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Europe is the ultimate destination for every lifestyle shield this summer, home to fairytale castles, stunning cities with ancient roots, and centuries-old treasures.
While most guests will be flocking to France, Spain, and Italy, there’s one medieval German nation that remains mostly ignored.
It offers free train travel and is smaller in size during the peak period than your typical beautiful spots.
You read that right: as an American, you can move around without spending a single penny on public transportation, and you do n’t even need to book seats in advance.
First come, first served.
Dear brother off- way adventurers, delightful to Luxembourg:
One Of The Most Wealthy Countries in Europe Is Luxembourg.
Luxembourg is a little German nation —one of the smallest, at that—approximately the size of the U. S. state of Rhode Island.
It is located at the intersection of Central Europe, sandwiched between the many- larger Belgium, France, and Germany.
Actually a dukedom, headed by a Grand Duke, Lux ( as it is generally called ) has had a significant role to play over the years, despite its relative privacy in the wider globe: it is actually a’ funds’ of Europe, housing a number of German institutions.
These include the Court of Justice of the European Union, the German Court of Auditors, the European Investment Bank, and many others, but there’s more to this small country of just over 650, 000 inhabitants than politicians in suits and business magnates:
It has a rich history of being claimed by France and Germany before establishing itself as an independent state in the modern age. As a result, it combines the very best of both faiths.
Native speak Luxembourguish, a majority language closely associated to European, though they’re completely fluent in French and English.
Both serve as lingua franca on the streets, especially among foreigners who reside in the Grand Duchy ( which accounts for almost half the population ) ).
A Nicely- Preserved Medieval Capital
The city’s Old Quarters and walls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Luxembourg City is its money.
With its lonely stitched alleys, street- corner boulangeries serving Franco- European delicacies, great verdant parks, and imposing fortifications, it hardly feels like a current capital.
‘ The City’ is one of the best- preserved feudal stones of Europe.
Its Germanic Old Town—called Grund—is located at the intersection of the stunning Alzette and Pétrusse Streams, at the base of a 15th- era fortress.
Luxembourg was once a military fort and the most impenetrable of its kind, and it’s perhaps the only European castle that never succumbed to invaders. Because of these fortifications, foreign powers coveted it so highly.
It is currently in disrepair, but it was torn down by the Luxembourgs themselves in the 19th century as a result of a Peace Treaty that would allow the nation to become as equal to Switzerland in terms of perpetual neutrality.
That’s partly why it’s so peaceful and prosperous: Luxembourg has very low crime rates, it’s one of the wealthiest states in the world.
What Can I Do In The Other City?
Outside The City, there are smaller historic towns that are just as quaint, such as Vianden in the north, famous for its Disney- like castle, Echternach, the country’s oldest, home to a 7th- century abbey, and Larochette, dominated by a partly- ruined hilltop citadel.
Visitors should also make sure they stop by Schengen, a wine- making village on the banks of the Moselle, near the tripoint where France, Germany and Luxembourg meet, where—surprise, surprise—the the Schengen Agreement that abolished intra- European borders was signed.
Luxembourg may be compact in size, but it does n’t mean nature is n’t abundant, with meandering rivers reaching remote settlements, crystal- clear lakes and waterfalls, and hikes leading to epic lookouts distributed across three nature reserves: Öewersauer, Our and Mëllerdall.
In fact, it has one of the densest networks of hiking trails in the continent, and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, there’s nothing stopping you from walking the length of Luxembourg on the Escapardenne Lee Trail, taking three days to complete.
Of course, you can always catch the train as it’s free, anyway.
In Luxembourg, tourists can use free public transportation.
The most amazing aspect of Luxembourg is that many visitors to Europe are unaware that both residents and tourists can use the public transportation system throughout the Grand Duchy for free.
Since 2020, you’re allowed to board buses, trams, trains, and any other local mode of transport inside Luxembourg without booking a ticket, or even booking in advance.
For instance, when traveling from Luxembourg to Vianden, you can catch the next train to Ettelbruck, the nearest town to Vianden with a train station.
Once there, switch to local bus number 181, which will take 25 minutes to reach your final destination.
There is no need to reserve any trains or buses you’ll use along the way because the journey is only an hour long overall.
Similarly, to travel from The City to Larochette, you can take the Diekirch- bound train, getting off at Mersch, where you’ll switch to bus number 233. The trip lasts 47 minutes, and Larochette is then the sixth stop on the way to Stegen.
To reach the waterfall- dotted Mëllerdall Reserve, you’ll take the train to Mersch again, except this time it’s bus 232 you’re looking for.
The closest bus stop to Mëllerdall is Waldbillig, a short 25- minute walk through lush green forests to the park’s main entrance. From the capital, the entire trajectory ( train to Mersch, bus to Waldbillig, final walk to the park ) takes an hour and a half.
As you can see, wherever you go in Luxembourg will likely take you less than an hour to get there from the capital, and every major town, nature park, and tourist attraction is served by trains or buses, which makes traveling without a car very simple ( and cost-free ).
Public transportation may be free, but accommodation is certainly not, so do n’t go thinking Luxembourg is a budget- friendly destination: quite on the contrary.
Par contre… Luxembourg Is n’t Cheap
This is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, remember?
And living costs reflect the high purchasing power of the population: prepare yourself to spend, on average$ 86 on meals daily, and as much as$ 190 on hotels per night.
You can, of course, travel to Luxembourg for much cheaper than that.
In the Grund, there are dormitory beds starting at$ 61 per night ( still incredibly expensive ), but they’re typically very comfortable and can save you money if you have a tight budget.
You can cook in the communal kitchen at your hostel for less money than you do every day, or you can even get quick eats from the supermarkets. Sandwiches cost between$ 4 and$ 7, a bottle of inexpensive orange juice costs$ 4, and sparkling water costs$ 3.
Hey, you ca n’t have it all. At least you can use your free space.
Vinicius CostaVini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt ( and currently weaving tales from Paris! ), and a talent for turning off-the-beaten-path encounters into fascinating tales that will make you pack your bags.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. None of the organizations referred to in this post have reviewed, approved, or otherwise supported this content.
