Getting to Luxembourg/Centre by public transport

The Villa Vauban is located in the heart of the city, surrounded by historic parkland that is the perfect place for relaxation. The stately urban villa was built in 1873 on foundations that date back to the time when Luxembourg was a fortified town. A modern extension has been added and the building was completely refurbished in the early 2000s. The museum presents changing exhibitions based on its own collections (European art from the 17th to the 19th century and Luxembourgish art from the 20th and 21st centuries).

Natural history and the natural sciences are presented here in a simple yet fascinating way: in addition to its permanent exhibition, the “natur musée” regularly hosts special and focused exhibitions all about plants, animals and the universe. It’s educational, lively and unusual. The museum’s two gardens, shop and cafeteria are also pleasant places to spend time. The museum is located in the charming Grund district and can be easily reached via the lift from the Plateau St. Esprit or on foot along the picturesque cobbled streets surrounding the Corniche.

Their origin goes back to 1644, when the Spaniards reinforced the medieval fortifications. Under the supervision of the Swiss fortress builder Isaac von Treybach, they built - among other defence works-the powerful Beck Bastion, named after Governor Baron Johann von Beck, a native of the city who had played a key role in the Wallenstein affair on the side of the Emperor. Initially this bastion was as high as the adjacent terraces on the right; it was raised to the present level of Constitution Square (the wall is 27 meters high) by Vauban in 1685. In 1673 the Spaniards erected the so-called "Ravelin du Pate" to strengthen the defence of the Beck Bastion; this triangular construction is one of the few well-kept fortifications. Marshall de Vauban conferred the present shape to all the Petrusse fortifications and built the "Small Staircase". From 1728-29 the Austrians added the "Bourbon Lock" and the "Large Staircase" and in 1746 the casemates of the "Petrusse Battery" (54 gun emplacements). One century passed and the fortress was enlarged and reinforced: the second ring was extended and the third started, so that Luxembourg became the "Gibraltar of the North". By and by, the Petrusse fortifications fell into oblivion and neglect, as their strategic momentum limited itself to the valley. After the dismantling, stipulated by the 1867 London Treaty, they confined themselves to walling up the loopholes and most entrances. Only in 1933 were the Petrusse casemates valorized again: on 26th July, the first visitors were able to visit them.

Since its creation in 1977 by the City of Luxembourg, the Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg lives by the motto “to preserve and to show” international film heritage. The Cinémathèque’s extensive archives were started by its first curator, Fred Junck, and now constitute a true Cave of Wonders of some 20,000 prints, with titles ranging from classics to much rarer features. The collection also includes other historical artefacts: posters, photos, books, magazines, and optical objects such as magic lanterns. However, a film does not exist if it is not screened. Almost 50 years after the first public screening took place in the same historic cinema located in a former monastery, the Cinémathèque organized its first film presentation in February 1977: “La Bête Humaine” by Jean Renoir. The Cinémathèque’s big screen continues to enchant audiences right up until this day and it is the last cinema in Luxembourg to still screen films on celluloid (mainly from its own collection). It thus offers spectators the opportunity to appreciate the physical materiality of film in all its facets and unite them with all those who have seen movies in the same way for the past 120 years. Besides its daily screenings, the Cinémathèque is also a place for conviviality, debates and encounters with renowned cinema personalities. The list of guests that have visited over the decades is long and includes the likes of Jonas Mekas, Juliette Binoche, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Bertrand Tavernier, Costa-Gavras, Margarethe von Trotta, Abbas Kiarostami, Mike Leigh, and, more recently, Abel Ferrara, Pedro Costa and Radu Jude.

Situated near the Cathedral and the Government district, Place de Clairefontaine was redesigned at the end of the eighties in the framework of extensive restoration and reconstruction involving the entire district. The name of the square comes from a place of shelter, a refuge belonging to the abbey of Clairefontaine which is near the Belgian border. The same refuge was demolished in 1933. A monument in honour of Grand Duchess Charlotte (1896-1985), designed by the Parisian sculptor Jean Cardot, was erected on this square in April,1990. Grand Duchess Charlotte Among the famous statues in Luxembourg, the statue of Grand Duchess Charlotte on Place de Clairefontaine was designed by the french sculptor Jean Cardot. On 29th April 1990, the 2.75-metre-high bronze statue was officially inaugurated in the presence of the Grand Ducal family. Grand Duchess Charlotte (1896-1985), who was very popular with the Luxembourgers, ruled from 1919 to 1964.

As the town residence of the Grand Duke, the grand-ducal palace has unquestionably one of the most beautiful façades in the city (Flemish Renaissance, 16th century). Majestical interior and splendid above stairs (with light design by Ingo Maurer) can be visited exclusively during summer. Starting point of the Tour: Place Guillaume II