In just 2,586 square kilometers a cosmopolitan capital, castles, vineyards and old factories have become culture. And you don’t pay to travel.
In the heart of Europe, nestled between France, Germany and Belgium, lies the last Grand Duchy in the world: Luxembourg.
The smallest of the large states, or the largest of the micro-states, the debate is still open, what is certain, however, is that in just 2,586 square kilometers the country manages to put together medieval fortresses, rock forests, vineyards overlooking the river and old industrial areas that have become places of culture.
All within a few minutes of each other, and with a detail that changes the way you travel: you don’t pay to travel.
We start from the capital
Almost all trips start from the capital, whose name is the same as the country, Luxembourg. The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it has nothing of the immobile museum. The Bock casemates, dug into the rock, coexist with modern architecture, and the Grund district with its shop windows and restaurants.
A few steps are enough to move from one century to another and then go back. It is a cosmopolitan but traveler-friendly capital, the kind that “ends up” on a weekend without having the feeling of having run.
Free shipping
There’s a reason not to stop in the capital, however, and it’s surprisingly simple. Since March 2020, Luxembourg has made public transport free throughout the country: buses, trams and trains in second class, for residents and tourists.
No ticket office, no fares to decipher. Luxembourg was the first country in the world to do so, and it seems to have also worked as a reminder, given that among the Italian travelers interviewed in a survey commissioned by Luxembourg for Tourism, free public transport was among the reasons for the choice for 24% of respondents.
The regions of Luxembourg
From here the country opens up like a fan. Many of the regions can be reached in about an hour, and each has a specific character.
To the east is the Mullerthal, called the “Little Switzerland of Luxembourg” because of its rocky gorges, waterfalls and trails; among them the Mullerthal Trail, which has obtained the Leading Quality Trail – Best of Europe certification.
Towards the river there are the Moselle vineyards, where Riesling and Crémant de Luxembourg are produced, two typical wines of this country that can be tasted directly in the cellars, often family-run.
In the south, the Minett tells another story: that of an industrial past that has not been erased, but rather reconverted; today the Minett is animated by art, events and even a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
We then arrive north, in Éislek, where the panorama becomes rich in castles and woods. This is the region that, in spring 2027, will add the Glamor Camping Lultzhausen, for those who want to experience the woods by sleeping in the middle of them.
That leaves Guttland, perhaps the most discreet part of Luxembourg. Rural landscapes, villages, itineraries in which nature and history alternate without haste, and the Valley of the Seven Castles, indicated as one of the most evocative routes in the region.
The destination you don’t expect
In the end, the reason why Italians choose Luxembourg is perhaps the most honest of all: for 55% of those interviewed it is the desire to discover a new place. Not a goal to tick off, but a surprise.
And this is where the size debate loses meaning. Small or large, Luxembourg is a country that you expect to see in an afternoon and instead, between a cellar, a path and a tram without a ticket, you take your time.
Its true primacy, after all, is not on the map: it is the distance between what you imagine before leaving and what you find once you arrive.
