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Tucked between Belgium, France and Germany, Luxembourg is a small yet fascinating country with plenty to offer.
Despite its modest size (2,586 km² compared to London’s 1,572 km²!), Luxembourg is one of the world’s wealthiest countries (per head), a significant financial hub, and one of three European capitals that hosts European Union institutions.
It’s hard to say what Luxembourg is known for because it’s a little under the tourist radar for us Brits, but you’ll find some beautiful landscapes, lush green forests, rolling hills, historic castles, the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Luxembourg City, a picturesque wine region, and great roads to drive!
Things to Do in Luxembourg
Unbelievably, public transport is free in Luxembourg.
You read that right – public transport is free!
From buses to trains and trams, you won’t have to worry about paying to get around on public transport.
However, we recommend driving around the country.
Not only are the roads great, but it might be relatively slow to get to some of the places listed below by public transport.
You will get by speaking English in Luxembourg, but French, Luxembourgish and German are the official languages.
When you enter some places below, you might not find any English on the information boards, but look for the English guides to help you understand what the displays say.
Explore with the Luxembourg Card
While exploring the country, we used the Luxembourg Card.
It’s similar to the London Pass, giving you access to over 70 attractions nationwide.
Everywhere with paid entry we visited, the Luxembourg Card was accepted.
Many are in Luxembourg City, and some are on this list.
You can get one, two, or three days, so if you plan to explore Luxembourg City and further afield, you can pick a length that suits you.
1 | Explore Luxembourg City
There are more things to do in Luxembourg than on this list, so we’ve reserved the rest for our post about the best things to do in Luxembourg City to keep everything in the city together in one post.
Luxembourg City is the capital of Luxembourg and one of Europe’s smallest capital cities.
To help give you some kind of scale, London is around 1,572 km², and Luxembourg City covers around 51km².
Despite its size, there are plenty of things to do, from exploring its old quarters and fortifications (which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to admiring its views (it’s built on a rocky outcrop carved out by the Alzette and the Pétrusse rivers) and exploring its many museums.
Read: Things to do in Luxembourg City
2 | Visit the Luxembourg American Cemetery
The Luxembourg American Cemetery is an impressive and immaculate memorial to 5,070 American soldiers who died during the Second World War.
Many of the soldiers buried here lost their lives in the Battle of the Bulge and in the advance to the Rhine River.
The cemetery is striking with its seemingly endless rows of white Italian marble crosses and Stars of David, which mark the graves.
The cemetery is immaculate, too, thanks to the American Battle Monuments Commission, who maintain it.
You’ll find two Medal of Honour Medal of Honour recipients in the cemetery, but the most famous resident is General Patton, leader of the U.S. 3rd Army after the Allied invasion of Normandy in France.
Patton wasn’t killed in battle but died as a result of a car crash while on his way to a hunting ground and requested to be buried alongside other soldiers of the U.S. 3rd Army.
📍 50 Val du Scheid, 2517 Hamm Luxembourg
💷 Free
🕙 Daily, 9 am–5 pm
3 | Visit the German Military Cemetery
Just 1.5km from the Luxembourg American Cemetery lies the Sandweiler German War Cemetery.
It’s the final resting place for over 10,900 German soldiers who died during the Second World War.
With towering trees and up to four names per headstone, the German cemetery is an understated site that starkly contrasts what you witness at the American Cemetery.
Despite not celebrating the German defeat, the cemetery is a sobering reminder of all the lives lost in the war, and unlike the American cemetery, which the American Battle Monuments Commission maintains, the German cemetery is maintained by volunteers and donations.
💷 Free
🕙 Open 24 hours
4 | Go Wine Tasting
The Moselle Valley is the heart of Luxembourg’s wine industry, home to over 400 wine growers and producers.
It’s a picturesque part of Luxembourg, which stretches along the Moselle River.
And where there are vineyards, there are wine-tasting opportunities!
If you know your wines, some of the wines produced in Luxembourg are Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Crémant, Elbling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Rivaner.
We visited Caves Beissel (by private appointment, thanks to family connections!), but a quick Google will show you plenty of wineries between Remich and Grevenmacher.
5 | Visit Echternach
Echternach is the oldest town in Luxembourg and one of Europe’s earliest centres of culture and Christianisation.
It’s a charming little town on the bank of the Sûre River, with Germany on the opposite side.
Echternach is also the gateway to the Müllerthal region, often called “Little Switzerland,” which we’ll discuss next.
One of the main attractions of Echternach is the Abbey of Echternach.
It was founded by Saint Willibrord from Northumberland, who established a Benedictine abbey in 698.
In the abbey’s crypt, you’ll find a magnificent white marble sarcophagus containing the remains of Saint Willibrord.
Aside from its Christian heritage, Echternach is famous for its hopping procession.
Thousands of pilgrims and spectators gather on Whit Tuesday to participate in the procession in honour of Saint Willibrord, which takes them to the saint’s tomb.
6 | Explore Vianden Castle
Vianden Castle is an impressive example of a medieval castle and undoubtedly the most visited, iconic, beautiful and well-preserved Castle in Luxembourg.
Vianden Castle was once the seat of the powerful Counts of Vianden and dates back to the 10th century.
The castle was developed between the 10th and 13th centuries, where parts were added, but what you see today is only partially original.
An interesting part of the castle’s history is that in 1820, it was sold to a citizen of Vianden at a public auction. The new owner, Wenzel Coster, began demolishing the buildings and selling the materials.
