Luxembourg

Luxembourg City, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is one of Europe's most dramatically situated cities — built on a sandstone promontory above deep river gorges carved by the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, with vertiginous views from the old city walls down into wooded valleys far below. The Old Town and Fortifications are a Unesco World Heritage Site of exceptional beauty and strategic ingenuity. The Bock promontory, where the original castle stood, gives the most dramatic views — the view from the Corniche promenade, known as "Europe's most beautiful balcony," looks down into the Grund and Clausen quarters along the Alzette river. The extensive casemates (underground fortifications tunnelled through the sandstone rock) are fascinating to explore. The Grand Ducal Palace in the old town, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Place d'Armes are the main architectural set-pieces. The MUDAM (Museum of Modern Art Grand-Duc Jean), housed in a building designed by I.M. Pei, is excellent. Luxembourg City hosts European institutions — the European Court of Justice and several EU bodies are here — giving it a notably international and multilingual character. The Grund, Clausen and Kirchberg districts have excellent restaurants and bars, with a strong French and German culinary influence. Prices are high — Luxembourg is one of the wealthiest countries in the world — but transport within the country became free in 2020. The Moselle wine valley is an excellent day trip.