Pétrusse Valley, the park you see from every bridge

Nearly every photo of Luxembourg City has the same backdrop, a deep green gorge with a stone bridge across it. That’s the Pétrusse Valley, the park that divides Luxembourg old town from the Gare district and gives the city its shape. The City describes it by two features, its rock faces, which carry on from the fortifications, and its greenery. I’d add a third. It’s the only place from which you see the bridges whole.

A river that is a river again

Along the bottom runs the Pétrusse, a 12.8 km stream that rises in Dippach forest and joins the Alzette in the Grund, near rue Saint-Ulric. In the 1930s it was squeezed into a concrete channel, and that is how it stayed for nearly a century.

Since 2020 the city has been undoing that. Phase 1, completed in 2024, stripped out the concrete, let the water meander between natural stone banks and planted vegetation that has already grown fast. According to the City, the water now flows more slowly and the flood risk has fallen. In 2025 the valley was also one of the venues of LUGA, the urban garden exhibition.

Phase 2 runs from the former Bourbon Lock to rue d’Anvers. It started in spring 2025, with two and a half years of works planned and a budget of around €15 million, including four new bridges, a sports pitch and new paths. While it lasts, the riverside paths on that stretch are closed to walkers and cyclists. I wouldn’t skip the valley because of it, but I would plan my walk around the other half.

What to see from below

First, the two bridges. The Adolphe Bridge, finished in 1903, crosses the valley 42 m up on an 85 m stone arch, and the Passerelle, the viaduct of 1861, strides over it on 24 arches towards the Gare. Seen from the valley floor, you understand why UNESCO counts the city among Europe’s great fortified sites until 1867.

Then the fortress. From the paths you can see the bastions and walls that form part of the UNESCO site, and under Place de la Constitution lie the Pétrusse Casemates, which you can only visit with a guide. Near the Grund is Saint-Quirin chapel, partly carved into the rock, with a Gothic façade from 1355. It’s one of the oldest corners of the city and one of the least sought out.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Luxemburgo for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

A park for more than strolling

The valley has a life of its own beyond the views. There’s a 3,500 m² skatepark hemmed in by Vauban’s ramparts, with a 600 m² bowl and tiered seating for spectators. There’s mini golf, two outdoor gyms for over-12s, one by rue d’Anvers and one at the Grund entrance, and several playgrounds. All free. If you’re travelling as a family, I’ve grouped this with other ideas under Luxembourg with kids.

Skatepark Péitruss and Saint-Quirin chapel

In Luxembourgish the river is the Péitruss, and that’s the name most skaters search for. Skatepark Péitruss is designed as a public square, with seating and walkways, and the tourist office describes it piece by piece. The bowl, on a raised platform, has pool coping running for almost a kilometre and a cradle, a vertical half-sphere for tricks. The street plaza copies stairs, rails and benches, and a third classic street area adds a pyramid and curbs. It works for skateboards, rollerblades, BMX and scooters, and I’d have a look even if you don’t ride, because sitting on those terraces with the ramparts behind costs nothing and beats most viewpoints down here.

Saint-Quirin chapel (the Quirinuskapelle) is the opposite, all stillness and stone. The tourist office says a pagan shrine stood here first, and a spring rises from the rock whose water was believed to cure eye complaints. It has been dedicated to Saint Quirin since the 11th century, services were held in its two caves from the early 13th, and the Gothic pilgrimage chapel, half cut into the rock, dates from 1355. The roof and little bell turrets were added at the end of the 19th century. You’ll find it on rue Saint-Quirin.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Luxemburgo for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

When to go

The valley has no opening hours and no ticket, so the timing is up to you. Mornings are quieter and the light slants across the Adolphe Bridge. In the afternoon the skatepark and playgrounds come alive. In the rain I’d give it a miss, because the valley-floor paths and stone steps get slippery, and the fortress looks just as good from Place de la Constitution.

How I’d walk it

I’d go down the stone steps from Place de la Constitution, look up at the Adolphe Bridge from beneath and follow the valley towards the Grund, checking at each entrance which paths are open, because the stretch under works is the one heading to rue d’Anvers. At the end, the Pétrusse meets the Alzette and you’re in the lower town, with Neumünster a stone’s throw away. The city tourist office covers much the same ground on its Promenade UNESCO, which follows the old fortifications and the Pétrusse park before finishing in the old town, if you’d rather go with a guide.

The tourist office recommends autumn for the colour of the leaves and summer for the shade. In winter, it says, the valley is quiet and the views are at their clearest.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Pétrusse Valley on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Luxembourg: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

Before you fix your dates, compare tickets to Luxembourg: the same journey can cost very different amounts from one day to the next.