Western Europe
Luxembourg
A fortress city on a gorge, a wine river, and free public transport across the whole country.
Luxembourg is 2,586 square kilometres, trilingual by default, and richer per head than almost anywhere. The capital sits on a rock split by two river valleys, with casemates tunnelled through it. In 2020 it made all public transport free nationwide, which turns out to be the single best reason to travel around it slowly.
Getting around
All public transport — train, tram, bus — is free for everyone, resident or not. The country is crossable in ninety minutes.
When to come
The Moselle harvest in September and October is the highlight of the year. Summer is green and walkable in the Mullerthal. The capital empties at weekends, which makes it pleasant.
Worth knowing
- Free public transport applies to second class on every line in the country.
- Luxembourgish is the national language; French runs administration and German runs the press.
- Cross-border commuters nearly double the capital's population on weekdays.
At the table
- Judd mat Gaardebounen: smoked pork collar with broad beans
- Moselle Riesling and Crémant, both underrated because nobody exports them
- Gromperekichelcher, potato fritters, from a market stall
Travel regions
2 editorial regions, each opening onto its cities.
Popular destinations
The destinations we have written most about, which is not the same as the ones most people go to — and is the only ranking we can honestly compute.
Luxembourg City
A UNESCO-listed fortress on cliffs, with 17 kilometres of tunnels underneath and a modern quarter on the plateau above.
Echternach
The country's oldest town, with a 7th-century abbey and a hopping procession on the UNESCO list.
Remich & the Moselle
Terraced vineyards on a slow river, with Germany on the far bank and Crémant cellars on this one.
Vianden
A restored hilltop castle above a river village, where Victor Hugo spent his exile.
Experiences here
A sample of what is listed across Luxembourg.
The Journey Planner holds all 4 of these destinations and the real distances between them. It opens on 4 days, which is the shortest stay this atlas records for each of them added up — change the length, the month, the budget or the pace and build it again.
Fixed points in the year
The record
What we hold about Luxembourg, where each figure came from, and when it was last checked. The score says what this country is for, not how good it is — it is useful once you are already interested and is not a reason to be.
- Capital
- Luxembourg City
- Currency
- EUR — euro
- Languages
- Luxembourgish, French, German
- Population
- 619,896 (2019) — Natural Earth 1:50m admin 0 countries
- ISO codes
- LU · LUX
- Time zone
- CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
- Membership
- European Union, Schengen area, Uses the euro, European Economic Area
- Typical day
- €90–190 per person
- Best months
- May, June, July, August, September
- Quieter months
- April, October
- Facts checked
- not verified why this matters
Europe Experience Score
How this is calculated — derived from our own tagging, not from measurement. It says what a place is for, not how good it is. The tick on each bar is the median across the whole Atlas, so a bar short of it is a dimension this place is not for.