Luxembourg is an excellent destination for a long weekend trip. In just three days, you can visit a lot. From Belgium and the Netherlands, it's a maximum of 3 hours' drive, depending on which part of Luxembourg you visit. Despite being one of the smallest countries in Europe, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a lot to offer. The nature is extraordinarily beautiful, with Northern Luxembourg often referred to as Little Switzerland for a reason. Culturally, there is much to discover, with numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites to visit, and gastronomically, you will not be astonished too.
Additionally, every season has its charms, making the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg a year-round destination. For us, it was the ideal combination of enjoying nature, culture, and a city trip in Luxembourg City. Getting around is very easy with public transport, which is free for everyone.
What are the main attractions in a weekend Luxembourg, and why should you add the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to your bucket list?
Check the map below to find out our 4-days travel guide:
Day 1: arriving in Urspelt-Clervaux (A-B on the map) Visiting Clervaux and hiking trail CL2,
Lunch: Brasserie Koener Afternoon: visiting the castle of Vianden (C on the map)
Dinner and stay: Château d'Urspelt
Day 2: after breakfast, taking the free public transport train to Luxembourg City (D on the map) Food Tour with Sightseeing.lu and taking the old city train.
Wellness moment, dinner and stay at Château d'Urspelt
Day 3: after breakfast driving to Luxembourg (D on the map), tip make a stop on the Mullerthal trail and do a part of the famous hike.
Lunch: Hotel Légère , afternoon: visit the old and new part of Luxembourg City on a E-bike Tour
Diner: Um Plateau, stay: Meliá Hotel
Day 4: after breakfast drive to Remich, a picturesque town next to the Moselle (E on the map), visit Caves Saint Martin and do a hike in the vineyards and alongside the Moselle near Remich
Discover the beautiful nature in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and choose from numerous walking and cycling routes.
Walking is the top favorite activity when traveling to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In Northern Luxembourg, you will find the Éislek region (also known as the Luxembourg Ardennes), where you can do no less than 18 different walks around characteristic locations. Éislek was proclaimed the first quality walking area in Europe, label ‘Best of Europe – Leading Quality Trail’. The Mullerthal Trail, a 112 km walk that you can, of course, spread over several days, is also an excellent choice. The trail is well-marked, taking you through a partially untouched nature that is so breathtakingly beautiful that the region is often called Little Switzerland. More information about walking opportunities can be found here.
We chose the local CL2 walking route in Clervaux. This walk covers a route of about 7 km, but due to the elevation changes of about 170m, it takes approximately 2 hours. The walk starts in the center of Clervaux and is very well-marked throughout the route. You walk up through the surrounding forests to the abbey of Clervaux, a beautiful, well-maintained building. (Tip: nearby, you will also find very clean public toilets, the only point on the walk where you can find these). From there, you walk further towards Clervaux, where you have a beautiful view of Clervaux Castle.
Pro Tip! Wear comfortable shoes and bring enough water.
Cyclists and mountain bikers can choose from no less than 600 km of cycle paths and 700 km of mountain bike routes.
Many hotels in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are members of Bed & Bike and carry this national label to welcome cycling enthusiasts. This usually means there is an extra secure enclosed space available to safely store your bikes and/or dry equipment and clothing.
On the Visit Luxembourg website, you can find all the information (including maps) about the possibilities.
Insider Tip: There are also opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and even surfing and diving. In Éislek, you can enjoy gliding downstream, and the Moselle offers numerous water sports possibilities.
Soak in culture at one of the castles and/or visit the old town of Luxembourg City.
Do you love culture? The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a lot to offer.
The Family of Man
We hoped to visit the iconic UNESCO World Heritage photo exhibition: 'The Family of Man' at Clervaux Castle after our walk. Unfortunately, both are closed on Mondays. This famous exhibition depicts the idea that all humans are one despite different cultures. You can visit this exhibition from Wednesday to Sunday between 12-6 p.m. from March 1 to January 1, 2025. Ticket price: €6, free for children and youth up to 21 years old. With the Luxembourg Card, you can visit the exhibition for free. This card offers many benefits and discounts; you can purchase it via this link.
