Luxembourg in One Day: The Honest Itinerary

Morning: Ville Haute and the Corniche

Start at 09:00 on Place d’Armes with a coffee at Chocolate House across from the Grand Ducal Palace. Walk to the Palace for the 10:00 exterior changeover of the guard, then cut through Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes to the Bock Casemates. Buy the 8-euro ticket and spend 45 minutes in the tunnels; the views from the upper galleries do the heavy lifting.

By 11:30 you’re on the Chemin de la Corniche, the balcony walk Batty Weber called Europe's most beautiful. Follow it south to Plateau du Saint-Esprit, then take the free Pfaffenthal panoramic lift down 71 metres into the valley for lunch.

Afternoon: Grund, then Kirchberg

Eat at Scott's Pub or Big Beer Company along the Alzette in Grund — a Bouneschlupp and a Bofferding runs about 18 euros. From 14:00 walk the riverside path under the viaduct back up via the free Grund elevator to Plateau du Saint-Esprit. Catch tram line T1 at Hamilius (free, like all public transport nationwide) for the 12-minute ride to Kirchberg.

Get off at Philharmonie/MUDAM. The Mudam contemporary art museum is 8 euros and closes at 18:00; give it 90 minutes. Walk the Pei-designed forecourt, peek inside the Philharmonie, then tram back by 18:30.

Evening and where to sleep

Have dinner in the Gare district around Rue de Strasbourg — Um Plateau's sister bistros or a Portuguese grill on Rue de Bonnevoie both land under 40 euros. Sleep in Ville Haute if budget allows (Hôtel Le Place d’Armes, Hôtel Simoncini) so tomorrow's departure is painless; otherwise the Gare cluster around the station has Novotel, Mercure and Ibis within 300 metres of the platforms for half the price.