The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Luxembourg’s reputation is banks, investment funds and EU buildings, and it’s true that the Kirchberg plateau is a forest of glass. Look at it as a traveller, though, and a different country appears. A capital perched above two river gorges, more than 70 castles, sandstone woods that feel like somewhere much further away, and a river lined with vineyards on both banks. This is my guide to the grand duchy, in the order I’d read it.

What surprises most people. You don’t need a single ticket to get around. Buses, trams, the funicular and standard-class trains have cost nothing for anyone, residents or visitors, since 1 March 2020, and I explain how it works in Luxembourg free public transport.

A grand duchy between Belgium, Germany and France

The country covers 2,586 km² in the heart of western Europe, with 356 km of border. Belgium accounts for 148 km, Germany 135 and France 73, according to STATEC. To the east, the Our and the Moselle form the border with Germany, and at Schengen all three countries meet. I place it properly in where is Luxembourg and on the map of Luxembourg.

It’s 82 km from north to south and 57 km from east to west, and inside that sit two very different landscapes. Up top is the Éislek, the Luxembourg Ardennes, 828 km² of plateaux and steep wooded valleys; below it is the Guttland, the “good land”, with 1,758 km². The highest point is the Kneiff at 560 m and the lowest is 130 m at Wasserbillig. For comparisons that make sense of those numbers, see how big is Luxembourg.

The capital and five regions with their own character

The national tourist board splits the country into six destinations. Luxembourg City is one; the other five are the Éislek, the Mullerthal, the Moselle, the Guttland and the Minett, the red-earth mining country of the south. Which one suits you is in regions of Luxembourg.

Administratively it’s a different picture, with 12 cantons and 100 communes since 1 September 2023, when two mergers brought the total down to a hundred for the first time since at least 1840. They’re laid out in cantons of Luxembourg and, commune by commune, in towns in Luxembourg. If you only want the ones I’d put on a postcard, head for the prettiest villages in Luxembourg.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Luxembourg before prices climb.

Is Luxembourg a country or a city?

Both, which is where the confusion starts. The country is the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and holding its present borders since the Treaty of London in 1839. The capital shares its name. I untangle it in is Luxembourg a country.

690,959 people live here and nearly half hold a foreign passport. On top of that, around 237,200 cross-border workers come in from France, Germany and Belgium every working day. The full breakdown is in Luxembourg population, and the language mix that follows from it in what language do they speak in Luxembourg.

Where I’d start

Places to visit in Luxembourg scores each spot and says why. Top of the pile is the old town, with the Bock Casemates and the Chemin de la Corniche, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 along with the fortifications. Next comes Vianden Castle, built between the 11th and 14th centuries and owned by the state since 1977.

Outside the capital, the thing that pulls me most is the Mullerthal Trail, three routes of 36.7, 39.7 and 37.7 km through sandstone rocks and past the Schiessentümpel waterfall. Activities rather than sights, from a Moselle boat trip to a swim in the Upper Sûre lake, are in things to do in Luxembourg. For anyone travelling with a camera there’s most beautiful places in Luxembourg, and everything with a UNESCO label is in Luxembourg UNESCO World Heritage.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Luxembourg before prices climb.

Mild weather and two big seasons

MeteoLux gives an average of 1.4 °C in January and 18.7 °C in July, with 831 mm of rain spread fairly evenly across the year. Nobody comes for the sun, and a waterproof earns its place in the case whatever the month. The liveliest times are summer, with National Day on 23 June and the Schueberfouer funfair, and winter, when the Winterlights markets open on 20 November 2026 and close on 3 January 2027. For advice month by month, see best time to visit Luxembourg.

Getting there from the UK and getting around for free

Findel airport is 10 km from the central station, and since 2 March 2025 the tram has run right to the terminal. Luxair publishes a direct route to London City, and British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair are among the sixteen airlines on the airport’s list, though I haven’t been able to confirm which UK routes each flies this season. By rail, you go via Paris, where the TGV to Luxembourg takes 2 h 10 min. All the routes, air and rail, are laid out in how to get to Luxembourg.

Once you’re in, free trains and buses take you from the capital to Vianden, Clervaux or Echternach, so the real question is where to sleep. I split the options by area in where to stay in Luxembourg, and if you plan to string together castles and museums, the LuxembourgPass can pay for itself.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Luxembourg and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Luxembourg on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

So you do not pay over the odds, look at trains, coaches and flights to Luxembourg on Omio and pick the one that suits you.