Today, I’m going on an exciting adventure to one of the richest countries in the world and my 30th country, Luxembourg.
Contents
- 1 Welcome To The Richest Country In The World
- 2 Traveling By Train From Brussels To Luxembourg
- 3 Where I Stayed In Luxembourg
- 4 First Impressions Of Luxembourg
- 5 Interesting Facts About Luxembourg
- 6 Notrederm Cathedral
- 7 Palais Grand-Ducal
- 8 Panoramic Elevator Of The Pfaffenthal
- 9 Dinner And Meeting An Indian
- 10 Christmas Markets
- 11 Day 2 In Luxembourg
- 12 Plan For The Day
- 13 Chemin De La Corniche (Most Beautifull Spot In Luxembourg)
- 14 Taking A Train From Luxembourg To Zurich
Welcome To The Richest Country In The World
Luxembourg may be one of the world’s smallest countries, but there are a lot of interesting things to know about it, whether it’s the free public transport, the fact that it holds the highest GDP per capita in the world, or that the entire old part of Luxembourg City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Honestly, I’m convinced I’m inside a fairy tale. This is literally looking like a movie set. So let’s go explore Luxembourg.
Traveling By Train From Brussels To Luxembourg
So I spent the last three days in Brussels, and now I’m taking a train from Brussels to Luxembourg, which is about three hours long. And I have a U rail pass, which is honestly super useful if you’re traveling by train in Europe. It works out to be more cost-effective as well if you’re doing lots of train rides. So if you’re planning a trip to Europe, definitely consider it.
But yeah, I can’t believe this is my 30th country and Luxembourg has honestly been very fascinating to me just because of how tiny the country is and how it’s one of the wealthiest countries in the world. A lot of people who visit Luxembourg usually end up doing a day trip from Brussels or Paris, which probably makes more sense as well.
But I’m actually taking all my luggage and spending the night in Luxembourg because from here I’m heading to Switzerland and it’s just closer and made more sense. I was just thinking about it. And last year when I started my Europe trip, I had only been to 12 or 13 countries at that point, which is not a small number, but compared to 30, it is quite small.
And yeah, it’s just been an incredible travel year for me. I ended up traveling to a lot of countries that I’d already been to as well. So the US, Indonesia, the Maldives, and I’ve been to Switzerland like four times already now. So yeah, very, very grateful for the incredible year of travel that I’ve had. But anyway, this is a longish train ride. So I’m going to get some work done, enjoy the view outside, maybe take a nap as well, and see you all in Luxembourg.
I made it to Luxembourg. And the first really cool thing about Luxembourg is that the public transport in this entire country is free of cost. My hotel is just a five-minute walk from the station, so I’m just going to walk. But hopefully, I’ll get to use the free public transport later.
Where I Stayed In Luxembourg
I made it to my hotel. This is such a nice room. My room here is super nice. I’m staying at the Park Inn by Radisson. And yeah, this is a really nice hotel, very conveniently located. Also, the receptionist here was super nice. I asked her for recommendations of things to do in Luxembourg because I’d come here very unprepared.
And she gave me this map and pointed out things I could check out. I don’t want to waste too much time in the room. Let’s head out and explore Luxembourg.
First Impressions Of Luxembourg
The plan for today is that there is actually no plan. I’m just walking around. There are a couple of sightseeing spots I want to check out and a few nice viewpoints as well. I want to grab some food. And then in the evening, literally, the sun is going to set in two and a half, three hours because it’s wintertime. But thankfully, there are Christmas markets going on right now.
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So I’m going to check that out in the evening. But oh my God, look at the view from here. This place literally looks like some modern fairytale. It’s very interesting to see the juxtaposition of these old schoolhouses against these new buildings.
Interesting Facts About Luxembourg
So as I’m walking around, I’m going to share a few fun facts about Luxembourg with you. The first thing is that Luxembourg is the second richest country in the world. It used to be the first, but I think recently that’s changed. But either way, it’s one of the richest countries in the world.
And the minimum wage over here is the highest in all of the EU. I think it’s about €1,900 or so, which is a lot of money, but I’m sure the cost of living is also very high here. Another interesting fact is that Luxembourg is actually one of the smallest countries in the world, one of the safest countries, and also the country with the maximum number of car owners.
Lots and lots of cars here, despite the free public transport, I wonder why. But yeah, I was just checking online and for every 1,000 people here, I think 674 people own cars, which is a crazy high amount. Wow, there’s actually free WiFi. Luxembourg has three official languages French, German, and Luxembourgish, which is I think like German. But everyone here speaks English as well.
Notrederm Cathedral
So this year behind me is the Notrederm Cathedral, which I think is the only cathedral in all of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a country, but it’s also the capital of the country and the whole country itself is small, and so is the city. Something crazy that I’ve noticed here is that there aren’t too many people in this city. I’ve been walking around and I haven’t seen too many tourists or just people in general.
All I’ve seen are tons of cars. And that’s because I was reading up about the population. And about 50 % of the people here in Luxembourg are actually immigrants. And about 50 % travel to Luxembourg for work. So they don’t actually live here in Luxembourg. They’re either traveling from Belgium, France, or Germany for work. So on the weekends, the population of this country is half of what it is.
And the population itself is quite small. It’s like 500 to 600,000 people. That was so beautiful from the inside. There was the Cathedral and also a crypt in the basement. But it was a but you see what I mean about this place being super empty? This is such a massive square and there are hardly any people here. But yeah, I’m not complaining.
