← Euro Marathon Metz·Day trip

Luxembourg City: A Day Above the Valleys

A capital built on cliffs above two river valleys, less than an hour up the line from Metz, where lifts do the climbing and public transport inside the country is free.

DurationDay trip
TransitDirect train, around 50 minutes from Metz-Ville
DepartsMetz-Ville

After the Euro Marathon Metz: Luxembourg City

The Route: Metz-Ville → Luxembourg → Metz-Ville Logistics: Direct trains, around 50 minutes each way, running through the day. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip

Metz-Ville ──(≈50 min direct train)──> Luxembourg
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Metz-Ville ◄──(≈50 min direct train)────────┘

The Euro Marathon Metz finishes a few hundred metres from Metz-Ville station, and the trains to Luxembourg leave from the same platforms. It is the easiest day out from Metz, and a good one for the Monday: Luxembourg City sits on a sandstone plateau above the Alzette and Pétrusse valleys, but lifts and a free bus network remove most of the climbing. Mid-October is cool and usually quiet after the summer visitors have gone.

Buy a ticket to Luxembourg at Metz-Ville. Once you cross the border, buses, trams and second-class trains inside Luxembourg are free, which makes the city easy to cover on tired legs.

The Old Town and the Fortifications

From Luxembourg station, take a bus or the tram towards the Ville Haute, the old town on the plateau. The old quarters and the remains of the fortress that once earned the city the name "Gibraltar of the North" are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Chemin de la Corniche, a walkway along the old ramparts, is flat and gives the best views down into the Grund district and the Alzette valley below.

The Grand Ducal Palace, on Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes, and the Place Guillaume II market square are a short, level walk from the Corniche. Stay on the plateau for the morning and let the legs decide about the valleys.

Down to the Valleys Without the Stairs

The Pfaffenthal panoramic lift drops from the Ville Haute to the Pfaffenthal district in the valley, with a glass-floored viewpoint at the top, and it costs nothing. A funicular on the far side of the valley links Pfaffenthal to Kirchberg. Between them, you can see the valley floor and the old bridges without walking the steep streets that connect the two levels.

Getting Back

Trains back to Metz-Ville run through the evening, around 50 minutes. Check the last departure at sncf-connect.com or cfl.lu before settling into dinner, and remember that the free travel ends at the French border, so the return leg needs a ticket.