The bridges of Luxembourg, a city stitched across two valleys

You can’t understand Luxembourg City without its valleys, and you can’t understand the valleys without the bridges. The Alzette and the Pétrusse have cut through the rock and left the capital spread across plateaus and valley floors, and every era found its own way to stitch them together. The government portal counts 1,271 bridges and footbridges across the country. In the capital, only a handful deserve a detour, and here they are with my scores, from the record-breaking arch to the newest footbridge.

The big three

Adolphe Bridge, built 1900-1903, is the emblem. Its double arch of Luxembourg stone, spanning 85 metres and standing 42 metres above the Pétrusse, had no equal anywhere when it was completed. Since the 2014-2017 renovation, a 154-metre cycle bridge hangs beneath it which, according to the government, is the first suspended in this way under a bridge.

A few steps away over the same valley stands the Passerelle, the 1859-1861 viaduct, 290 metres long with 24 arches. It’s the old bridge, and it hides the best detail of all, a bend in the middle designed so it couldn’t be raked by cannon fire in a straight line from the Plateau du Saint-Esprit.

The third is the Red Bridge, the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge of 1966. It’s 355 metres long and crosses the Alzette valley and Pfaffenthal 74 metres up to link the centre with Kirchberg. It was built so Luxembourg could make its case as a seat of the European institutions, and today the tram runs over it.

Bridges of the fortress

The fortified city left its own bridges, smaller and often prettier. The Castle Bridge, from 1735 and built in red sandstone, replaced a wooden drawbridge between the upper town and the Bock rock. It has something unique, as you can cross it on three levels, over the roadway, by a spiral staircase inside a lower arch, or underneath through the Bock Casemates. It was fully restored in the early 1990s.

In Pfaffenthal, the three-arched Béinchen has joined the two Vauban towers since 1684-1685. And next to Neumünster Abbey, the Stierchen Bridge, from the mid-15th century, formed part of the Wenceslas Wall; its upper level, once a sentry walk, was rebuilt in 1983. Both make more sense as part of the Luxembourg fortress.

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The Grund bridge and the viaducts

The rue Münster bridge links the two banks of the Grund and offers the best view of Neumünster. From May to October, on the first Sunday of every month, it hosts the Konscht am Gronn art market.

Then there are the four stone railway viaducts over the Alzette, the work of the British firm Waring Brothers. The Pfaffenthal viaduct, at 260 metres, is the longest; the Pulvermühl viaduct, also known as the Biisser Bréck because it crosses the Biisserwee, is 242; Clausen is 208; and Dräi Eechelen, the shortest, is 72. They look best from below, walking along the valley.

The newest

The Passerelle des Arts, opened in 2024, links Avenue J. F. Kennedy, near the Red Bridge, with Trois Glands Park by Mudam. It’s made of mirror-polished stainless steel, designed by Marc Mimram and Fabeck architectes, and rests on only three supports to disturb the woodland as little as possible. Its lighting is designed not to disturb wildlife at night. For visitors it doubles as a handy shortcut on foot from the Red Bridge end of Kirchberg to Mudam and the fort.

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How can you see Luxembourg’s bridges in a day?

Here’s my route. In the morning, drop into the Pétrusse valley from the Ville Haute and take in Adolphe Bridge and the Passerelle from the park, then climb back up across the Passerelle and follow the Corniche to the Castle Bridge. In the afternoon, head down to the Grund for the Stierchen and the rue Münster bridge, follow the river to Pfaffenthal and the Béinchen, and finish looking up at the Red Bridge before riding the panoramic lift back up. All on foot and all free, with the public lifts for the hills. If it rains, the T1 tram crosses both Adolphe Bridge and the Red Bridge, so you can see them from the window and save the valley walk for a drier day.

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