Vianden Castle
Many castles can be visited in Luxembourg. We chose Vianden Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (also free with the Luxembourg Card). This castle has been thoroughly restored and provides a good picture of feudal life in the Middle Ages.
On the way there, you will find many viewpoints to take beautiful photos of the castle and its stunning surroundings. Next to the castle you will find the only chairlift in Luxembourg. It takes you up to 440m, offering a panoramic view of the town, the fortress, the dam, and the Our Valley.
The Historic Center of Luxembourg City
The historic center of Luxembourg City is also on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
You have a great view of the city from the 'Corniche,' also known as 'the most beautiful balcony in Europe.' A visit to the casemates, carved into the rock formation called the "Bock," is particularly impressive. These underground passages with viewing holes carved into the rock walls are the longest in the world (about 23 km). They were built in the 17th century under Spanish rule. Thanks to these impressive fortifications, Luxembourg has earned the nickname "Gibraltar of the North."
The Grund, a beautiful green city district at the bottom of the rock formation, also invites you for a nice walk along the Alzette River.
We visited this old part of the city in two ways:
On our first day in the city, we had less favorable weather, which made us choose to take a ride on the City Train through the old town. This fun way to explore the old city is offered by sightseeing.lu . Not only did we discover the most beautiful spots in the old town this way, but we also stayed dry and received interesting explanations via the audio guide, available in seven languages. Very fun for children and people who don't like to walk up and down the steep streets of the old town. Tickets for the train can be purchased at the departure point near the entrance to the casemates (Montée de Clausen), or you can order them online via this link.
On the second day, we set out with an e-bike. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful that day! The e-bike tour is highly recommended and suitable for all ages as they use electric bikes. In one of the steep streets around the Grund, we climbed effortlessly thanks to our Turbo mode. Moreover, you can take the e-bikes in the two lifts that bring you back up from Grund. The panoramic lift offers a stunning view over the old city and the fortifications of the "Bock" rock formations.
Our guide Thierry (a Luxembourger) showed us the most beautiful spots in Luxembourg City, not only in the old city center but also in the modern district around Kirchberg. At Pfaffenthal, we took the lift and funicular, allowing us to reach Kirchberg with its modern European institutions without any extra effort. The bikes are of excellent quality and offer great comfort. You can reserve this e-bike tour here.
Enjoy Luxembourg's Gastronomy, a Paradise for Foodies
The relatively small Grand Duchy of Luxembourg boasts no less than 9 restaurants with at least one Michelin star. Besides, you will find numerous great dining options like cozy bistros, trendy eateries, and delicious patisseries, such as 'Boutique Léa Linster delicatessen.' You must try the freshly baked madeleines here!
Insider Tip: If you choose the e-bike tour, you get a freshly baked madeleine, and you can choose between vanilla or chocolate.
Léa Linster is a well-known figure in Luxembourg's gastronomy. Her famous restaurant Frisange, about 20 km outside the city, earned its first Michelin star in 1987. Since 2017, Louis Linster has taken over, making him the youngest Michelin-star chef in Luxembourg.
Would you like to taste typical Luxembourgish food? Book a Food Tour!
Since culinary enjoyment and tasting local cuisine are essential parts of a trip for us, we decided to book a food tour through Sightseeing.lu.
While exploring the different neighborhoods of Luxembourg City, you are offered several typical Luxembourgish dishes. All these places are excellent for having a great lunch in Luxembourg.
You start at Patisserie Hoffmann, where you can taste the Rieslingspaschtéit, a pastry filled with pâté of white Riesling wine, a local delicacy.
Next, you taste fine local ham that has been dried for no less than 9 months at Brasserie Guillaume. Accompanied by a delicious glass of crémant or Riesling wine, produced by the renowned Luxembourg winery 'Domaine Alice Hartmann,' and homemade bread. What a perfect combination!
