by It is often said that good things come in small packages, and after spending a long weekend in Luxembourg, with a population of only 650,000, that old saying rang true. And that’s just its glassy, zen-like airport, never mind the chocolate-boxed, tight-lipped capital (the only city in the world). Grand Duchywould you know) hiked by winding river gorges that we were here to explore.
Pocket-sized Luxembourg is the kind of place everyone has heard of, but few have visited. It places the Lux in Benelux, literally and as the richest country in the world, and one of the four seats of the European Union. It’s certainly not the sexiest claim to fame, but the city itself defies any bureaucratic trappings with its mix of gleaming new institutions, wooded valleys and evocative old-world charm.
After only 55 minutes in the air, I was far away from the dreary grind of London in a place that has the feel of a European capital but not the size of Bedford. The bus to the city center took 20 minutes and — Transport for London, take note — cost nothing. Yes, zilch. In fact all trips on Luxembourg’s efficient tram system, mostly electric buses are completely free, and there’s nothing like a freebie to set a welcoming tone for a weekend.
Checked in on a whim at our magical digs for three nights, the higgledy-piggledy, fairy-esque Hotel de Place d’Armes and my partner, Fabio, and I were off for my first taste of Luxembourgish cuisine. If you’re like me, this was a mystery. Is it French? German? Like the country – and its quirky local language, Lëtzebuergesch — the reality is somewhere in between.
So we went to the upscale (and only) restaurant serving traditional (read: not light) Luxembourgish food in the old town, Um Dierfgen (umdierfgen.lu), sampling dough, bacon hug knife dumplings swimming in butter, wainzoosiss sausages with a Luxembourgish-style grain mustard sauce and a rich dollop of Fondue’s long-lost cousin, kachkéis. Nothing like liquid cheese to lull us to sleep.
You can’t have a dumpling without a local tipple, and the wines of the tiny Grand Duchy have theirs. The Moselle region bordering Germany in the south-east is more famous for its whites and sparkling, crisp Crimean, but there are also Pinot noirs in red and a brilliantly clear white version. One morning we drove to the Moselle in just over half an hour on wonderfully quiet country roads through beautiful forests and postcard perfect pastures (oh, be a cow here!) for an evocative drive and deep tasting under the limestone. cliffs at a famous local winery, St. Martin’s Caves (cavesstmartin.lu, tours and wine tasting from £7.50).
For more than a century, the winery has used more than 1 km of tunnels, cut by hand into the local flowing stone, as a lo-tech atmospheric site to ferment and store its wine at a constant 12 C. , cool. it uses the hand turning process carried out by Dom Perignon himself in the humid dark when aging his bottles. This is where my view of Champagne was turned on its head: ‘The English invented it,’ said Laura, our knowledgeable guide, ‘not the French. Go home and tell people that!’ (It’s true, have google.)
Just down the road from the caves, political junkies will want to swing by the Schengen village, which sits appropriately at the crossroads of France, Luxembourg and Germany; the spot where the famous agreement was signed which paved the way for the EU’s open borders.
But it’s really back in Luxembourg city hugging cliffs where we could have spent the whole weekend exploring. Its history covers thousands of years as a crossroads of Europe, a place where the great powers of Rome continued to be contested, until an agreement was made in the 19th century in which the huge fortifications of ‘Gibraltar of the North’ were dismantled, and covered its independence.
After the Second World War the modern city flourished as a political and financial center, which is clearly visible in the city’s new cultural and business center, Kirchberg, where trams slide between the new philharmonic and the shrines to institutions banking and EU.
We quickly discovered why the remains of the city walls where we walked one morning are known as ‘the most beautiful balcony in Europe’, offering 180 degree views, making it perhaps the best selling point of interest in the city, Bock Casemates from the 18th century, carved into it. the scarp beneath the foundations of Luxembourg’s first castle and citadel of the city, providing a final place of defense — and clear shots for the cannons once positioned in pits to protect it. (I also learned the military origin of that word – google that one too.)
Below the city centre, the rivers Petrusse and Alzette meander along the valley floor under the famous Adolphe bridge, from where the spectacular annual fireworks show on June 22 this year will dazzle thousands on the eve of Luxembourg’s National Day which is the -His popularity, which we were destroyed. to miss.
The strikingly modern Red Bridge leads beyond lush riverside walks that connect to Grund, the lower town with its fine restaurants and local landmark Scott’s Pub (scotts.lu), where the sunny patio lured us one afternoon into pints of local Bofferding Pils.
The heart of the old city, picturesque Place d’Armes with its sprawling alfresco cafes, was on the doorstep of our weekend home, Hotel le Place d’Armes (hotel-leplacedarmes.com, Rooms this summer start from £305). Part of the Relais & Chateaux network of properties, general manager Mathieu referred to it as a ‘maison’, or house. It’s a metaphorical description but it’s also a literal one, the 32 rooms are spread over seven unique interconnected private houses, each with their own distinct personality – some offering the best of Beauty and the Beast, others giving the upgrade on Art Deco.
It’s also here where we almost missed our dinner one night thanks to a dark door handle, but the room’s land line was a way to get the reception and after a few quick calls, Amar seemed to be ‘rescued’ from our heard five stars. (Honestly, I can think of few places I’d rather be ‘trapped’ than our elegant suite.)
After polishing off a three-course meal featuring the locally raised Luxembourg prime rib of beef for two and a tangy but tasty rhubarb and Cheesecake (Cheese tart) at the Michelin-starred hotel Le Plëss, we found our belongings had been seamlessly transferred to a new and even more spacious room upstairs in number 20, with tree-top views of the square. There’s no excuse, then, not to settle into a tranquil courtyard off the hotel’s sumptuous Le 18 Bar for a punchy local eau de vie, flavored with quince.
For more insight into how the country ruled this hour from the cliff-top fortresses, we indulge in a drive to the dramatic town of Esch-sur-Sûre and Vianden to the north, with its spectacular scenic chairlift offering views panoramas. his large medieval castle straight out of Game of Thrones. Think Dubrovnik-style, but without the shiploads of shuffling tourists.
With more time, we would have visited the wonderful Lëtzebuerg City Museum and looked further inside the boutiques along the pretty pedestrianized Grand Rue, but a city break is all about tasting, after all, and taste which we did. Here’s hoping next time I’ll be ‘stuck’ in Luxembourg for a few days longer.
