Its status as capital and its place in
the European infrastructure (Secretary
of the European Parliament, Court
of Justice, European Bank, etc.)
would suggest to us that this
is an ultramodern international
metropolis of glass skyscrapers.
In reality, Luxembourg is a far cry
from this image. Visitors are
delightfully surprised by its human
scale and large town feeling.
Nestling between the green valleys
of the Petrusse and the Alzette rivers,
on which span a multitude of
bridges, this fortress city is sublimely
divided between city and country life.
On arriving in Luxembourg we suddenly understand why it is
called the “Gibraltar of the North”. On the heights of steep
sandstone rock, Luxembourg proudly stands as one of the most
fortified sites in the world. These fortifications have evolved
over three centuries and are a
result of diverse historical
occupation - Burgundy, Austrian,
French, German, Spanish, etc.
They are composed of forts and
strongholds (even carved into the
stone!) and boast an extraordinary
maze of underground tunnels - 23
kilometres and over 40,000 m2 of
bomb shelters, able to hold
thousands of defenders. In the 19th
century these fortifications
contained a surface area stretching
for 180 ha. However, following
the Treaty of London in 1867
proclaiming the country’s neutrality,
most were dismantled. Only 10%
remain visible today, but these
remaining fortifications provide sufficient testimony to give us a
true picture of Luxembourg in its days as an active fortified city.
The remaining strongholds have been classed on the UNESCO
World Heritage list since 1994.
Our walk begins at the Place d’Armes (1).
This shaded square is
truly the heart of the city. Residents and tourists appreciating a
moment of relaxation fill the café terraces from the first pretty
days of spring; no wonder the inhabitants of Luxembourg have
nicknamed this square “the living room” of the city. All around
the square stretches a pedestrian zone offering numerous
shops.We now take the Rue du Curé from the square, arriving in
front of the Grand Ducal Palace (2). Since the year 1895 this 16th
century Renaissance palace hosts most official functions.
Let us now head down the Rue de la Reine towards the Place
Guillaume II (Guillaume II Square) (3), thus appropriately named in
honour of Guillaume II, King of The Netherlands and Great Duke
of Luxembourg (1840-1849), providing Luxembourg with its first
parliamentary constitution. We follow Rue de Chimay before
arriving at the Place de la Constitution (Constitution Square). (4). This square was built on the site of the old Beck
bastion, named after a governor of
Luxembourg. It was originally the work of
the Spanish during the 17th century, but it
is Vauban who gave this square its actual
reputation. From this spot you are invited
to admire stunning views over the
Petrusse ravine and the Adolph II Bridge.
At the time of its construction (1900-
1903) this was the largest stone arched
bridge ever built.
Roosevelt Boulevard now leads us to the
St Esprit plateau (5), from where we may
enjoy magnificent views over the
Petrusse and Alzette valleys from the
heights of the citadel built by Vauban.
Heading down towards the Chemin de la
Corniche (6), the “most beautiful balcony
in Europe” declared Batty Weber, resident of Luxembourg, we
are able to admire the elegant facades of the noble residences
dominating the lower city of Grund. The walkway follows the
ramparts built by the Spanish and the French that run along the
Alzette until Bock Rock (7).
This rocky spur, in the past
connected to the city by a drawbridge (today this has been
replaced by a castle bridge), is the cradle of Luxembourg. It is on
this spot that the first castle and the first fortifications were
built, followed by the construction of the city. Successive
occupations and invasions took place at Bock Rock. On the
surface remains only the tower, named La Dent Creuse (the
hollow tooth). From the summit of the ruins we pause to
admire beautiful panoramas over the Rham plateau, the
buildings of certain European institutions on the Kirchberg
plateau (8) and over the lower cities of Grund (9), Clausen (10) and Pfaffenthal (11).
In honour of the millennium the city of
Luxembourg undertook the construction of a Millennium monument. Thanks to this undertaking the ruins of the
first castle of Luxembourg were discovered.As a result, the initial
project was brought to a halt and the castle’s ruins thence came
to be known as the Millennium Monument.
Although the Bock fortifications have nearly disappeared, this is
not the case of the blockhouses. This extensive 23 kilometre
underground network was built by the Austrians in 1745. Today
just a small section of the galleries may be visited, however this is
sufficient to give you an idea of the vastness of this stone maze.
The archaeological crypt is home to vestiges, as well as a video
presentation of the site’s historical significance.
Returning to the surface we now follow-up our visit by crossing
the Fisherman’s Market Square (12), an area outlined by old
residences, before heading down towards the lower city of Grund
via the Rue Large and the Rue Saint Ulric.We now arrive in the
Petrusse Valley that separates the old city from the Bourbon
plateau, serving as a natural defence to the Luxembourg fortress.
At certain places next to the river bed we discover still today
ruins of the wall of the former Bourbon locks, destined to flood
the valley in the event of enemy attack. Petrusse Valley is today
an extremely pleasant verdant area for rambling; we are almost
able to forget that we are still within the walls of the city.
Look up and admire the view of the viaduct (13), and the
Adolph Bridge (14) from an entirely different angle.
We now head up to our final destination, passing under Adolph
Bridge towards the old city and our point of departure, as one of
the café terraces is awaiting us for a well-deserved beverage after
this long, yet fascinating, discovery walk…
