# LUXEMBOURG 2022 – Nightsky's visit to one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals and smallest countries



## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

LUXEMBOURG 2022

In the 1980s I went to Germany with my parents. When we were in Wiesbaden, a Mercedes crashed into our Volvo, causing minor damage on the car. That made my parents cancel the daytrip to Luxembourg. And I never had the opportunity to visit Luxembourg, until in July 2022. The reason was the 9 euro ticket, with which I was able to travel for free by train from Rostock, to Hannover, Cologne and further to Trier, were I found out that it is just on the border to Luxembourg. And the bus to Luxembourg was free too, so was all public transport within the country! This small country is amazing and people are really friendly. Most people live in the capital, Luxembourg City. In the country several languages are spoken, French is the most widespread followed by Luxembourgish (this is the national language but French is always first) and then German and English. Portugese is the 2nd most common nationality in Luxembourg though after Luxembourgers (50%).

There are many old romantic buildings like churches and castels, and ravines lead down to parks. The Old Town (Ville-Haute), that is the city center, is right above the Lower Town (Grund District), where I stayed at the city’s only hostel in the part called Pfaffenthal. High above the hostel was two bridges, one historic with arch, and one very modern - Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte. In Grund, the lower part is also the Neimënster Abbey and the Church of St John in Grund. The river Alzette divides the upper part from the lower part.

Gare is the station area that is more flat and reminds of Paris. Kirchberg is a modern area with tall highrises. A funiculare leads up to it. To reach the Old Town, you can take a glass elevator. In the Old Town is the Nôtre-Dame, Michaelskirche, Place d’Armes and Place Guillaume II (unfortunately closed for reconstruction during my visit). It is very beautiful and has many nice pedestrian streets with upscale stores and restaurants. Far beneath the Old Town there are stunning beautiful valleys with parks, like Parcs de la Pétrusse! High above the parks there are beautiful bridges, like La Passerelle and Pont Adolphe, that feature scenery with views over the city. In Luxembourg there are so many viewing points with breathtaking views of large parts of the city, from different angles. During my one and a half day long trip to Luxembourg, that was between my visit to Bonn/Trier and Koblenz, it was extremely hot, 37 degrees, and all the hills in the city made it somewhat a challenge to visit! The country of Luxembourg borders both Germany, France and Belgium, all less then an hour away from the capital, but it feels very different from Germany that I recently visited, and feels closer to France, both in culture and architecture.










https://www.worldtravelimages.net/Luxembourg.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*Arrival at the Station (Gare) with bus from Trier in the early evening:


























*
The trams are very modern and free, just like the buses and trains in Luxembourg!









Waiting for the train to Pfaffenthal in the lower part, where my hostel was. The train was also free!


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

I thought about taking the funiculare upwards but it is the wrong way, they lead to the Kirchberg business district.
This family was very friendly and tried to help me find the way.









Walking along the river Alzette, towards the hostel









When I saw this glass elevator that goes up to the city center, I couldn't resist the urge to take a ride up and down before walking further!














































This glass platform is hanging out above the city! The elevator leads from Pfaffenthal in the lower part to the city center in the upper part.









Luxembourg is small scale and the city, except for the station area, is very safe after dark.


















This historic train viaduct was just above the hostel, very dramatic!









The view from the window! See you the next day.


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## _Night City Dream_ (Jan 3, 2008)

Great pictures! Keep on~


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*PFAFFELTHAL - heading towards Kirchberg;*


















New day! This was the view from my room of the Pfaffenthal valley district, part of Luxembourg City.









The hostel building and the bridge


















Pfaffenthal elevator and viewing platform at day!



























Elevator up to the funiculare










Grande-Duchesse Charlotte from above










Funiculare to the top, where Kirchberg business district is




























Now on top of the plateau, the last part I took the tram to the Kirchberg business district. It is high, though it looks flat.
The trams in Luxembourg are both efficient, super modern, colourful and free to use for anyone! In the next one I will show you more of the business district.

