Where Luxembourg is and who its neighbours are

Luxembourg is one of those countries everyone has heard of and few could point to on a map. It sits in the middle of western Europe, squeezed between Belgium, Germany and France, and that position explains almost everything about it. Its history, its three languages and the fact that more than two hundred thousand people cross in from neighbouring countries to work every day.

Between Belgium, Germany and France

The country borders three states and has 356 km of frontier. The longest stretch is with Belgium, 148 km, wrapping round the west and north opposite the provinces of Luxembourg and Liège. To the east is Germany, with 135 km, facing Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and to the south France, with 73 km, facing the Moselle and Meurthe-et-Moselle departments. There’s no sea.

Much of the eastern border is drawn by rivers. The Our runs down from the north as the border with Germany, and the Moselle follows the line in the south-east between Schengen and Wasserbillig. At Schengen all three countries meet, and the spot has a story of its own. It’s where the agreement that named the border-free area was signed, as I explain in the village of Schengen.

If you’d rather see it drawn out, with relief and regions, there’s the map of Luxembourg.

What continent is Luxembourg in?

Europe, and at the very heart of the project. It’s one of the six founders of the European Communities and has been in the EU since 1 January 1958. After the war the High Authority of the ECSC set up in the city in 1952, and today the capital is, with Brussels and Strasbourg, one of the three seats of the EU institutions. The Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank are all on the Kirchberg, among bodies employing more than 14,000 people. What you can actually visit is in EU institutions in Luxembourg.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Luxembourg on Booking.com and filter by area before price.

It isn’t a Belgian province

This is the most common mix-up. Belgium has a province called Luxembourg, and it isn’t the country. The old duchy was much larger, and the Treaty of London of 19 April 1839 split it up. The western part went to Belgium and the rest stayed as the Grand Duchy we know today, with borders that haven’t changed since. I go into it in is Luxembourg a country.

What’s nearby?

From the capital, the closest of the cities the Ville de Luxembourg lists is Trier in Germany, 48 km by road. Metz, across the French border, is 60 km and Saarbrücken, back in Germany, 100. Brussels is 225 km away and Paris 370. On the TGV, Paris is 2 h 10 min by direct train to the Gare de l’Est. Boats also sail the Moselle, reaching Trier, Bernkastel or Saarburg on the German side and Thionville on the French.

You feel that closeness in the numbers as well as on the map. According to STATEC, around 237,200 cross-border workers came in each day in 2025, most of them from France (124,900), then Germany (53,400) and Belgium (51,900).

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Luxembourg on Expedia and filter by area before price.

A border you can hear

The location shows in how people speak, too. Luxembourgish is the national language, but French and German, the languages of the two big neighbours, are also administrative languages, and laws are drafted in French. An official survey in 2018 found that 98% of residents spoke French and 78% German. In practice, visitors meet French in shops and restaurants, German in many newspapers and Luxembourgish on the radio. How to get by in each, see what language do they speak in Luxembourg.

And from the UK?

From the central station to Findel airport is 10 km, and the tram has reached the terminal since March 2025. For flights from home, Luxair lists a direct London City service, and the airport’s airline list includes British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair; which UK airports each one serves this season I couldn’t pin down. Arriving from Britain means entering the Schengen area. The Foreign Office sets two passport conditions, issued within the last ten years and valid for three more months beyond your departure, and the EU’s Entry/Exit System will record you. Every option, by rail or air, is in how to get to 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.