Luxembourg
From grand palaces to idyllic villages... a small country with big amount on offer
LIONEL MESSI, Mila Kunis and fun-size Mars Bars. They say good things come in small packages, so allow me to add Luxembourg to that list. At just 51 miles by 35 it has a population of 580,000, only slightly bigger than Sheffield.
But as a short break destination this tiny country packs a huge punch.
It took just 15 minutes from our plane touching down to waiting for our bus into the city, having already negotiated passport control. Already, small does seem beautiful.
Incidentally, if you plan on using public transport, it’s well worth investing in a Luxembourg Card.
These cost €13 per person per day or €20 for two days and cover all buses and trains, as well as giving access to lots of main attractions and museums.
For those not venturing out of Luxembourg City, this is a place best seen on foot. From our hotel, the luxurious Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal, we could walk to just about anywhere of interest within half an hour.
A stroll through the Old Town leaves you in no doubt that Luxembourg offers a unique take on the city break.
For starters, there’s a distinct lack of people, so it’s quite peaceful.
Standing at the junction of two rivers – the Alzette and Petrusse – the city has two valleys bursting with the sort of lush greenery you wouldn’t normally associate with a capital.
You will need to set aside a full day to tick off main attractions such as the Grand Ducal Palace and the Casemates, a vast network of 17th Century tunnels used as bomb shelters during the Second World War (both at lcto.lu).
Make sure to take a walk through the Old Town and charming Grund district to admire the Romanesque and Baroque buildings.
If it’s shopping you’re after, head for the Grand-Rue. You can even incorporate sight-seeing into your lunch break at Ca(fé)sino, the Casino Forum of Contemporary Art’s impressive restaurant (casinoluxembourg.lu/en).
But it’s after dark that the city really comes alive.
In and around the palace are lively bars including Urban, Go Ten, Café Le Palais, Dipso and Steiler, all bustling with young professionals and students. The city also has three Michelin-starred restaurants – Mosconi, Hotel Le Place d’Armes & Restaurant La Cristallerie and Le Bouquet Garni. For more traditional, local cuisine, Restaurant Am Tiirmschen is perfect. Here we sampled Luxembourgish dishes such as cold beef salad with gherkins, egg, onion and a mustard dressing and smoked pork with broad beans, dumplings and bacon (amtiirmschen.lu).
After all that indulgence you might, like us, crave some fresh air. Luckily, in Luxembourg you can be in a forest in minutes. Hire a car and head to the Ardennes region in the rural north.
Popular with hikers and cyclists, the region is home to picturesque Clervaux, where you’ll find a restored 12th Century castle and 19th Century abbey.
To really appreciate the country’s scenery, though, head south to Vianden, an idyllic village with a chair-lift that gives awe-inspiring views. Its hauntingly beautiful castle is a mustsee (castle-vianden.lu/).
City and countryside done, there was one thing left to do – sample the local tipple at Wäifest, a Wine & Grape Festival in Grevenmacher, on the banks of the Moselle River (facebook.com/ MaacherWaifest).
By 4pm I needed no encouragement to don a marching band member’s hat to raise a toast to the Crémants, Luxembourg’s answer to Champagne.
Luxembourg . . . y ou little beauty.
Luxair flies to Luxembourg City from London City Airport six times daily. Fares start at £99 return.
Rooms at the five-star Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal hotel in Luxembourg City start at £224 a night, room only. A new Land Of The Tiger attraction opens at Chessington World of Adventures in the spring.
Four endangered Amur Tigers will roam an innovative multi-million pound enclosure with visitors watching them from below. The introduction of the world’s largest tiger species at the Surrey theme park aims to raise money for the Chessington Conservation Fund to help protect tigers in the wild.
To accompany the new arrivals, four tiger-themed rooms will open in the on-site Chessington Safari Hotel. See chessington.com