Hotels in Kirchberg, Luxembourg's European plateau

Kirchberg is the capital’s other face. Where the Ville Haute is rock, ramparts and narrow lanes, this plateau to the north-east is glass, wide boulevards and European institutions. You reach it across the Red Bridge, 74 metres above the valley, and within minutes you’ve gone from one city to another. Staying here works for one particular kind of trip, and it’s worth knowing which before you book.

What Kirchberg is

According to the city’s own profile, 9,714 people lived here at the close of 2023, spread over 336.84 hectares, more than three times the area of the Ville Haute. It hosts the Court of Justice of the EU, the European Court of Auditors, the European Investment Bank and European Parliament services, which is why the government’s portal calls Luxembourg the third European capital, alongside Brussels and Strasbourg. The full story is in EU institutions in Luxembourg.

But Kirchberg isn’t only offices. In the Dräi Eechelen park you’ll find Mudam, the modern art museum in I. M. Pei’s building, and the Dräi Eechelen Museum inside Fort Thüngen, built in 1732. On Place de l’Europe stands Christian de Portzamparc’s Philharmonie.

Who this district suits

Three kinds of visitor get the most out of it. First, anyone here on business with the institutions or a company in the district, because everything is on foot. Anyone attending a trade fair or conference at Luxexpo, which has its own tram stop. And anyone travelling for a concert at Philharmonie Luxembourg, since walking out of a 1,500-seat hall and being in your room five minutes later has its appeal.

It also suits particular dates. The 2027 ING Night Marathon, on Saturday 8 May, is based around Kirchberg and Luxexpo, and runners will be glad to sleep near the start.

For a British business traveller the logic is even tighter. Luxair publishes direct flights between Luxembourg and London City, and from the Findel terminal the tram delivers you to a Kirchberg hotel without a taxi queue or a single fare. In and out in a day and a half is perfectly realistic.

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

And who it doesn’t

If you’ve come to see the city, it’s not where I’d stay. Luxembourg’s charm lies in the Ville Haute, the Grund, Pfaffenthal and Clausen, across the Alzette valley. You get there quickly from Kirchberg, but every outing becomes a journey, and the evening buzz, the terraces and the restaurants with views are all over there. For a first sightseeing trip, look at hotels in Luxembourg City centre first.

Getting around from Kirchberg

The tram reached Kirchberg in December 2017 and now crosses the whole district. One way it heads towards Luxexpo and, since 2 March 2025, continues to the Findel airport terminal. The other way it crosses the Red Bridge to the Étoile, Hamilius and Gare Centrale. Trams come every 3 to 8 minutes and cost nothing.

My favourite link, though, is the Luxembourg funicular. It joins the Red Bridge tram stop with Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg railway station, dropping 40 metres in 63 seconds. From the bottom, the panoramic lift takes you up to the Ville Haute in 30 seconds, open from 5.45am to 1am. It’s the most entertaining way from the European plateau to the medieval old town.

That same tram line puts Kirchberg in competition with Luxembourg airport hotels. If your flight is early but you’d like dinner in town the night before, I think Kirchberg is a better compromise than sleeping by the terminal, with a direct tram to Findel and the old town a few stops away.

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

Museum evenings on your doorstep

If you’re staying here, make the most of what’s next door. Mudam opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, until 9pm on Wednesdays, and is free on Wednesdays after 6pm. At the Dräi Eechelen Museum, some 600 pieces trace the fortress’s history; tickets are €7, or €12 if bought together with the Nationalmusée. And the Europa Experience, on how the EU works, is free Monday to Saturday, with ID.

With those three, a free afternoon after a meeting fills itself. And if you’ve a spare morning, walk across the bridge; the views of the valley from the red deck are worth the stroll.

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.