At Kaempff-Kohler, one of the best-known patisseries and delicatessen shops in Luxembourg (founded in 1922), you can taste a delicious quiche Lorraine.
You will taste artisanal chocolate at Genaveh, where you are served a delightful cup of hot chocolate with some homemade pralines.
The tour ends at the Luxembourg specialty restaurant Um Dierfgen, where you can taste the famous Kniddelen with Wäinzoossis in Môschterzooss.
After this culinary journey through Luxembourg City, you will be more than satisfied and have a good idea of the local specialties. The guide tells you more about the history, culture, and food traditions of Luxembourg during this culinary journey.
Featured
One of our favorite places to eat in Luxembourg City is undoubtedly Um Plateau, located near the trendy Clausen district in Grund. They serve delicious cocktails, including some unique creations like the Um Plateau spritz, which tastes particularly fresh and delicious. In the summer, dining on the outdoor terrace is a treat. Um Plateau chooses quality dishes prepared with local and seasonal products, which you can either share or opt for a traditional multi-course meal with appetizers, main courses, and/or desserts.
Discover Luxembourg Wines and Crémants along the Moselle
Did you know that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg cultivates no less than 1,300 hectares of vineyards? The region for Luxembourg wines and crémants stretches over 42 km from Schengen to Wasserbillig.
Crémants are typically produced using Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay grapes. There are 3 routes that lead you through beautiful vineyards, alternating with picturesque villages, where you can taste wines and crémants at various winegrowers along the way.
We recommend taking a bike ride along the Moselle to visit several winegrowers without driving.
We visited Domaine Caves Saint Martin, close to Remich. These wine caves were inaugurated in 1919 after being carved into the rock over a length of 1 kilometer using explosives and then manually. You can book a tour where you get all the information about the making of the different wines and crémants. You can choose from 5 different formulas, we chose the Grand Cru tour, where after the tour you can also enjoy a wine tasting consisting of 1 crémant and 1 Grand Premier Cru wine. The red wine from this winery was also very tasty.
Remich: the Pearl of the Moselle
After our visit to the Caves, we did another lovely walk in Remich. You walk through the old alleys of the town but also through the vineyards where you have beautiful views of the Moselle. Along the way you also come across numerous picnic spots. You can also make a nice day trip from Luxembourg city with a boat tour, you can book it here.
Explore the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: A Destination for Everyone!
Whether you prefer outdoor activities, love culture, or simply want to enjoy gastronomy and/or wine, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has it all. It is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway, with or without children. You can even choose to explore the country with public transport, as it is free for everyone.
For more information about where to stay in Luxembourg, check this blogpost.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links which means that purchases made through these links reward Destination Explorer a small commission without any additional charge for the purchaser.
Very interesting article!
You have reminded me what a fabulous country and gastronomy there is in a visit to Luxembourg. I love all the useful insider comments, like where to find the bathrooms on your e-bike tour. I am so glad e-bike tours are the "in" thing to do, so you can exercise and still enjoy the views! Thank you, a great post.
Luxembourg looks like a very interesting place to stay!
Very nice sumup, the names for me are also okay in French :)
Not enough names in the real language of Luxembourg. But overall informative informations nonetheless, let me correct:
Urspelt is Ischpelt (or Uerspelt in the local dialect)
Clervaux is Klierf (or Cliärref in the local dialect)
The real name of "Château d'Urspelt" is Ischpelter Schlass (or Uerspelter Schlooss in the local dialect)
Mullerthal is Mëllerdall (or Millerdall in the local dialect)
Remich is Réimech
Moselle is Musel (of Muusel in the local dialect)
Vianden is Veianen (or Veinen in the local dialect)
Our is Ur (or Urr in the local dialect)
The Bock is Bockfiels
The Alzette is Uelzecht (or Ualzicht in the local dialect)
The Montée de Clausen is Clausenerbierg
The Grund is Gronn (or Stadgronn in the local dialect)