Luxembourg was never really on our radar until we had a chance to visit in 2017 and then a second trip in 2018 for Christmas.  Luxembourg is the 28th smallest country in the world packs a big punch!

The highlight is the old city of Luxembourg.  We fell in love with this city from the first moment of our visit.  Built on bluffs above a river, the military fortifications are over 1,000 years old and offer impressive views.  There are nearly 20km of underground tunnels, catacombs, and subterranean storage, making this a city within a city.  Luxembourg was the greatest fortified city in Europe.  We loved walking along the walls and imaging what this city was like hundreds of years ago.

But Luxembourg city is really two cities in one:  the stoic upper city of culture and government, and the lower city of restaurants and nightlife.  We loved both!  They are connected by an elevator and a network of paths.

Our second trip to Luxembourg City came the week before Christmas in 2018.  We spent a week enjoying the Luxembourg Christmas markets and holiday festivities.  The Christmas markets are incorporated within the military vestiges and highlight the beauty of the old quarters.

We used Luxembourg City as a base to explore the rest of the country.  One of the coolest things to discover in the country of Luxembourg was the castle Clervaux.  Here, is the permanent home of the “Family of Man” exhibition – a UNESCO Memory of the World designee.  We grew up studying this art exhibit in school, so it was amazing to see it in person.  The town of Clervaux is also pretty interesting and was the scene of major fighting during World War II.