Luxembourg City

The Grand Duchy’s capital contrasts its old
charms with modern developments

Luxembourg City, the Luxembourgs’s diminutive capital, is a marvelously contrasting mix of the old and the new. The old part of town runs along a deep valley beneath brooding casemates, while the more modern part of town crowns steep cliffs overlooking the old. The city is the headquarters of the European Court of Justice and of the European Investment Bank, and is one of the three seats of the European Parliament (along with Brussels and Strasbourg). Despite the many banks and the Euro-office towers, Luxembourg City has retained plenty of small-scale, provincial ambience.

The heart of Luxembourg City revolves around two main squares in the Old Town. The small place d'Armes was once a parade ground, and this is where travelers find sidewalk cafes and band concerts during summer months. The larger place Guillaume II is the setting for the Town Hall, the city tourist office, and morning markets on Wednesday and Saturday during the summer.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.