Central Luxembourg
Central Luxembourg
Central Luxembourg is the region located around the capital, Luxembourg City.
Cities
Understand
Being built upon the foundations of previous centuries, Central Luxembourg is a region where modern and medieval architecture go hand in hand, having the City of Luxembourg listed as UNESCO World Heritage. The region is the creative centre of the country, housing many theatres and museums. Nature is an important part of the region. A third of the capital is dedicated to green zones, aside from being surrounded by Guttland, which in itself is filled with barren forests. Being the capital, the region, especially the capital, makes up the country's biggest business centre, housing many banks and European institutions.
Get in
By car
The A1 and A6 make up the ring-road system of the capital. These intersect with: the A3 and A4 which connect to the Land of the Red Rocks and Metz; the A7, which connects to Éislek; the A1 and A6 which both continue to Trier and Arlon respectively.
By plane
Also see Luxembourg City for a more complete guide. Central Luxembourg is served by the Luxembourg-Findel Airport (IATA: LUX) 📍 in Sandweiler, a municipality just northeast of the capital. Compared to other major airports serving European capitals, it has quite limited connections - there are no long-haul flights scheduled to Findel, and the European network only encompasses several other capitals and destinations, meaning that flying in even from major European airports may require a transfer on your way.
The airport is dominated by the country's flag carrier, Luxair, who operate a network of connections to selected other European capitals, some German cities and holiday destinations in the Mediterranean. This is complemented by some of the Star Alliance European members flying singular connections to Findel from their hubs. Luxair is not a Star Alliance member, but was partially owned by the Alliance's founding partner Lufthansa and shares its frequent flyer programme with them. Oneworld and Skyteam offer few connections to Luxembourg, but there is growing traffic from some regional and low-fare airlines.
Interestingly, while its passenger traffic is limited, Luxembourg Findel Airport is a major cargo hub thanks to the prominence of the cargo airline Cargolux with its base there. Both Cargolux and other major international players in the cargo market fly in huge intercontinental jets in and out of Findel daily.
By public transit
The imposing neobaroque Gare Lëtzebuerg, the country's main railway station, adored with a clock tower and huge windows is Luxembourg's main train station. It is relatively well served by connections from neighbouring countries. The railway station can be reached by most local buses. The city center is within walking distance (around 1.5km).
- The domestic train operator CFL (dead link: January 2023) has EuroCity-class trains going to Paris and Brussels
- CFL also obviously connects Gare Lëtzebuerg with pretty much every other station within the country of Luxembourg
- The Belgian SNCB/NMSB also has trains connecting Luxembourg with Bruxelles-Midi. Some trains continue to Strasbourg in France and Basel in Switzerland
- Deutsche Bahn operates the IC35 Ostfriesland from Luxembourg through Koblenz, Cologne, Dusseldorf and Münster
- Additionally, Deutsche Bahn's regional services operate the DeLux Express from Luxembourg to Trier
- The French SNCF operates a high-speed TGV train from Gare de l'Est in Paris to Luxembourg. There is also a slower Intercite connection via Nancy all the way south to Nice
- TER Lorraine line 1 goes from Nancy via Metz and Thionville to Luxembourg
- The Swiss SBB operates several long distance trains from stations in Switzerland such as Zurich, Geneve, Chur and Interlaken to Brussels that stop in Luxembourg on their way
Get around
See
- Luxembourg's historical value can be found by walking the city. The atmosphere and architecture in the city centre are rather uncommon in capital cities.
- Museums are mostly found in the capital city, such as the MUDAM (Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean; Museum of Modern Art Grand-Duke Jean), though the rest of Central Luxembourg definitely has museums on offer, such as the Musée international d’effets de gendarmerie et police; International Museum of Police in Capellen.
Do
Eat
Luxembourg city is home to a surprisingly high number of Michelin star establishments, though having a star doesn't make a restaurant worth visiting per se. Above that, Pizzerias in Luxembourg are in high numbers.
Drink
Stay safe
Go next
- The Land of the Red Rocks — The mining region of Luxembourg, which gives the region its industrial character. The region is, however, focusing more and more on tourism, offering tours of former mines, making heritage railways out of old industrial railways, whilst also housing the university city of the country, Esch-sur-Alzette, which brings a lively nightlife to the city.
- The Mullerthal — Also known as Luxembourg's Little Switzerland due to its stunningly beautiful terrain. The region is located around Echternach, which is the oldest city of Luxembourg. The city's basilica contains the crypt of Saint Willibrord.
- Éislek — The green region of Luxembourg, featuring many castles and a life-long supply of hiking and cycling trails to explore through the vast and never-ending forests.
- The Moselle Valley — Obviously located along the river Moselle, which makes up part of the border with Germany, the Luxembourgish Moselle Valley is mostly known for its wines, which can be bought in the entire country. The region is also home to Schengen, the town nearest to the border tri-point with France and Germany as well as the namesake town of the Schengen Agreement, and Mondorf-les-Bains, one of the country's best-known spa towns.