Luxembourg Guide for Tourist

BOURG

Cathedrale de Notre Dame incorporates features of the Dutch Renaissance and early Baroque styles, and houses the tomb of John the Blind, the 14th-century King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg. (Entrance at bd. Roosevelt. Open M-F 9am-6:15pm, Sa 9am-6:30pm, Su 9am-10:30am and noon-6pm. Free.)

ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE

At night, the place d’Armes comes to life with free concerts and stand-up comedy. Pick up a copy of Nico at the tourist office for a list of nightlife action and events. On the eve of the Grand Duke’s birthday (June 23), the city shuts down to honor their beloved Duke with a dusk-til-dawn fiesta filled with fireworks, alcohol, and fun. Nightlife centers on the valley in the Grund (by the bottom of the elevator lift on pi. du St-Esprit) and the Clausen area. On weekends, dance the night away at Melusina, 145 r. de la Tour Jacob (43 59 22), a cafe-by-day that becomes a popular student nightspot when the sun sets. (Entrees ‚7.40-17. Open M-Th ll:30am-2pm and 7-llpm, F-Sa ll;30am-2pm and 7pm-3am.) To get there, cross the bridge from the Grund lift, follow r. de Treves, and veer left as it becomes r. de la Tour Jacob. At Blow Up, 14 av. de la Faiencerie, three rooms pump house, 80s, and Latin music late into the night. (43 34 86. Cover ‚10. Wednesday women free. Open W-Sa nights.) For more drinking and less dancing, try Urban, at the comer of r. de la Boucherie and r. du Marche-aux-Herbes, a posh downtown pub and restaurant. ( 264 78 57 80. Open daily noon-lam.)

THE ARDENNES

Six decades ago, the Battle of the Bulge (1944) mashed Luxembourg into the mud. Today, quiet towns, looming castles, and pleasant hiking trails are powerful draws.

ETTELBRUCK. Ettelbriick’s (pop. 7,000) position on the main railway line between Liege, Belgium, and Luxembourg City makes it the transportation hub for the Ardennes. The General Patton Memorial Museum, 5 r. Dr. Klein, commemorates Luxembourg’s liberation during WWII. (81 03 22. Open July to mid-Sept. daily 10am-5pm; mid-Sept. to June Su 2-5pm. ‚2.50.) Trains go to: Clervaux (30min. every hr.); Diekirch (5min. every 20-40min.); and Luxembourg City (25min. 2 per hr.). Buses go to Diekirch (lOmin. every 15-40min. ‚1.60). To get to the city center from the station, go left on r. du Prince Henri, continue right at the fork, then turn left on Grand Rue and follow it to pi. de l’Eglise. The tourist office is in the train station. ( 81 20 68; site@pt.lu. Open July-Aug. M-F 9am-noon and l:30-5pm, Sa 10am-noon and 24pm; Sept.-May closed Sa.) To get to Ettelbriick Hostel (HI) , r. G. D. Josephine-Charlotte, head left out of the station and follow the signs. (81 22 69; ettelbruck@youthhostels.lu. Breakfast and sheets included. Lockout 10am-5pm. Dorms ‚15.) Camping Kalkesdelt O is at 22 r. du Camping. ( 81 21 85. Open Apr.-Oct. Reception daily 7:30am-noon and 2-10pm. ‚4.30 per person, ‚4 per site.) Del-haize grocery is close to the center of town. (Open M-F 8am-7pm, Sa 8am-6pm.)

DIEKIRCH. Diekirch (pop. 6,000) was evacuated during WWII in the face of imminent German attack. Today, the only invaders are backpackers and outdoorsy-types. The National Museum of Military History, 10 Bamertal, showcases moving relics from WWII’s Battle of the Bulge. (80 89 08. Open Apr.-Oct. daily 10am-6pm;

