Luxembourg

Luxembourg, a Grand Duchy between Belgium, France and Germany is one of Europe’s smallest countries. Luxembourg City, compact and walkable, stands on cliffs above the Alzette and Pétrusse valleys, and its old quarters and former fortress are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors walk the Bock casemates, tunnels cut into the rock, follow the Chemin de la Corniche down to the Grund quarter, and see the Grand Ducal Palace and the cathedral. On the Kirchberg plateau, modern architecture frames the Philharmonie and the Mudam art museum, and the restaurant scene is remarkably strong.

Distances are short, so day trips are easy. Vineyards line the Moselle valley, known for white wines and crémant, and Mondorf-les-Bains is a thermal spa town. In the Müllerthal, ‘Little Switzerland’, a hiking trail winds through sandstone gorges and woods around Echternach. In the northern Éislek, the Ardennes uplands, Vianden Castle rises above the Our, Clervaux sits in a wooded valley and the Upper Sûre lake is good for swimming and boating.

Three languages are in daily use – Luxembourgish, French and German – and public transport is free nationwide. Summers are usually mild, winters cool and damp. The country suits city-break and culture lovers, food and wine lovers, couples, hikers and cyclists, and makes a fine stop on a Benelux, Moselle or Rhine journey.