Side Trip: Luxembourg - Luxembourg City

I'm about 3 months behind at finishing my three-part "Side Trip: Luxembourg" series. Whoops. I've been a little sidetracked; with a couple months of back-to-back deadlines, the holidays, and a bit of the winter blues, I seemed to let the most important part of my trip to Luxembourg slip right through the cracks.

This is the 3rd and final component in my Luxembourg travels, which covers the capital of this perplexing and enchanted country, Luxembourg City. And it's a long one. Better late than never, right?

After our 2 day stay in Vianden, and our day trip to Echternach, my dad and I spent the remainder of our Luxembourg journey in the country's capital, Luxembourg City. Living here for a summer when he was (roughly) my age, it had been 40+ years since my dad had been back. I could tell he was excited as ever. I've heard countless stories of how he lived above a bar, coming home from work with a baguette tucked underneath his arm and a string of sausages flung over his shoulder... How he navigated his way down treacherous basement openings delivering armfuls of Coca-Cola, the stair treads almost completely worn away from decades of use. The thing I loved most was how he described the city, a seemingly fairytale description that you had to see to believe.

River-cut gorges and food lover's dream gardens...

Streets so narrow you could stand in the middle and touch the buildings on either side.

Buildings that looked like castles, and castles that looked like, well, castles... stone bridges spanning the valley... and some of the most breathtaking views imaginable.

He wasn't exaggerating.

The easiest way to get to Luxembourg City from Paris is by train. With the lightning fast speed of the TGV, you can make it in under 2 1/2 hours. The train station drops you in the center of the city, where you can easily get your bearings and start exploring.

Know before you go: Luxembourg City is a town on two levels. Be prepared to do some serious up and down hiking. I am 26, and have never felt pain in my knees (going downhill, mind you) like I did on that trip. Comfy shoes (and stretching) are a must.

We stayed at the Hostelling International Youth Hostel, which is located in the Pfaffenthal/Clausen quarter of the city. Having a very positive experience with the HI Youth Hostel in Vianden, we thought we would give the Lux City hostel a shot. Getting to the hostel from the train station can be achieved (inexpensively) in one of two ways; by bus or by foot. Going to the hostel is easy on foot, as it is all downhill. You can get a city map from the information office at the train station to make sure you don't get lost along the way. Coming back though, I would 100% recommend taking the bus. Trudging uphill with heavy luggage and a deadline to catch the train can make for an uncomfortably sweaty ride back home.

The hostel was warm and welcoming. Fully equipped, this place has a bar, restaurant, free wi-fi, ping-pong tables, free breakfast, and very helpful staff. For the money and the ambiance, it is worth the tiresome morning hikes up to the Ville-Haute (high-city). After a full day of walking we spent the early afternoons lounging outside on the deck, watching other backpackers playing ping-pong. We ended most of our nights with a cold pint of beer and some delicious grub from the hostel bar.

Here are a few of the places we went (all easily walkable, just make sure you have a map that distinguishes the different levels of the city):

MUDAM (Musée d'art moderne Grand-Duc Jean) - Located in the Kirchberg quarter in the north-east, the modern art museum sits high upon a plateau overlooking the city. The modern building, designed by I.M. Pei (the architect who designed the Pyramids at the Louvre) is intertwined with historical Fort Thüngen. It is a beautiful contrast between old and new, stone and metal.

From the interior, the building itself is almost more impressive than the art collection. The stone-relief handrails were pretty freakin' sexy (if I do say so myself), and the windows seemed to be placed in such a way that you would think they were framing a piece of art.

Place Guillaume II -  The town square in the heart of the Ville-Haute quarter. The center of town, and where you can find good shopping, the tourist information office, and really clean public restrooms!

Palais Grand-Ducal (Grand-Ducal Palace) - The official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and a pretty impressive building. Also located in the Ville-Haute quarter, it's amusing to watch the tourists taking pictures with the on-duty Palace Guard, making his rounds and never once cracking a smile.

