CR5 Issue 160 Sept 2018

Travel
Luxembourg
By Solange Hando
‘Expect the unexpected,’
they say, and compact as it is,
this is a truly surprising city,
looping around its natural and
man-made wonders on many
different levels. Carved by the
deep gorges of the Pétrusse
and Alzette rivers, it teeters on
the edge of precipitous cliffs,
spanned by myriad bridges
and viaducts.
In this dramatic setting a good
place to start is Constitution
Square, where above the
valley of the Pétrusse the
iconic statue of the ‘Golden
Lady’ holds out a crown of
laurel leaves as a national
emblem for pride and peace.
Just steps away the mighty
Aldolphe bridge towers
above the ravine, where the
tiny rivulet meanders among
flowering trees, pocket-sized
allotments, dainty footbridges
and deserted trails.
Wandering through this lush
country-like oasis you can
hardly believe you are in the
city centre, but back on the
top the cathedral beckons, a
three-spired pilgrimage site
in flamboyant Gothic style
with a touch of Renaissance,
guarding the tombs of the
Grand Ducal family. It’s only a
stroll to the Parliament House,
the Grand Ducal Palace and
the bourgeois dwellings and
picturesque lanes of the Old
Town, listed by Unesco.
There are spacious parks and
pleasant town squares, most
popular the Place d’Armes
surrounded by pedestrian
shopping lanes. Named after
military parades held under
the Sun King, the locals call
it ‘the city’s living room’, a
place to meet friends on a café
terrace, relax under the trees,
browse the market stalls or
dance on festival days. Along
Holy Spirit Street, the square
by the same name has some
stunning views across the
lower town, close to Quirinus,
the 11th century chapel with
a miraculous spring, and the
hidden confluence of the
Pétrusse and the lovely Alzette
which curls around the eastern
edge of the city.
There, above the Alzette, the
Chemin de la Corniche was
described by a local writer as
‘the most beautiful balcony
in Europe’ lined with some
of the finest aristocratic
buildings, following the old
ramparts all the way to the
Bock, the rocky outcrop where
history began in 963. Towers,
citadel, gates, fortified bridge,
casemates with 23 km of
tunnels hewn into the cliffs:
lords and masters left their
marks over the centuries but
today, on the banks of the
Alzette, the Lower Grund is
the most enticing district with
its quiet lanes, half-timbered
houses and at the heart of it
all the striking Neumünster
Abbey, now turned into a
cultural centre. There are
some delightful walks along
the river, all shimmering
reflections as weeping willows
whisper below the garden
terraces and a mini vineyard.
But close to the airport, the
Kirchberg plateau is a totally
different world, a 21st century
celebration dedicated to
business, finance, European
institutions and art in dazzling
architectural styles. Top of
the list are the Modern Art
Museum (MUDAM) and
the Philharmonie Concert
Hall which claims three
auditoriums.
Luxembourg is indeed a city
of many faces, the enduring
capital of the last Grand Duchy
in the world, traditional,
vibrant and truly unique.
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