issues, we just showed a different ticket for each leg of the trip.

Final Option: Go On An Organized Tour From Brussels To Luxembourg

If taking the train from Brussels to Luxembourg sounds too hectic for a day trip, you can also go on an organized tour. Viator offers several organized tours that leave from Brussels and bring you to Luxembourg. They also plan the entire day in Luxembourg for you, taking you to all the main points of interest.

This is a totally stress free way of going on a day trip to Luxembourg from Brussels.

Understanding Luxembourg City: Haute Ville & The Grund

If you haven’t already noticed, Luxembourg is built on a hill, which naturally creates a separation between two parts of the city, Haute Ville and the Grund.

Luxembourg City Haute Ville

This is the city centre, and where the bourgeoisie used to live. Nowadays, you’ll find all the main attractions here, like the Grand Duchy and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

It only takes 10 minutes to walk from side to side of Haute Ville in Luxembourg City – yup, it’s that small! The nicest part is that the centre is car-free. Several blocks surrounding Place d’Armes are pedestrian only streets, which are filled with shops and restaurants.

Luxembourg City The Grund

The Grund, a.k.a the lower village, used to be where the poor and servants of the bourgeoisie lived. Although today it’s equally as expensive as Haute Ville.

The Grund offers breathtaking views of Haute Ville. You’ll want to make sure to walk along the Alzette river and find the purple Mermaid statue across from Abbey Neimënster.

This statue represents Luxembourg’s Count Sigfried’s wife Melusina. After several years of marriage, Sigfried discovered she was actually a mermaid and was never seen again.

How To Get From Haute Ville To The Grund

To get from Haute Ville to the Grund in Luxembourg City you have a few options. The most picturesque is to walk along Rue de la Corniche (which I recommend doing either way!).

But if you need a break from walking, Luxembourg offers a free elevator you can take. You’ll find it near Luxembourg’s Parliament in Haute Ville, and off of Rue Schmëdo in the Grund.

Luxembourg Things To Do In One Day

Because you’re here for such a limited time, I recommend doing a walking tour when you first arrive in Luxembourg City. The tour takes you to all the main sites in Haute Ville and the Grund, gives you a lowdown of Luxembourg’s history, and some local recommendations.

After your walking tour, you have a few options for how to spend your one day in Luxembourg…

Main Sites You Won’t Want to Miss

On the walking tour, you should make it to the following places: Place d’Armes, The Grand Ducal Palace, Bock and Casemates, St Michael’s Cathedral, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Golden Lady Memorial Statue.

There are a few different attractions you can pay to visit if you have some more time in Luxembourg.

Take The Pfaffenthal Lift

If you find yourself in the Pfaffenthal area of Luxembourg (in the lower valley) there’s a free glass elevator, (but don’t worry the floor is solid) so you get to experience going up with amazing views. Once you get to the top there’s a section with a glass floor that you can stand on.

Explore Bock Casemates

You’ll definitely want to make it to the Bock at one point during your day. These old castle ruins used to be connected to the fortress that surrounded the city, and it offers some of the best views of the city.

Underneath the Bock is where you’ll find the casemates. This is a network of underground tunnels where citizens used to hide during wartime and store food and supplies.

You can now visit part of the tunnels for €7 (see updated prices here).

Visit The City History Museum Luxembourg

This was one of my favourite historical museums I’ve ever visited. The museum itself is actually built into the side of the hill. When you go down the elevator, you’re surrounded by the rocks of the hill.

The content of the museum covered how the city was established and grew throughout the years up until present day.

But the best part was the price! We had free access because I’m a youth (under 26) and my boyfriend is a student. But if you don’t fit into either of those categories, it’s still only €5! They even give you a free audio guide (just make sure to bring earphones).

The tour is 45 minutes, taking you to the highlights of the museum. But there’s a lot more to peruse at your own pace.

Where To Eat In Luxembourg City

According to our tour guide, most restaurants open for lunch from 12:00 -2:00 P.M. then close their kitchens until supper time around 6:00 P.M.. This might be normal for you, but this isn’t the case for North America.  

This is important to be aware of – for example, we needed to eat earlier than 6:00 P.M. in order to catch our return train at 7:00 P.M. to Brussels. We ate at Bosso Brasserie – the kitchen opened at 5:30! We weren’t disappointed with our choice either, they served more local food, and was a bit cheaper than what we were seeing around us. 

For coffee, we found local Luxembourg chain, Knopes (and by chain, I mean there are only 3 of them in the city). We went to the one on Porte-Neuve, just off the main street in the city centre so it was a bit more quiet.

P.S. Apparently the night life in Luxembourg also isn’t much to boast about unless it’s Saturday.

Local Luxembourg Beer To Try

If you’re on a day trop to Luxembourg from Brussels, you’re probably already well versed in beer – we definitely were!

Since they’re sandwiched between Belgium and Germany it’s no surprise that Luxembourg has its own local beer as well. We were advised to try the Bofferding if we wanted a light beer and Battin for a dark option.

Luxembourg Hotel Recommendations

I didn’t stay overnight in Luxembourg as I had an apartment in Brussels, but if you want to extend your stay in Luxembourg and enjoy some of the nightlife here are some hotel recommendations.

A great option in the city centre is Grand Hotel Cravat. It’s right off the main shopping street in Luxembourg, you can’t get a better location than this! See room rates & availability.

If you’re willing to stay a bit further outside of the city centre (but still only a 15 minute walk away) you won’t be disappointed with Les Jardins d’Anaïs. No two rooms are the same at this country-style hotel in Old Town Luxembourg. You can also enjoy some time to relax on their beautiful terrace in the garden. See room rates & availability.

If you don’t mind staying further outside the city centre but would rather stay at a reputable hotel, stay at the Sofitel Luxembourg Europe. They live up to the Sofitel luxury standard! See room rates & availability.

For more hotel options in Luxembourg City, click here.  

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Last update on 2024-05-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API