During my stay in Brussels, I was researching things to do in Belgium (from my room at The Hotel.), when it dawned on me that Luxembourg was doable via a day-trip.
I didn’t want to miss a chance to add a new country to my list, so I began searching Expedia to see if they had any tours to Luxembourg from Brussels.
Sure enough, they did, so I hurried up and booked it. But was it any good?
Review: Luxembourg And Dinant Tour – Part I – Luxembourg [Expedia] (From Brussels, Belgium)
Editor’s Note: This post is part of my ongoing Travel Series on Europe. Click here for more posts on this European trip including France, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
A tower at the entrance to Luxembourg
About The Luxembourg And Dinant Tour – Part I – Luxembourg [Expedia] (From Brussels, Belgium)
The tour I booked was the “Luxembourg & Dinant Full-Day Tour – The Ardennes”.
The visit to Luxembourg was the reason I booked this particular tour. The all-day tour would travel 2 countries in 1 day and was an affordable way for me to see Luxembourg in the limited time I had.
Although I had never heard of Dinant, I knew the Ardennes was a forested region in Europe perhaps best known for that battles that happened there, including both the “Battle of France” and the “Battle of the Bulge”.
Luxembourg City
Luxembourg City is the capital of the country of Luxembourg and a de facto capital of the European Union (EU).
The Romans settled the area as early as the 4th century C.E., establishing a fort on the “Bock” (or raised area over a body of water).
Later, the Bock was repurposed in 963 by Count Siegfried who built his castle here (known as the Luxembourg Castle), and began what would later become the city of Luxembourg.
Today, Luxembourg is known for its ranking as the world’s #2 per capita GNP as well as for being the “safest city in the world”.
Arrival At The Parking Area (Monument du Souvenir)
The tour picked me up from my hotel before dropping me off to join a larger tourbus in Brussels.
The drive from Brussels to Luxembourg [city] took 2 hours and 30 minutes and was a mostly scenic drive through Ardennes.
The bus stopped in a parking lot next to the Monument du Souvenir (Monument of Remembrance) on a bluff overlooking the picturesque Petrusse park and river below.
Tour Section 1: Walking To The Grand Palace
The tourbus groups divided up to join the language speaking guide of their choice before a short walk past the cathedral, through the town square, and to the Grand Palace.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame
The mean streets of Luxembourg
Palais Grand-Ducal
Tour Section 2: Walking To Chemin de la Corniche
From the Grand Palace, we continued on to stops at Schlassbréck (Bridge) and The Archaeological Crypt before reaching a breathtaking viewpoint of the Grund sector of Luxembourg and Alzette River, Chemin de la Corniche.
Michaelskirche (Église Saint-Michel)
Schlassbréck (Bridge) And The Archaeological Crypt
Schlassbréck
The Archaeological Crypt
The view north toward the newer, modern area of the city
Chemin de la Corniche (Observation Point)
Service des Sites & Monuments Nationaux
The Alzette River
Walking atop the Bock
Even the potholes here are charming
Tour Section 3: Walking To The Lower Level Of The Bock
We took a steep street down the hill and over a bridge in to the neighborhood known as Grund.
We walked through the neimënster before coming upon the Church of Saint John in Grund.
The Gare (gate)
This hill is steeper than it looks
Abbey of Neimënster
Church of Saint John in Grund
Tour Section 4: Walking The Casemates du Bock
From the Church of St. John, we crossed the Stierchen Bridge to get a close-up view of the Bock.
We continued along Bock on the pathway until we reached Klouschtergaart and the Statue Melusina (an entity said to haunt this area near the river), before taking the elevator back up to Luxembourg city.
Casemates du Bock
Stierchen Bridge
Statue Melusina
The Grund is also the location of the European headquarters for Amazon
Ascenseur Elevator Plateau St.Esprit Grund
Back on top
Tour Section 5: Walking Toward Ville Haute
Once we reached the top of the elevator, our tour guide freed us for the next 2 hours to explore the city, grab some lunch, and then meet back at the bus.
He pointed us back to the Ville Haute section of Luxembourg and then told us to meet back at the parking lot.
Palais de Justice Luxembourg
Walking toward Le Place d’Armes
Le Place d’Armes
Lunch At Le Place d’Armes
Plenty of places to eat
Tour Section 6: Walking From Constitution Square To Musée de la Banque (On My Own)
While I still had a little time left, I decided to walk to the Musée de la Banque to see its iconic tower up close.
This wonderful little trek took me through Pétrusse Casemates, Constitution Square, Garden Luxembourg, and over Adolphe Bridge.
Constitution Square
Pétrusse Casemates
Garden Luxembourg
Musée de la Banque
Review: Luxembourg And Dinant Tour – Part I – Luxembourg [Expedia] (From Brussels, Belgium)
I can’t believe how fast I fell in love with Luxembourg.
The city was beautiful, the landmarks gorgeous, and the Bock was an incredible archaeological site that I had never heard of until the tour.
By the time the first half of the tour completed, I already felt as though I had gotten my money’s worth from a great tour.
Surely, the second half of the tour to Dinant couldn’t compare, right? I was about to find out.
