Architectural walks
Historical cultural heritage or contemporary works – the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg is in the tense atmosphere of tradition, modernity and avant-garde. It is a melting pot for international architecture!
Luxembourg’s cities and villages offer interesting walks and guided tours.
Ehnen, the charming vine-village at the Luxembourgian Moselle, surprises with its renaissance architecture and the only round church in the Grand-Duchy. Diekirch kept the structure of the medieval center.
Former castle villages proudly tell their stories and legends and pass by many impressive building of the last centuries. There are many feudal castles in Luxembourg – most of them represent late-gothic or early renaissance architecture. Especially Clervaux, Vianden, Bourscheid, Beaufort stand out. Useldange is awarded for the maintenance of its rich rural architecture and cultural heritage with the European “Europa Nostra” award. The opening up of its castle for visually handicapped persons is categorized as a pilot project by the UNESCO. Baroque and graceful appears the abbey of Echternach which is surrounded by a baroque park with an orangery, fountains and rococo pavilion. The city Echternach itself is awarded by the European commission as “European Destination of Excellence” due to its efforts for sustainable tourism. Comparable to the outstanding abbey is the castle of Ansemburg, whose parks tell stories about mythology. And also sacral art has its place – from romance to contemporary architecture to Gothic, Baroque, Classism and Historism.
Esch-Alzette takes a very special position in the architectural history of Luxembourg. It is – in the middle of a former iron ore basin – the old economical heart of Luxembourg! Historism, Art Déco and Modernity developed here in an impressive way. And even today the prospective University City stands out due to its contemporary architecture. In Esch-Belval you find one of the most modern train stations in Europe.
The capital – with its old town and the fortifications classified as UNESCO world heritage sites – offer several guided tours. But you can see much more than just impressive bastions drawn by Vauban. Luxembourg is a European Capital and an international financial center. The high and low cities, big and small, tradition and avant-garde, local and cosmopolitan – all these characteristics unite in great harmony and extensive green parks. The world-renowned architects Ieoh Mign Pei, Christian de Portzamparc, Dominique Perrault, Gottfried Böhm, the bureau Arquitectonia and many more have left their marks on the skyline of Luxembourg and give the city its special atmosphere!
The Grand-Duchy surprises also thanks to its rich industrial heritage. The workers housing estate in Lasauvage, historical railway infrastructure in Fond-de-Gras, the copper mine in Stolzemburg or the old tanneries in Obermaterlingen – the industrial heritage gets an exciting adventure on combination with contemporary architecture. The conversion of the former industrial site in Belval to the most modern university campus in Europe is a unique and ambitious project. A former brewery site in Luxembourg-Clausen has become the favorite district for going out of the capital.