The Grund - Literally translated, "The Ground", this quarter of the city is quite a romantic area of town. Ivy-coated houses line the river's edge as it winds through the lower level of the city. It's a great place to spend the day weaving through the narrow streets and picturesque parks. I also heard there's some great nightlife once the sun goes down.

A few of the things we wanted to do were closed for the cooler months, like walking through the casements, a network of underground tunnels spanning 23 kilometers throughout the city. What we did get to see was wonderful, and with the lack of tourists, made walking through the other parts of town much more enjoyable.

Side Trip: Luxembourg - Echternach

I am definitely returning to this place during the summer. 

 

We had a little luck with the rain on our second day in Luxembourg, and instead of seeing more of Vianden (there wasn't much more to see that we hadn't seen already), we decided to take a day trip to Echternach, the oldest town in Luxembourg. Good thing we did. This place is gorgeous.

 

To get to Echternach from Vianden, you have to take a bus (if you don't have a car). Your best bet is to go to the tourist information office to get the bus routes and schedules. It's a little tricky; you have to take a bus from Vianden going towards Diekirsch/Ettelbruck, get off at the roundabout at Bleesbrück (that's the tricky part... just ask the bus driver to tell you when to get off), cross the street and take the bus going towards Echternach. We didn't have too many problems getting there, and trust me, it's worth it. 

The next time I come to Luxembourg I will make Echternach my base-camp. There is a very highly rated Hostelling International Youth Hostel there (like in Vianden), but there were no availabilities for the dates we wanted. Bummer. There are also plenty of campsites, perfect for the warmer months.

Like I said before, this place is gorgeous. It's a small but vibrant town on the border of Luxembourg and Germany. Just cross the river (like we did), and BAM!! you're in Germany. 

There are a lot of adventure-seeking outdoorsy things to do here: hiking, camping, canoeing... etc. Unfortunately, we didn't get to do any of these things since it was so cold, but I put it on my list of things to do when I come back. Since we only had a day, we strolled around the town and visited some of the must-see things in the city via foot. 

The end of the bus line drops you off at the Echternach bus station, which is right in the center of town. From there we began our walk through the city, passing the postcard-filled shops and English-menu restaurants and cafés and making our way to the town square.

  

It was pretty quiet in the morning, as the clouds were still hiding the sun, and the ground was still wet and cold. But by lunch the benches were almost dry, and we enjoyed our lunch in the sun with the rest of the town. 

We stumbled upon a small sculpture exhibition in the town square where I almost spent 750 Euros on a really amazing art piece (still wish I did, but luckily I have the artists e-mail address). If you know me and how much I love contrasting colors/textures/materials, you would understand why I almost bought the piece. 

Luckily we got out of there before I could do any damage.

We walked around the gardens of the Abbey of Echternach, founded in 698 by St. Willibrord, who is buried in the Basilica nearby. This to me was the most beautiful part of our day trip. It is set along the river with tree-lined pathways and manicured gardens that would make you think you were in a painting. If you want to experience how beautiful this place can be, come in the fall. I have never seen so many different colors of changing leaves. The pictures don't even do it justice.

We made our way to the Basilica of Echternach, and weaved our way in and out of the little streets until it was time to go back.

It was a quick side trip, but definitely worth the effort. A must-see on all accounts.

Side Trip: Luxembourg - Vianden

My dad flew back to the States yesterday. It was a teary-eyed goodbye; I truly had a great time with him. We laughed, we cooked, we ate and drank (I drank a little too much a couple of times), but as we all know (and loathe), a vacation is just that... a vacation, and now we have to get back to the daily grind. For me, I'll be spending some well deserved time with my dear little blog which I have neglected so... 

... and I have tons of stuff to write about.

I'm going to diverge from the food themed posts for the moment and go with a few more travel-related posts. Since my dad was staying for a month, we planned to take a few side trips from Paris so that he (and I) could experience more than just the fabulous French life. We wanted to go to Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Belgium, London... places you can easily get to by bus/train/plane. Of course, just as I predicted... halfway through his visit I was summoned to do some freelance work. So, we didn't get to see all of the places on our list, but the few we did see, were memorable nonetheless.