Clairefontaine (80 84 38; speibike@pt.lu. ‚10 per half-day, ‚15 per day.) Call ahead to rent canoes from Outdoor Center, 10 r. de la Sure. (86 91 39. From ‚17.50 per day.) Trains head to Luxembourg City (35min. 2 per hr.) via Ettelbriick (5min.). Buses run to: Echtemach (40min. every hr.); Ettelbriick (2 per hr. ‚4.60); and Vianden (#570; 20min. every hr.). To get to the tourist office, 3 pi. de la Liberation, turn left out of the station; at the fork, and follow r. du Pont to Grand Rue to pi. de la Liberation. (80 30 23; www.diekirch,lu. Open July-Aug. M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su lOam-noon and 2-4pm; off-season reduced hours.) Au Beau-Sejour , 12 Esplanade, is pricey, but convenient. (80 34 03; beausejour.@pt.lu. Reception daily 8am-midnight. Singles ‚50; doubles ‚72.) Pitch your tent at Camping de la Sure , 34 rte. de Gilsdorf. (80 94 25; tourisme@diekirch.lu. Open Apr.-Sept. ‚4.80 per person, ‚4.30 per tent.) Match supermarket is off r. Alexis Heck. (Open M-Th 8:30am-7:30pm, F 8:30am-8pm, Sa 8am-6pm.)

VIANDEN. The village of Vianden (pop. 2,000), is home to one of the most impressive castles in Western Europe. Ride the H telesiege up to the chateau, a mix of Carolingian, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture, filled with armor, furniture, and tapestries. (83 41 08. Chateau open Apr.-Sept. daily 10am-6pm. ‚4.50, students ‚3.50. Telesiege 83 43 23. Open July-Aug. daily 10am-6:30pm; off-season reduced hours. ‚2.75, students ‚1.50.) The Maison Victor Hugo, 37 r. de la Gare, housed the author of Les Miserables during his exile from France. (s26 87 40 88; www.victor-hugo.lu. Open Jan.-Oct. Su and Tu-Sa llam-6pm.) Hikers enjoy Vian-den’s many trails; some also bike to Diekirch (13km) and Echtemach (30km).

Buses head to Ettelbriick (#570; 30min. 2 per hr. ‚2.40) via Diekirch (20min.). The tourist office, 1 r. du Vieux Marche is next to the main bus stop. (83 42 57; www.tourist-info-vianden.lu. Open M-F 8am-noon and l-6pm, Sa 10am-2pm, Su 2-4pm.) To reach the Youth Hostel (HI) , 3 Montee du Chateau, follow Grande Rue away from the river up the hill; turn onto Montee du Chateau. (83 41 77; vianden@youthhostels.lu. Breakfast and sheets included. Reception daily 8-10am and 5-9pm. Lockout 10am-5pm. Curfew 11pm. Open May-Dee. Dorms ‚15. Nonmembers add ‚3.) Relax by the fountain at Hotel Berg en Dal , 3 r. de la Gare. (83 41 27; info@hotel-bergendal.com. Breakfast included. Singles ‚34, with shower ‚37, with bath ‚52; doubles ‚384874.) Camp op dem Deich , r. Neugarten, alongside the Our river, is 5min. downstream from the tourist office. ( 83 43 75. Open Apr.-Sept. ‚4 per person, ‚4.50 per site.)

CLERVAUX. You’ll see more faces in Clervaux’s chateau than in the tiny town (pop. 1,000); the castle houses Edward Steichen’s moving SFamily of Man, an exhibit of 500 photos from 68 countries, depicting milestones of human life, emphasizing the common bonds of the human experience. (92 96 57. Open Mar.-Dec. Su and Tu-Sa 10am-6pm. ‚7, students ‚3.50.) To get to the chateau and the Benedictine Abbey, turn left out of the train station. (Abbey open daily 9am-7pm. Free.) Trains run to: Ettelbriick (25min. every 30min.); Luxembourg City (50min. every hr.); and Liege, Belgium (l%hr. every 2hr.). The tourist office, in the castle, finds rooms. (o92 00 72; www.tourisme-clervaux.lu. Open July-Aug. daily 9:45-11:45am and 2-6pm; off-season reduced hours.) Camping Officiel , 33 Klatzewe, is near the river. ( 92 00 42. Open Apr.-Nov. ‚4.30 per person, ‚4.30 per tent.)

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