Palais Grand-Ducal
Another very interesting fact about Luxembourg is that it is the only country in the world with a grand Duchy, which means that it is ruled by either the grand duke or the Duchess. Presently, it is ruled by the grand duke, Crown Prince Henry, who lives in this building.
This is the palace and guards marching outside as well. In fact, the country’s official name is actually the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. I honestly had no idea about this before visiting this place.
That there is the palace and honestly, I cannot get over how empty this country is. Literally no one over here.
Panoramic Elevator Of The Pfaffenthal
By the way, don’t let all the sunshine fool you. It’s an extremely cold day today. I can’t feel my fingers. I’m just walking up to this point from where you get a panoramic view of the city. The sun is already starting to set, so I hope I make it in time. At the end of this tunnel, you can actually get a panoramic view of the city and it’s completely free of cost.
There on top is where I was and I took an elevator down to this really cute part of Luxembourg. The elevator ride was also free, by the way. I don’t think I’ve been to any country or city with so many free things. Honestly, I’m convinced I’m inside a fairytale. This is literally looking like a movie set.
Just a tower gate casually in the middle of the city. And of course, no people, but tons of cars. I kept saying I want to use free public transport, but honestly, this is such a small and walkable city that you probably may not even need public transport. But just for fun, I think I’ll take a free tram ride.
The lights are on and the city is looking so beautiful. The view from the top actually looks even nicer with all the lights on. Truly magical. Anyway, right now I’m walking up to the center of the city. There are some Christmas markets there, which I thought I’ll check out. And also feeling super hungry, so gonna grab some food.
Dinner And Meeting An Indian
So in case you couldn’t tell from my extremely red nose, it is actually freezing outside. So I’ve come indoors to this restaurant to get some shelter and get some food. So I’m at this restaurant called Asian Kitchen. Also, I met Rekhaji here, who actually is here for nine years. She is living here since 2013. And She The First Indian I saw in Luxembourg.
So I’ve ordered some Vietnamese spring rolls for myself, some coffee, and yeah, I feel like I’ve just been missing Asian food. And traditional Luxembourgish food is actually a lot of non-vegetarian stuff, which I don’t eat. So, yeah, I’m going to be eating this. I feel like nothing beats Asian food.
Christmas Markets
So I checked out one of the Christmas markets, and the main Christmas market here, unfortunately, is shut because apparently yesterday there was a fire. So that place is shut now, but also it’s freezing outside. I was just checking the temperature. It’s minus three. It says it fleets, like minus six.
Say, I’ve just been freezing outside. So sort of cafe hopping at this cafe called Independent Cafe right now. Got me some hot chocolate and some fries. Let’s dig right in. Ordered myself another hot chocolate. The hot chocolate here is so good.
Day 2 In Luxembourg
Good morning, everyone. It’s a new day in Luxembourg. My last few hours here, starting my day with some breakfast. And on the weather app, it says it feels like minus ten. So that’s funny. Just took a free bus ride, that one in the back, and it dropped me off right in front of Notre Dame.
Plan For The Day
So today I actually wanted to check out two things. One of them is a viewpoint called, I think Sheman de la Cornish, if I’m pronouncing it right. And the other one was Vanden Castle. But as I mentioned, it is a freezing day, and honestly, I feel like I’m coming down with something. So I’m going to skip Vanden Castle because it’s not actually in Luxembourg City.
There is free public transport, so you can take the bus and go there. And I’m sure it’s worth checking out, but I’m going to save it for next time. Hopefully, there is the next time. So, yeah, I’m going to skip the Castle, unfortunately. But I’m walking up to the viewpoint right now. Hopefully, that’s nice. Literally cannot feel my fingers.
Chemin De La Corniche (Most Beautifull Spot In Luxembourg)
I’ve made it. And oh my God, this view is spectacular. All this time I’ve been saying that Luxembourg looks like a fairy tale, but this pot in particular literally looks like a fairy tale. In fact, this cliff top has been referred to as the most beautiful balcony in Europe. And I can see why. I cannot believe this exists in the middle of a city. This is so beautiful. And if you’re in Luxembourg, you should definitely check this out. Looks like it snowed here last evening. It’s a good thing to live.
Also, another thing worth checking out while you’re in Luxembourg is this thing called Bok Case Mates. It’s unfortunately temporarily closed right now. Maybe it’s just closed in wintertime, I’m not sure, but it’s basically like these tunnels that are built underground. But yeah, just going to stay here for a while and enjoy this view.
This spot was truly amazing. So glad I got to check this out. But the time right now is 11:30. I’m actually planning to take a train at twelve five to Zurich, so I would really have to run back now, pack my suitcase and check out.
Taking A Train From Luxembourg To Zurich
So made it to the station. I literally rushed to get here on time to catch my train and turns out my train was actually canceled. Apparently, there’s a strike in France and my train to Zurich goes via France. So now I need to figure out what to do because I think all of these trains throughout the day are canceled.
So, yeah, that’s fun. Going to go and figure out this situation, but anyway, that’s all from Luxembourg. I had such an amazing time here. This country pleasantly surprised me so much. It’s beautiful. Literally, like a modern fairy tale because there’s so much modernity over here in the midst of this medieval fairy tale setting. So, yeah, that’s the end of this article. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and I’ll see you next time from a different place. Bye.