You’ll find an information centre, shop, taverna, galleries, chapel, crypt, halls and a few other things to explore inside the castle!
📍 Mnt du Château, 9408 Vianden, Luxembourg
💷 Paid entry
7 | Explore Little Switzerland
The Müllerthal region, often called Luxembourg’s “Little Switzerland,” is renowned for its landscapes and outdoor activities.
The region has dramatic rock formations, dense forests, and scenic valleys.
It’s a great place to visit if you like cycling, walking, or simply enjoy the great outdoors.
There’s a walking trail called the Müllerthal Trail, which stretches over 112 kilometres through the region.
It comprises three primary and four extra routes and takes you through the best of the region.
The Ramblers’ Association considers it one of Europe’s best trails.
The following three places on this list are in Little Switzerland, too!
8 | Explore Medieval Castle Beaufort
Castle Beaufort is a ruined medieval fortress in Beaufort, dating back to the 11th century.
It was expanded and fortified over the centuries, between 1050 and 1650, and although much of the castle remains a ruin, with floors and rooms missing, you can still enter the prison and the torture chamber.
Inside the torture chamber, you’ll find a few of the items they might have used back in the day to extract information, punish crimes, or even enforce obedience.
Next door, you’ll see the noticeably newer Rennaisance castle.
It’s over 350 years old and remains almost the same as when it was built.
General access to the castle is only to the medieval side.
The Rennaisance Castle is accessible by guided tour only and is bookable via the website below.
📍 24 Rue du Château, 6313 Beaufort, Luxembourg
💷 Paid entry
🕙 Open daily
9 | Enjoy the Views from Aquatower Berdorf
There are loads of water towers in Luxembourg, and their purpose is, of course, to store and distribute water.
You’ll usually see them on the outskirts of towns around the country.
As big architecture fans, we noticed some towers stood out as masterpieces.
Some are concrete triumphs, and others are works of art.
And one has a couple of secrets.
It’s home to an exhibition and viewing platform.
Inside the 55-metre tower, an exhibition on the 10th floor tells how Luxembourgers found and stored water, and the viewing platform on the 15th floor offers impressive views over the Mullerthal region.
The tower is still in use, storing water between the 10th and 15th floors.
Aquatower Berdorf isn’t open all year or every day, so check the website below for the latest times.
📍 106 A Rue de Consdorf, 6551 Berdorf, Luxembourg
💷 Paid entry
🕙 Check website above
10 | Explore Larochette Castle
The Larochette Castle ruins date back to the 11th century, and what is left today is primarily thanks to a fire in 1565.
Perched on a prominent mountain spur, the castle’s commanding position offers an impressive view over Larochette.
Although there isn’t much of the castle left, part of it, known as Criechinger House, has been refurbished over the years with a new roof, stairwell, floors, and renovated wall, and the space is now used for photo and art exhibitions and even small concerts.
📍 Mnt du Château, 7622 Larochette, Luxembourg
💷 Paid entry
11 | Head underground at MNM Rumelange
The National Mining Museum (Musée National des Mines, MNM) is dedicated to Luxembourg’s industrial mining history, where iron ore was once extracted from the Walert mine.
It’s a unique attraction in Luxembourg—we overlooked the country’s industrial past because its financial sector is so prevalent today.
We went on the ‘mine and train guided tour’, which involved entering the mine via the train, jumping off, and exploring the mine galleries.
Inside, we had an English audio guide (because the tour guide spoke German) which told us about the mine’s history and how it, its workers, and its equipment developed over the 70 years or so it was open.
You’ll see along the massive galleries and into huge voids created by the miners and their explosives, locomotives, wagons and other equipment and machinery dotted around, which were once used to extract the iron ore.
The spread of equipment inside is quite impressive.
It was a fascinating tour, and if anything, we’d have liked to have had even more information.
📍 Carreau de la Mine Walert, 3, 3714 Rumelange, Luxembourg
💷 Paid entry
🌍 mnm.lu
12 | Meander down the Moselle
Although we mentioned the Moselle region as the place to go wine tasting, it’s worth another mention because it offers more than just wine.
There are excellent cycling routes along the Luxembourg and German sides of the river, where you can cycle along the river and even through the vineyards on the German side.
We recommend parking at Remich and cycling to Grevenmacher and back.
It’s a 25-mile round-trip, primarily flat, picturesque, and very enjoyable.
But if cycling isn’t your thing, Remich is also worth exploring.
It’s a small town with plenty of cafes and restaurants and even has events going on.
It’s also home to boats that take you on a river cruise.
If you do nothing else, drive to Remich and follow the road alongside the river northbound to Grevenmacher—you won’t regret it!
It’s a beautiful drive where you can admire the vineyards and landscape from the comfort of your car.
Things to do in Luxembourg Map
Here’s a map of all the places listed in our things to do in Luxembourg to help you plan and navigate your visit.
Is Luxembourg worth visiting?
Yes, Luxembourg is worth visiting. It’s a fascinating little country with a rich history and ample things to do. We have family in Luxembourg and have visited many times, and we are always finding new things to do. Luxembourg City has a lot to offer, and there are plenty of other things to do around the rest of the country, from visiting the wine region to exploring quaint villages and ruined castles.
How long in Luxembourg is enough?
Despite being a small country, Luxembourg has plenty of things to do. You’d be hard-pressed to get around the entire country in less than a week. If you like walking and cycling, you might want to allow enough time to explore the great outdoors, plus a couple of days to explore Luxembourg City comfortably.
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