Our first side trip was to Luxembourg. When my dad was about my age (actually a few years younger), he lived in Luxembourg City for a summer working for Coca-Cola. It had been over 40 years since he'd been back, and since I'm currently doing a similar "move across the ocean to a foreign country" thing, I wanted nothing more than to see the country from which I've heard so many stories.

Luxembourg is a peculiar city. With Germany, France, and Belgium bordering Luxembourg, you're left with a country that officially and simultaneously speaks three different languages; French, German, and Luxembourgish. I've never been to a country where you have to ask what language the person speaks before actually speaking to them (you have to ask in about 3 different languages too). Luckily, with my dad's amount of German, and my amount of broken French, we were able to get by without many problems... and most people spoke enough English to help us if we got into a real bind.

If you can brave the cold weather, autumn is a perfect time to go to Luxembourg. For me, growing up in Florida meant you didn't experience seasons. It's just HOT. I didn't even know people had "seasonal wardrobes." You don't see the leaves changing from green to yellow to red. It's different in Luxembourg. It is absolutely breathtaking in the fall... and the best part about it; there aren't as many tourists.

 

In Florida, you also don't experience the uphills and downhills that seem to be the norm in Luxembourg. Florida is pancake-flat. A daily morning stretch and a month long training on a stair climber pre-trip, and you'll be ready to tackle Luxembourg.

We spent the first 2 days in Vianden, a small town in the Our valley of north-eastern Luxembourg. Overlooking the city, Vianden Castle is the main attraction of this fairytale-esque town, and attracts floods of tourists during the warmer seasons. Being that it was mid-November and quite chilly while we were there, the streets and shops were almost completely empty. 

We stayed at the Hostelling International Youth Hostel, which by far has the best view and price for the backpacking traveler. It is located at the top of Vianden near the castle, making it the perfect hub for castle go-ers. The bus into town drops you off at the bottom of Vianden, near the river, so prepare yourself for a 20 minute uphill hike if you don't have a car.

It is one of the cleanest and safest hostels I have ever stayed in, with the only downside being that they have lock-out/in hours (10am-5pm/10pm-8am). Well, and that it's at the top of a hill. So, if you plan to get to Vianden in the morning, be sure that you pack light, otherwise you will be carrying your luggage or backpacks (like we did) until they open at 5pm.

If you have the opportunity to choose your room, ask for room #1.2, which has the most perfect view of the castle. I bet the people staying at the 100+ Euro per night hotels can't even see the castle.

If you're staying for more than one night, bring a lock and store everything in the lockers provided before you leave in the morning. I left my towel hanging on the edge of my bunk bed, and when I got back that evening, it was nowhere to be found. The staff was nice enough to look in their lost and found and laundry bins, and when they still couldn't find it, offered me a fresh towel.

We visited the castle and walked around the town, but unfortunately it was rainy and cold during the 2 days we were there, so we didn't get to do any hiking or walking through the forest, which is a big attraction here. 

We did however, eat our hearts out. Breakfast at the hostel (which is included) consisted of football-sized slices of German bread with an array of meats and cheeses. Taking after my dad, I made an extra sandwich to take with me for lunch. We splurged a little for our dinners, and after asking the receptionist at the hostel for a good restaurant, we found ourselves at Café du Pont, a charming restaurant overlooking the Our river. 

*You can't miss it, it's right next to the main bridge that crosses the river and the name of the restaurant is painted on the side of the building.

I had the most tender and juicy varkenshaas a la crème (pork with mushroom cream sauce), and my dad had the truite meunière (trout dredged in flour and sautéed in butter). I didn't get a chance to take a picture, but to give you an idea of how good it was, my plate looked like it just came out of the dishwasher. Full to the brim, we very slowly walked back up the hill to the hostel where we finished the night with some Luxembourg beer.

*If you are staying in Luxembourg City, Vianden is easy to get to by train + bus, and can even be just a day trip. From Luxembourg City, take a train to Ettlebruck and then a bus from Ettlebruck to Vianden.

Being the first leg of our Luxembourg journey, I am going to pause it here. I will be splitting this up into several posts so you don't get too overwhelmed! There's a lot more to come!