2. Luxembourg City

The capital of Luxembourg is a small, ethnically diverse city of 130,000 people, with 170 nationalities representing 47% of the population. We walked around the city today, hearing many languages being spoken. Natives speak primarily French, followed by Luxembourgish (I honestly didn't know that was a language), then German.

As we strolled through the "old town", we walked the Chemin de la Corniche, which is a pedestrian walkway built into the side of a mountain offering views of the valley. Someone has subtitled "the most beautiful balcony in Europe". (I think that is a bit of a stretch).

We also saw the Grand Ducal Palace where the Duke resides (Luxembourg operates as a constitutional monarchy), Cathedrale Notre Dame, and stopped at the City Museum to see the "All You Can Eat" exhibit.

The more modern parts of the city had your standard fare of business buildings, shops, hotels and many cafes, bakeries & pubs. Our hotel was a boutique unit, with a comfortable room, strategically located a few blocks from the train station (and definitely in the hood).

I'm left a bit underwhelmed by the city, and look forward to heading to Lyon tomorrow, where we will catch up with a friend we met on our South America trip in 2019.Read more