Luxembourg - Anyone gone there?
 

Wondering who has gone to Luxembourg and what they thought of it. How is it different/similar to Paris or other European cities?

I think you are asking about Luxemburg City, the capital. I spent 3 days in Lux. last Dec. but visiting WW 2 sites including Bastogne just over the border in Belgium. It was lovely rolling country. We did not visit the capital city though.

Luxembourg is quite a small city but with enormous banks. The city itself is worth maybe a day of your time.

Luxembourg City is one of the most gorgeous cities in Europe - simply because a deep gorge bisects it - a great setting. Nothing special to me about this fairly small town - pleasant enough in the main square but not much to do.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg however is a bucolic lovely little country with a dense train and bus system and day passes good on all for a piddling few euros a day. Day trips to Echternach, Clervaux (castle of dreams) and other dreamy towns are great.

Back in the city... tour the Casemates - about a dozen miles of passageways hewn into the cliff on the gorge - Place d'Arms neat tree-line square brimming with outdoor cafes and just outside of town the American Military Cemetery at Hamm, burial site of General Blood and Guts War Is Hell Patton! (Killed in the Grand Duchy i believe after the war ended in a jeep accident.) And there are some impressive European Union buidlings - courts i believe.

I have been to Luxembourg a few times. IMO Luxembourg city is ok but not more than that. However, Luxembourg's towns and countryside are lovely and interesting- certainly worth a visit. I especially like Echternach and Vianden with its wonderful castle (the first view from the road is spectacular) and its town below.

Anyone been there in the winter?

If you can arrange it, the natural charms of the Luxembourg towns and countryside can be best appreciated in a season other than winter.

Don't forget to stock up on alcoholic beverages in Luxembourg if you are so inclined. Cheapest alcohol in Western Europe this side of Andorra.

It is fun to go to the Auchan hypermarket on the Plateau de Kirchberg. It is surrounded by banks and European Union offices and it is probably the only hypermarket where serious looking men in business suits outnumber traditional shoppers during the work week. Most of them are in town just for the day, and since there is no duty free inside the EU anymore, they stock up on as much stuff as they can carry.

Also cheapest gas north of Samnaun (tax free Switzerland) :-). Random checks done by German border patrol. (only one extra 20 liters container allowed)

Luxembourg is a fine nation and the capital is a pleasant town. The castle of the Grand Duke is in the city, guarded by one or two soldiers at the most. So different than the USA and our hypersecurity. About nine miles out of town at an American military cemetary, General George S. Patton is buried at the head of thousands of American soldiers who gave up their lives in order to defeat Adolf Hitler and Naziism.

Hamm Military Cemetery in Sandweiler (near the airport) is probably the 2nd most impressive American military cemetery in Europe, just after Colleville-sur-Mer (Omaha Beach).

(But I would vote for Douaumont --Verdun-- as the most impressive military cemetery of any category.)

I have been in the winter several times. Luxembourg is nice any time of year. Try the local wines. Little, if any, is exported and it is excellent.

Luxembourg City was interesting as a day trip (actually about 4 hours) on our visit to Europe last June and July. We really enjoyed the small town of Vianden and its impressive castle.

Kerouac: Jack CBC made a huge deal about the memorial-cemetery at Vimy Ridge in i take northern France. It looked impressive - are you familiar with that?
Thanks

Vimy is impressive for the memorial (monument), but it doesn't have the incredible alignments of gravestones like the other places.