I always wanted to visit Luxembourg, but it was not easy to plan for it since it is not really on the way to anywhere. With the new dynamic pricing for flights on the Lufthansa group with Miles and More, I was able to get a great deal by flying in and out for a day at the end of a work visit to Spain. I started my day very early with a flight from Barcelona to Zurich and the connecting onwards to Luxembourg.
Luxembourg has free public transport, not just in the city but in the whole country, for residents and visitors. This was a first for me. I took bus Line 6 from the airport to city center stop Hamilius.
I was quite cold when I reached, but the day was expected to get warmer. So, optimistically, I carried on. I first visited the Place d’Armes and saw The Old City Kiosque and Monument of Dicks and Lentz.
Walking further, I saw the Monument of Remembrance and Gëlle Fra. This granite obelisk and war memorial, nicknamed “Golden Lady” for its gilded statue of a woman on top, was a national monument to remember the Luxembourg war heroes who fell in the French battlefields.
Cathedral Notre-Dame of Luxembourg was my next stop. This Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance-style Catholic cathedral with an impressive interior was originally a Jesuit church.
I walked back to the Place Guillaume II - Knuedler and saw the monument for Grand Duke William II. I also visited the City Tourist Office. They had paid guided walking tours, but the one that afternoon was in German, so they gave me a map and told me how I could see most of the places covered on my own.
I started off towards the Palais Grand-Ducal located in the center of the old town, and saw the guard ceremony at noon.
Everything I had seen so far was part of Ville Haute, the medieval old town on high ground. I walked along the Chemin de la Corniche, also called “the most beautiful balcony of Europe,” overlooking Ville Basse, in the gorge created by the river.
Walking to the Justice quarter, I saw Parquet du Tribunal d’arrondissement de Luxembourg and Parc Saint-Esprit (corrected from Parcare). And then Fontaine aux Colombes and Justice de Paix de Luxembourg.
Then I took the Ascenseur Élevateur Plateau St. Esprit Grund to the valley. This was free for the public to use and was large enough to accomodate people and a couple of bicycles.
I walked around Grund, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this was a different perspective to view the places I had seen from Chemin de la Corniche.
I continued the pleasant walk along the Alzette, and it didn’t feel like I was in the middle of a big city.
After taking the elevator back up, I walked by the Stelle Souvenir du Corps de la Garde Grand-Ducale and Gefallenendenkmal Zweiter Weltkrieg. I also saw Bourbon-Platte across the Pétrusse valley and the Pont Adolphe, which had the biggest stone arch in the world when it was built.
The Nation Square Observation Deck had a huge flag, which was an impressive sight.
At first Luxembourg seemed like any other Western European city, with an old town center and cathedral etc. But what made it really different was its unique topography; A city built on different levels with valleys, cliffs, and panoramic viewpoints. I am glad I finally had a chance to visit and I wondered why this was not as popular as other places nearby like Brussels, etc.
I started back towards the airport and this time I decided to take the tram (since I had already taken the bus from the airport in the morning).
I had my mobile boarding passes, so I went through the security check to the departure area. Something very interesting at Luxembourg airport was the stationary cycles to generate power to charge your devices. I went to the Luxair Lounge for a late lunch and spent some time relaxing there before the flight.
I was flying on Swiss to Zurich and then onward to Malaga. I visited the Aspire Lounge for a quick dinner during the transfer at Zurich.
I reached Malaga a little after midnight and despite running through the airport to exit, I just missed the second-last train because after multiple attempts at the ticket vending machine, I was not able to buy the ticket. Eventually, I was able to tap my credit card and pass through the turnstile, but I heard the train depart before I could reach the platform. There was only one other person there along with me, but some more people also showed up as we waited for the last Cercanías Málaga C1 train from Málaga-Aeropuerto to the city center.
The train ride was quick, and after reaching Málaga-Centro Alameda, I walked across the bridge and reached the Literal Hostel where I would be staying the night.
🍽️ Sala VIP Pau Casals
✈️ Swiss 1951
✈️ Swiss 750
🚍 Luxembourg City Bus
🚊 Luxembourg City Tram
🍽️ Luxair Lounge
✈️ Swiss 759
🍽️ Aspire Lounge
✈️ Swiss 2120
🛏️ Literal Hostel