Luxembourg Attractions and Nightlife

Attractions

Luxembourg-Ville

The cityscape of Luxembourg-Ville is one of the most beautiful in Europe. In 2007 Luxembourg was European Capital of Culture. The different height levels at which the individual parts of the city were historically created are particularly characteristic. Mighty rock walls that are thousands of years old alternate with the typical pointed church towers from the Middle Ages. The main attractions of the city include the National Museum of Natural History, the Museum of History and Art, the Museum of Urban History, whose architecture combines old and new very successfully, the Church of St. Mathieu (11th/16th c.), the Notre Dame Cathedral(17th century), the casemates, a huge underground fortification that was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 along with the entire old town of Luxembourg, and the town hall (1830-38). In the dignified, cozy atmosphere of the Place d’Armes, the main square in Luxembourg City, you can relax in one of the numerous street cafés and restaurants. Not far from there is another lively meeting point, Place Guillaume (also known as Knuedler ), where markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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Excursions Excursions
that are particularly worth seeing include the prehistoric caves in Mersch, the Benedictine monastery built in the 7th century Echternach, the Roman ruins on the Titelberg (1st century), the Roman temple ruins in Steinsel and the Victor Hugo Museum in Vianden, whose townscape is shaped by the mighty castle. Other castles can be visited in Beaufort, Larochette and Bourscheid. The idyllic town of Clervaux is a real gem. The German-Luxembourg Nature Park offers wonderful hiking opportunities (daily excursions from the bus station in Luxembourg-Ville).

Nightlife

Introduction

Visitors to the capital, Luxembourg, can choose from a wide range of entertainment options, from classical music concerts, theatre, opera or ballet performances to nightclubs, cinemas and discos, which are usually open until 3am. There is also a wide range of restaurants for every taste. The Rives de Clausen complex, located on the site of a former brewery in the Clausen district, has become increasingly popular among young and more affluent adults in recent years (website: www.rivesdeclausen.com). There are over a dozen bars and clubs here with music playing until the early hours. There are also some theaters in the city, in which some pieces are also performed in German or English. The Kulturfabrik in Esch-sur-Alzette, the country’s second largest city, is a lively and highly recommended venue and restaurant/bar complex in a former slaughterhouse (website: www.kulturfabrik.lu). Also well known is the Rockhal (Internet: www.rockhal.lu), which is the country’s largest and most important venue for rock concerts and where international stars regularly perform. The L’Inoui in the otherwise rather sleepy village of Redange is a tasteful and comfortably furnished restaurant with an excellent menu of food and drinks. Plays and concerts are performed in an intimate setting on the in-house stage (Internet: www.inoui.lu). Well-known cinemas are Utopolis, Cine Utopia, Cine Cite and Cinematheque Municipal. Films are mostly shown in their original version with French and sometimes German subtitles. Larger cinemas such as the Utopolis (Internet: www.utopolis.lu) also show German versions (pay close attention to the program!). Events and tips about Luxembourg nightlife can be found in the free city magazine Nightlife.lu (also on the Internet: www.nightlife.lu).

Regional drinks

Luxembourg’s white Moselle wines are similar to the Rhine wines. Luxembourg white wines are made from individual grape varieties, including Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. The quality is mostly excellent and enjoys an international reputation. The crémants (sparkling wines) are also of a high standard and are often enjoyed as an aperitif before dinner. The red wines, especially the Pinot Noir, are getting better every year. Many small wineries that don’t have bottling facilities sell their products through a large cooperative, Domaines de Vinsmoselle, which is the most commonly found label across the country. Beer is another specialty and traditional industry, but the brewing traditions are not as important as in neighboring Germany and Belgium. The best-known types of beer are Mousel, Bofferding, Diekirch, Funck and Simon. There is also a wide range of liqueurs and spirits such as eau de vie (45-50% alcohol content); mostly local fruits are processed, especially plums (e.g. plums and mirabelle plums) or pears.

Minimum age for consumption of alcoholic beverages

In Luxembourg, you can drink alcohol from the age of 17.

Accommodation

Hotels

Information is available from the Tourist Office, which issues a free guide, or from the Horesca National Hotel Association, 7 Rue Alcide de Gasperi, PO Box 2524, LU-1025 Luxembourg-Kirchberg (Tel: 421 35 51. Internet: www.horesca.lu). Hotel Classification: Hotels are classified into the Hotelstars Union star categories from one to five stars.

Camping

There are over 120 campsites. Classification into three categories according to government-established standards. Prices are indicated at the entrance. The tourist office sends out a free information brochure.

Other accommodation options

In Beaufort, Bourglinster, Echternach, Ettelbruck, Grevenmacher, Hollenfels, Larochette, Lultzhausen, Luxembourg-Ville, Vianden and Wiltz. A youth hostel guide is available free of charge from the tourist office, the youth hostel association, 2 rue du Fort Olisy, LU-2261 Luxembourg (tel: 26 27 66 40) or the Centrale des Auberges de Jeunesse Luxembourgeoises, 2, rue du Fort Olisy, L-2261 Luxembourg (Tel: 26 27 66 40. Internet: www.youthhostels.lu).

Luxembourg-Ville

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