Luxembourg - Kirchberg, Philharmonie, Cour de Justice, European Court of Justice, Infinity Shopping, skyline


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*KIRCHBERG (CBD):

Kirchberg* is a modern business district (CBD) with tall highrises and many other futuristic buildings, situated on a plateau in Northeasst Luxembourg City, overlooking the Old Town. You can reach it by tram via the high *Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge*, or take the funiculare from Pfaffenthal. In Kirchberg, that is divided in to with the* Avenue John F. Kennedy*, you find several EU institutions. *Cour de Justice (European Court of Justice)* have their headquarters in three skyscrapers, that are Luxembourg's tallest buidlings; two golden towers were built in 2008 and the tallest, tower III, is black and was built in 2019 (118m tall, 31 floors). Most highrises in the area were built in the 2000s, and it's skyline can be seen from viewpoint of the old tower. However, the buildings look shorter from afar.

Here you also find the* Philharmonie Luxembourg* (a futuristic concert hall that opened in 2005) and the *MUDAM *(modern art museum designed by IM Pei, built 2006), that is right next to the historical *Fort Thüngen* from 1733.












































Cour du Justice III, Luxembourg's tallest building










Infintiy Shopping Center


















Japanese style, Infinity Shopping
































































Hotel Sofitel









Kirchberg skyline looks lower from afar. It is hard to believe that the black building in the background is the tallest one.









Luxembourg Philharmonie




























World Travel Imags - Luxembourg Kirchberg


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*VILLE-HAUTE (UPPER TOWN):*

The *Old Quarter *is an UNESCO site with *Ville-Haute (Upper Town)*, that is the city center where most sights are. In Ville-Haute you also find *St Michael's Church *(*Michaelskirche*), a baroque/romanesque roman catholic church, that stands on Luxembourg's oldest religious site in* the Fishmarket. *The main squares of Upper Town are *Place d’Armes* (a square with open air restaurants, markets and the *Cercle *Municipial bldg) and *Place Guillaume II* (unfortunately closed for reconstruction during my visit), the grand square where the* Hôtel de Ville (City Hall)* is. This part of the city is very beautiful and has many nice pedestrian streets with upscale stores and restaurants, the main one is *Grand-Rue*. In one end is a branch of the French departmetn store chain *Galeries Lafayette*, in a very modern yellow glass building. Many buildings are grandiose and reminds of the architecture in large French cities. *Palais Grand-Ducal* (Grand Ducal Palace) is a beautiful renaissance building from 1572 that is the official residence of the _Grand Duke of Luxembourg._ Far beneath the Old Town there are stunning beautiful valleys with parks,High above the parks there are beautiful bridges, like *La Passerelle* and *Pont Adolphe,* that feature scenery with views over the city. In Luxembourg there are so many viewing points with breathtaking views of large parts of the city, from different angles.













































Jewish Monument


















Nôtre-Dame





































Nôtre-Dame









Trinity Church










Galeries Lafayette


















Grand Rue















































Grand Rue, the main pedestrian steet, has beautiful architecture.

World Travel Images - Luxembourg Upper Town Ville-Haute


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*MORE FROM LUXEMBOURG'S UPPER TOWN:*









Michaelskirche


















Palais du Justice









Place Guillaume II, unfortunately this main square was closed for reconstruction. Here with Nôtre-Dame and Hôtel de Ville



















Palais Grand Ducal


















Place d'Armes








Square Jan Palach


















Rue Chimay



























Palais Grand Ducal

World Travel Images - Luxembourg, Lëtzebuerg


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

All above from Place de la Constitution

World Travel Images - Luxembourg, Lëtzebuerg


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*VIEWS FROM UPPER TOWN (VILLE-HAUTE):



























































































Luxembourg - Pont Adolphe, La Passerelle, Parc de la Pétrusse, The Casemates de la Pétrusse, Bd d'Avranches, Pont Adolphe, La Passerelle, Parc de la Pétrusse, The Casemates de la Pétrusse, Bd d'Avranches*


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