Luxembourg's regions and which one is for you

Luxembourg can be divided in two ways, and they’re easily confused. One is nature’s, which splits the country in half. The other is tourism’s, which shares it out among six destinations, each with its own office. For planning a trip the second one matters, but knowing the first tells you what landscape to expect.

Two natural zones, north and south

In terms of relief, Luxembourg is two countries in one. The north is the Éislek, known as Ösling in German and Ardennes in French, covering 828 km², 32% of the territory. It’s high plateau cut by steep river valleys, forest and small villages. The south is the Guttland, a name meaning good land, which covers 1,758 km², the remaining 68%, and is a gentler landscape of fields, hills and open valleys where most people live.

Six tourist destinations

The government portal and Visit Luxembourg divide the country into six destinations, each with a regional tourist office. I’ll take them in the order I’d recommend to a first-timer.

Luxembourg City is the obvious first stop, with its World Heritage old town and most of the museums. The city tourist office treats the other five regions as its surroundings, and all of them are reachable from there on free public transport.

The Mullerthal, in the east, is my favourite. Its regional office lists 14 communes, from Echternach to Larochette, Beaufort and Berdorf, and eleven of them make up the Mëllerdall geopark. It’s nicknamed Little Switzerland for its rocks and gorges, and I cover it in the Mullerthal region.

The Éislek, in the north, is castle country. Its office doesn’t publish a list of communes, but it holds the country’s two nature parks, the Our and the Upper Sûre, which account for thirteen communes, and Visit Luxembourg also places Diekirch, Ettelbruck, Bourscheid and Colmar-Berg in the Éislek. Vianden, Clervaux and Wiltz are the best-known names. It’s all in the Luxembourg Ardennes.

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Moselle, Guttland and Minett

The Moselle runs down the south-east, along the river that forms the border with Germany from Schengen to Wasserbillig. There’s no official commune list here either, but the regional office has information points in Remich, Ehnen, Grevenmacher, Mondorf-les-Bains and Schengen. It’s wine and crémant country, and STATEC counted 1,189 hectares of vineyard there in 2025; it has its own guide in the Luxembourg Moselle valley.

The tourist Guttland, in the centre and west, has the most communes, 27 according to its office, from Mersch to Steinfort and from Redange to Niederanven. Its big draw is the Valley of the Seven Castles, with Mersch, Schoenfels, Hollenfels, both Ansembourg castles, Septfontaines and Koerich. Bear in mind the tourist Guttland isn’t the same thing as the natural zone of the same name. More in Guttland Luxembourg.

The Minett, in the south, is the old iron country, the Red Lands. Its office doesn’t publish a member list, so I use the 11 communes of the UNESCO biosphere reserve, including Esch-sur-Alzette, Differdange and Dudelange. Almost a third of the population lives there, and I explain it in Minett Luxembourg.

Combining several regions

Because the country is only 82 km from north to south, you don’t need to change hotel every night. I’d sleep in the capital and head out to a different region each day by train or bus, paying nothing in standard class. On a week-long trip I would move base for a couple of nights to the north, to Vianden or Clervaux, to cut down the time in transit.

Before you set off, the city tourist office is at 30 Place Guillaume II, open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00 and on Sundays from 11:00 to 16:00, closed on 1 January and 25 December. The five regions each have their own official website with routes and events.

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

Which region should you choose?

That comes down to what you want. For hiking, the Mullerthal. For castles, the Éislek. For wine and river life, the Moselle. For industrial history and children, the Minett. I’d save the Guttland for when you’ve done the rest or have a car. And some communes, such as Bertrange, Strassen or Hesperange, don’t appear on any regional list, so don’t be surprised if they’re missing from the offices’ maps. To see how it all fits into one trip, go back to my Luxembourg travel guide.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Luxembourg 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.