Luxembourg is a tiny country in Europe, landlocked between Belgium, Germany and France. It has become known as a major finance hub, mostly due to its minimal taxes, hence the existence of a branch of every major bank from every large country. This means lots of expatriates, making for an interesting array of foreigners and a multi-culture vibe set in a haze of low taxed income. It is a dangerous combination.
But what is there to do in Luxembourg if you’re not a banker there for work? The resources out there are minimal – and we’ve linked to the best we can find below. But next time you find yourself in Lux with some time to kill, here are some great ideas that will make you wonder why you didn’t venture to Luxembourg earlier.
- Vianden Castle – Nestled at the north of the country, the town of Vianden (population 1,800) is teeny, but rising above the town is a massive, impressive castle. We took a self-guided tour of the castle, which took about 90 minutes and was an inexpensive €5. The castle is recently restored, although the original building is from the Middle Ages. It’s just so unexpected to see a huge castle in the middle of nowhere that it’s worth the hour drive from Luxembourg City.
- Go to Germany – If you’re well-versed in European wine, you may be familiar with the Mosel Valley. It’s in Germany, but the valley itself extends into Luxembourg. While vinophiles will argue that the far-reaching German properties are of a higher quality, the Luxembourgois have taken advantage of their location and make some solid vino. We went to one producer’s showroom and had a nice tour and tasted some sparkling wine on our drive around the country.
- Eat Frites – While Luxembourg has some international flair, it also has more than its fair share of various food with frites. Don’t get us wrong. Fries are our jam. But yet again, by the end of a weekend full of them, we’re craving vegetables. We did stop in a few good places for food and drink that did the job. One recommendation we received but didn’t get to try out is Am Tiirmschen. Apparently it’s amazing. It was also totally booked the night we tried to go. Apparently you have to call in advance and make a booking by talking to a human over a telephone. What is this, 1995?
- Rent a Car – We’ve mentioned it before and we’ll say it again. This country is small. Rhode Island small. We drove from the south to the north and it took about forty five minutes. But because of its diminuative size, you really can see a huge swath of the area with a single day rental car. Ours cost about €50, and we meandered around for nearly 10 hours. Ahhh, nature.
- Flash Some Cash – If you want to blow some cash on some fine dining, then Luxembourg is a great place for you. It has twelve Michelin starred restaurants, which makes it the most per capita of any city in the world. Take that Paris! Due to our poor planning, or maybe an overdose on fancy French food, we decided to skip the Michelin’s this time around. But they are more prolific than all of the recognizable chains combined in Lux City.
Online Resources for Visiting Luxembourg: A Bit of Lux, Expat Mum in Luxembourg, City Mag Luxembourg, Michelin Restaurants in Luxembourg
Drew and Julie,
I loved Luxembourg when I was there in 2000 and had a chance to see part of a hearing at the European Court of Justice. Most interesting. Loved the history of the fortress city repeatedly conquered.
C