Luxembourg > By train to Luxembourg City

The alarm goes off at nine o’clock. After a hearty breakfast, we drive to the village of Kautenbach and park the car near the station just outside the village. For four euros, you can travel by train all day, and children under 11 travel for free. We take the train to Luxembourg City. This train runs every hour. At the station, several Dutch travelers are waiting. It’s drizzling, but that doesn’t spoil the fun. The train is nearly ten minutes late—no announcement, no information, it’s just late. On the train, we have a six-person compartment to ourselves, and outside the Luxembourgish landscape passes by. After two intermediate stops, the train arrives in Luxembourg City about 35 minutes later. From the train, we see the city center, the casemates, and the steep elevation changes throughout the city. The station is in the newer part of the city. We walk past shops toward the actual center. Crossing a bridge, we enter the narrow alleys bustling with activity. We walk through a medieval market, where various traditional crafts are displayed, and continue to the casemates. First, we decide to get a drink, especially since it’s now raining heavily. With the umbrella open, we walk to a small café. When we step outside again, it’s dry, and we continue exploring the city.

Luxembourg - The casemates served to defend the city

We descend via stairs down into the gorge. Along the bottom, we walk back toward the casemates. From below, we get a good view of the rock inlets but still have to climb a bit to reach the other side. On the opposite side, we stroll through a small park along the water. Eventually, we climb several stairways and ramps up to the rock itself. We buy tickets for the casemates and go inside. Through a labyrinth of corridors and rooms, we make our way from one side of the rock to the other. Narrow spiral staircases lead us meters down into passageways, only to discover dead ends. After exploring all the corridors, we head to the exit. It’s a remarkable experience, and it’s no wonder the casemates are on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. By now, it’s past three o’clock, and we decide to get a sandwich at the local McDonald’s. On the square by McDonald’s, various games are organized for children. While we order a beer on the terrace, Wouter and Carline entertain themselves on the square. Later in the afternoon, we also visit the other square with games, where you can play giant Connect Four, a fairground is set up, and much more. Around half past five, we walk back to the station for the return journey to the campsite in Kautenbach. In the evening, we eat macaroni by the tent.