Luxembourg, just what's needed in a city

We discovered the lift in the cliff by accident, initially it looked like a lift down into a car park, but we thought we would give it a go.  We had seen a very tempting bar, with terrace alongside the river from the top of the gorge and were wondering how to get to it.  The aforementioned lift brought us out just opposite, very convenient we thought, as we settled in for a local beer in the sunshine at 'Scotts bar'.

This part of Luxembourg is called the 'Grund' and it's easy to miss if you just follow the tourists, most of whom seem content jumping off their tour buses and heading into the pedestrian streets of the city centre.  This area seemed to escape the crowds, tempting bars and restaurants are found on these cobbled streets, in this mainly residential area.  It's also possible to walk alongside the river here, past the Neimenster monastery, and alongside beautifully tended allotments and rose gardens nestled into the side of the gorge itself.

 

Other places worthy of mention down here are both fine for tasty dinners.  The UpDown bar, offering good beers and homemade food, and 'Vins Fins' Wine bar, with specially selected wine by the glass to be enjoyed with platters of meats, cheeses and vegetarian dips.  Something that we did as a local party helped turn the little place into a buzzing Friday night venue, whilst everyone was looked after by the extremely welcoming couple that ran the place.

 

From this older area of the city it's possible to climb to the main town in several ways, the lift back up is always an option, or several narrow roads zig zag there way up.  Alternatively there are also several walking pathways.  One of which follows the course of the gorge - Vallee de la Petrusse, a small waterway flows down the centre, the rest lined with trees and shrubs, making this walk pleasant one away from the hustle and bustle of city life going on 46 metres above.

The view from the top across and into the gorge is impressive and has been described by many guide books as the best terrace in Europe.  Whilst it is lovely, with views across to the railway part of the city and to the bridges spanning the drop below, it's still worth the walk down to see the city from a different perspective.

There are other parts to Luxembourg that will be mentioned in a later blog, but for anyone thinking of a weekend destination Luxembourg city shouldn't disappoint.  It's easy to get there by air or car, but as always the train is always an option to make the journey part of the trip.  The local SNCB train from Brussels connects with the Eurostar and provides a comfortable and affordable trip taking in views of Luxembourg as the train speeds along and increasing the anticipation of the exploring to come.