For our summer trip to Europe, the cheapest flights were in and out of Paris. So, we decided to plan for our trip accordingly. The first destination we chose was Luxembourg. This tiny little land locked country in tucked in between France, Belgium and Germany. Since we were planning to go visit Germany this time, this was a perfect choice for a few days.
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| Places to visit in Luxembourg |
Here is the itinerary we had initially planned for:
Day 0: Arrive In Paris -> Train to Luxembourg city
Day 1: Day in Luxembourg city
Day 2: Drive to Echternach and Vianden -> Train to Tier
What really happened:
We arrived in Paris a day late. And hence had to reschedule the train to Luxembourg city. We had to cut short our trip and skip Echternach and Vianden from our itinerary to get to Trier on time. I will write about roaming around Luxembourg city and some pointers for Echternach and Vianden from our plans.Getting in/out:
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| Luxembourg City station |
Getting around:
the city itself s very well connected with public transport. The buses are frequent and convenient. We took the bus to get form the train station to our AirBnB and also to get around the city for lunch and dinner. Pretty convenient and the Google maps are always there to guide you through public transport.Day 0 in the city
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| Running aound to explore the city |
We reached late at night, around 8 pm and wanted to grab dinner before heading out to our accommodation. We found an Indian restaurant close by, and not knowing the fate of our future dinner cuisines, we decided to grab a bite. I think it was Taj Mahal restaurant and food was a-okay. The city was very lively even at 9 pm in the night. There was quite a bit of hussle bussle and we felt safe walking alone. After dinner, we took a bus to our AirBnB which was located a little away from the city centre. The hosts were lovely and we had a room to ourselves on the top floor. Their pet dog was especially adorable.
A day in the Luxermbourg City
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| Notre Dame Cathedral |
We had until late afternoon in the city as we were supposed to get to Trier in time to rent our car for our Germany trip (my next blog!). So, we decided to go for a run and explore the city. Luxembourg isn't flat. It has varied elevation and levels, and following the google map directions can be tricky, which we discovered only once we stepped out for a jog.
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| Palais Grand Ducal |
We started off with navigating to the Notre Dame Cathedral first. On our way though, we stopped for a cuppa joe and a croissant at a local coffee shop, which I can't remember. They had good strawberry yogurt too. Ahh! And most importantly, they told us, that instead of taking the zig zag uphill route, we could take the elevator upto the plaza level. Who needs a hilly run on a vacation anyway! ;)
Once at the plaza level, everything was right there. The cathedral of Notre Dame, Palais Grand Ducal, Casemates and the souvenir shops. Walk down Chemine de la Corniche to The Grund. A few other touristy spots to stop by if you are interested and have time. This level gives you good views of the city and is the centre for touristy and old-town stuff. Our rough walking route. |
| Central Plaza - Domfreihof |
Coming back was easier as it was mostly downhill. You could also take the local bus if you want to get around via public transport. But the most exciting thing was yet to happen. Sumit decided to jog back and I waited for the bus. He reached home before I did and when I reached, I rang the doorbell. He was of course in the shower and only heard my doorbell after, umm, unbearable fifteen minutes or so. And in his quest to open the door asap, he accidentally opened the door without realizing that our host's pet dog was let out running on the street. They weren't at home and it was us running behind the dog in middle of Luxembourg. He was getting farther and farther away, while some good Samaritan got hold of him and picked him up to return him to the huffing and puffing folks running behind him, i.e. us.
Whew! We now packed and took the bus to get to the train station for our bus to Trier. Would have been nice to go visit the other cities of Echternach and Vianden, that we had initially planned, but oh well, next time!
What we didn't do:
- Echternach: Town on your way to Trier in Germany. A small town with old abbey, basilica, an old town area and a lake to boast of.
- Vianden: Boasts of a famous castle and Victor Hugo museum.
- Beaufort: A small little town on your way from Vianden to Echternach. Boasts of cobbled streets and very famous chateau.
