Places to visit near Luxembourg, across three borders

Luxembourg offers something few countries can. From the capital, Trier is 48 km away, Metz 60 and Arlon about 20 minutes by train, and each of those borders hides a city with a history of its own. It’s no surprise that anyone here for a few days ends up crossing at least one of them. Here’s what’s nearby, how far it is and what I’d choose; the practicalities of each trip are on their own pages.

Distances first

The Ville de Luxembourg publishes road distances from the capital. Trier, in Germany, is 48 km; Metz, in France, 60; Saarbrücken 100; Liège 168; Cologne 197; Strasbourg 222; and Brussels 225. Arlon isn’t on its list, but the direct line 50 train takes about 20 minutes, on the CFL timetable valid until 12 December 2026.

One point worth being clear on. Luxembourg’s free public transport only covers journeys that don’t cross the border. As soon as you leave, you pay for the foreign leg. I haven’t seen the cross-border fare published by an official source, so look it up on mobiliteit.lu or at the station before travelling, rather than stepping on the train assuming the free ride carries on to Trier.

Trier, the one I’d recommend most

For me, it comes first. Trier was a great Roman capital, and in 1986 UNESCO listed its Roman remains, together with the cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, as one World Heritage Site. The Porta Nigra, whose foundation stone was laid around AD 170 according to the city’s tourist office, is the Roman city gate that has survived best north of the Alps. In 2026 the city is also marking 40 years since that inscription, with special tours and exhibitions. Just before Trier the train calls at Igel, whose 23-metre Roman funerary column, the biggest still standing north of the Alps by Trier’s account, costs nothing to see.

The direct RE on line 30 takes about 50 minutes. The full day is in Luxembourg to Trier.

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Metz or Arlon?

Metz is the big visit on the French side. Its tourist office is proud of a Gothic cathedral built between 1220 and 1522, 42 metres high under the vaults, with 6,500 m² of stained glass, the largest collection in Europe, including windows by Chagall. Add the Centre Pompidou-Metz, designed by Shigeru Ban, and a neo-Romanesque station from the period of German annexation. I cover it in Luxembourg to Metz.

Arlon is smaller and closer. Arlon’s tourist office calls it one of Belgium’s three oldest towns, the Roman Orolaunum, with two Roman towers, an archaeological museum and an aperitif of its own, Maitrank. Half a day is enough; the detail is in Luxembourg to Arlon.

The border you can cross on foot

Without leaving the country, there’s a place that explains Europe better than any museum. At Schengen, in the south-east, Luxembourg, Germany and France meet, opposite Perl and Contz-les-Bains. The 7.71 km Schengen grenzenlos loop walk passes from one country to another without you noticing the line. Next to it are the Remerschen lakes and the Haff Réimech nature reserve. It’s all in Schengen.

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The Moselle by boat

The river is another way to reach the neighbours. According to luxembourg.public.lu, river boats run along the Moselle as far as Trier, Bernkastel and Saarburg in Germany, and downstream to Thionville in France. It’s not the quickest way, but it’s the loveliest in summer; departures and prices depend on each operator. I’d pair it with a night in Remich or Grevenmacher, setting off from the riverbank itself and coming back without rushing, with the afternoon free for a wine cellar.

The Belgian Ardennes, on foot

For walkers, there’s a very special border crossing. The Éislek Trail, part of the Escapardenne network, sets off from Kautenbach, passes through Clervaux and Asselborn and carries on into Belgium towards Houffalize, then Nadrin and finally La Roche-en-Ardenne. Of its 106 km, about 50 are in Luxembourg. It’s a way to see the Belgian Ardennes without separating them from the Luxembourg ones, which are, after all, the same upland.

If what you’re after is day trips that start and finish in the capital, within the country or beyond, they’re ranked in day trips from Luxembourg.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Luxembourg and pick one that fits your day.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Luxembourg before you arrive rather than at the desk.

If you still need a way in, check the best ticket deals to Luxembourg from where you are.