Practical Cozy Travel

Tag: Luxembourg

  • A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland: Our Day-by-Day Itinerary

    Last summer we looped through Belgium, Luxembourg, a slice of Germany, the Alsace region of France, and into Switzerland — mostly by train, with a private driver for the longer country-to-country legs. It packed in a lot without ever feeling rushed, and it’s very repeatable whether you’re traveling solo or wrangling a group of five like we were. Here’s the full day-by-day, with links to everything I wrote up in detail.

    The route at a glance

    Illustrated map of a 12-day cozy Europe itinerary with home bases in Brussels, Luxembourg City, Strasbourg and Zurich, plus day trips to Bruges, Ghent, Dinant, Durbuy, Trier, Colmar, Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, Lucerne and Mount Rigi
    Four home bases, everything else a day trip. Dotted lines are excursions; dashed lines are the travel days between cities.
    • Belgium: Brussels as a base, with day trips to Bruges and Ghent
    • The drive south: scenic stops in Durbuy and Dinant
    • Luxembourg: Luxembourg City, plus a day trip across the border to Trier, Germany
    • Alsace: Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle and Colmar en route to Strasbourg
    • Switzerland: Zurich, plus Lucerne and Mount Rigi to finish

    The day-by-day itinerary

    Day 1 — Travel day. An overnight flight over, landing early the next morning. If you want the full breakdown of how I fit this whole trip into a carry-on, that’s here.

    Day 2 — Brussels. Arrival and the Old Town, including the Grand-Place. My honest take on Belgium’s capital: Brussels: An Honest First Look.

    Day 3 — Bruges. An early train and the storybook canals — my favorite of the three Belgian cities. Bruges: The Storybook Belgian City.

    Day 4 — Ghent. Belgium’s underrated canal city (take the tram, not the walk). Ghent: Belgium’s Underrated Canal City.

    Day 5 — Brussels to Luxembourg. A private driver let us break up the drive with two lovely stops. Durbuy & Dinant: The Prettiest Stops Between Brussels and Luxembourg.

    Day 6 — Trier. An easy day trip across the German border to Germany’s oldest city. A Day Trip to Trier.

    Day 7 — Luxembourg City. A leisurely day of clifftop views, the Grund, and a lot of good cafes. A Leisurely Day in Luxembourg City.

    Day 8 — Luxembourg to Strasbourg. A fairytale castle and the storybook town of Colmar along the way. Luxembourg to Strasbourg: Haut-Kœnigsbourg & Colmar.

    Day 9 — Strasbourg. Alsatian charm, a grand cathedral, and — for the skincare lovers — a proper French pharmacy haul. Full day here: Strasbourg: Alsatian Charm & a Grand Cathedral.

    Day 10 — Zurich. A relaxing arrival into Switzerland: wandering the Limmat, the old-town classics, and watching locals leap off the bridges into the river. First Look at Zurich.

    Day 11 — Lucerne & Mount Rigi. A private-tour day and the highlight of our Switzerland leg — Lucerne’s Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument, then a gondola and cog railway to the top of Mount Rigi. Lucerne and Mount Rigi: The Best Day of Our Switzerland Trip.

    Day 12 — Flight home. A pure travel day. My rule for the last morning: no ambitious sightseeing — breakfast, one last check that nothing got left in the hotel safe, and head for the airport. Still short on gifts? Don’t panic-buy from a souvenir shop. Swiss grocery stores, the shops at Zurich’s main train station, and the airport all have a good spread — just check what will actually clear a carry-on before you buy.

    Before you go

    Two posts that made this trip run smoothly: what I packed for 12 days in a carry-on, and how I used AI to help plan the whole thing.

    ← Back to all Destinations

    Next up: Belgium — Brussels →

  • A Leisurely Day in Luxembourg City

    A Leisurely Day in Luxembourg City

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    Luxembourg City surprised me. It’s compact, walkable, and packed with more beauty than its size suggests — dramatic cliffs, a storybook lower town, and enough cafes and shops to fill a relaxed, wandering kind of day.

    The sights worth your time

    Start up top around Place d’Armes and the Grand Ducal Palace, then make your way to Place de la Constitution for the Gëlle Fra monument and the views. The Chemin de la Corniche — often called the most beautiful balcony in Europe — is the walk to prioritize; it looks down over the valley and the lower town.

    View from the Chemin de la Corniche in Luxembourg City, looking down over the valley and the lower town
    Clifftop views over Luxembourg City on a summer walking day

    A tip for first-timers: a free walking tour goes a long way here. I’d been before, so I played guide for the rest of our group, but if it’s your first visit a good tour ties the history together nicely.

    Historic buildings and streets in the old town of upper Luxembourg City

    Head down to the Grund

    Don’t skip the Grund, the lower town along the river. It’s charming down there, and Scott’s Pub had an excellent view to go with some cold drinks — a perfect afternoon pause.

    The Grund, Luxembourg City's lower town, sitting along the river beneath the cliffs

    One very practical note: getting back up from the Grund is no joke. The roads themselves are seriously steep, so use the free public elevator or the designated walking path instead of grinding up the streets. Your legs will thank you.

    Our kind of day

    We kept this one leisurely — sights, yes, but also stops to shop, duck into a few cafes, and enjoy an adult beverage or two. Luxembourg rewards that unhurried pace, and it makes a great base for a day trip to Trier just across the German border.

    Comfort tip: between the steep streets and the cliff-top paths, this is a shoes-that-grip kind of city. Save the cute-but-slippery pair for dinner. I relied on the New Balance 1080 v15 here — the steep bits are much friendlier with real traction underfoot.

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    ← Germany — Trier

    Next up: Haut-Kœnigsbourg & Colmar →

    Part of A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland.