There are plenty of guides telling you what you have to see in Luxembourg City. This isn’t really one of them. This is much closer to how I actually like to spend a Saturday in the city: start at the market, walk without too much of a plan, stop somewhere easy for lunch, browse some of my favourite independent shops, find something sweet in the afternoon and finish with a really good dinner.
You will still see some of Luxembourg City’s most beautiful landmarks along the way. You just won’t spend the entire day ticking them off a list.
And in autumn, when the city turns shades of gold, orange and red, that’s exactly how I think Luxembourg is best enjoyed.
Start at the Saturday Market
If family schedules cooperate, one of my favourite Saturday traditions is heading into the city for the market at Place Guillaume II.
The Stater Maart takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and brings together stalls selling fruit and vegetables, cheese, bread, flowers, plants and other local and seasonal products.
I almost always end up at the flowers. Buy a bouquet to take home, pick up something delicious and take a little time to wander around the square before heading deeper into the city. There’s no need to rush. That’s rather the point.
START HERE: Place Guillaume II, Luxembourg City
Walk Towards the Corniche
From the city centre, start making your way towards one of the most beautiful parts of Luxembourg.
You don’t necessarily need to commit to the entire three-hour Wenzel Circular Walk to experience it. I prefer simply wandering towards the Bock and Chemin de la Corniche and letting the route unfold from there.
The views over the Alzette valley and Grund are beautiful throughout the year, but autumn makes this part of the city particularly special.
Walk along the Corniche, take in the old fortifications and then make your way down towards the Grund if you feel like extending the walk. This is one of those times when I’d deliberately avoid mapping every turn.
Luxembourg City is small enough to wander, and some of the best parts of it are discovered when you stop worrying about where you’re supposed to be going.
Keep Lunch Simple at Charles Sandwiches
By now, you’re going to be hungry. But don’t make lunch the main event. We’re saving that for dinner.
I would stop at Charles Sandwiches in the city centre. The sandwiches are delicious, the location is easy and it’s exactly the kind of uncomplicated lunch that works when you still have an afternoon of wandering ahead of you.
Grab a sandwich, refuel and keep going.
FIND IT: 19 Rue Chimay, Luxembourg City
Spend the Afternoon Shopping
This is where I’d abandon the itinerary almost entirely.
Luxembourg City’s independent shopping scene is easy to overlook, particularly if you stay on the main shopping streets. Some of my favourite places are the smaller boutiques and concept stores scattered around the centre.
Modu Shop
Modu Shop is exactly my kind of boutique. It’s beautifully curated, independent and filled with fashion, accessories and lifestyle pieces that you aren’t going to find everywhere else.
It’s the kind of shop where I often go intending just to have a quick look and inevitably find something.
FIND IT: 3 Côte d’Eich
kyō
Conveniently, kyō is right next door to Modu, which makes this an easy two-for-one stop.
It’s another beautifully curated independent boutique with fashion, accessories, jewellery and interesting finds that make shopping in a smaller city much more fun.
FIND IT: 5 Côte d’Eich
Romantico Romantico Studios
Romantico Romantico is another one I always like to browse.
Known for its jewellery and distinctive aesthetic, the brand has expanded into other beautifully designed pieces, including homeware. It feels fun, individual and very different from shopping at one of the big international chains.
FIND IT: 86 Grand-Rue
STITCH
STITCH is another favourite stop of mine; it’s a multi-brand boutique with a great mix of fashion and accessories and is always worth popping into to see what’s new.
FIND IT: 4 Grand-Rue
La Manufacture Bohème
If you love interiors and beautiful things for your home, don’t skip this one.
La Manufacture Bohème is filled with the kind of things I find very difficult to walk past: ceramics, textiles, candles, tableware, stationery, jewellery, gifts and little decorative pieces you didn’t know you needed until approximately thirty seconds ago.
It’s also a lovely place to find a gift that feels a little more special. They have a wonderful section for small kids as well.
FIND IT: 9 Rue Chimay
Devï
Devï is beautifully curated, with a mix of clothing and accessories that feels a little more interesting than what you’ll find in the bigger shops. I particularly like it for discovering smaller brands and pieces I wouldn’t necessarily have gone looking for.
FIND IT: 7 Rue Aldringen
Always See What’s Popped Up
One of the fun things about shopping in Luxembourg City is that something new is constantly appearing.
Temporary boutiques, independent designers, seasonal concepts and pop-ups come and go, so I always have a look to see what’s opened recently before heading into town. That also means this particular part of the itinerary is supposed to change.
If there’s an interesting pop-up happening when you visit, add it to the day.
One of the things I love most about living in Luxembourg is that you don’t always need to leave the country to feel like you’ve had a proper day out. And autumn might be when Luxembourg City does this best.
Time for a Cookie
At some point in the afternoon, I am going to need a cookie. Specifically, a cookie from The Little Bakeshop.
I’ve already mentioned The Little Bakeshop in our Luxembourg coffee guide, but the cookies deserve another mention here because they are so good.
This is the perfect point in the afternoon to stop, order a cookie and something warm to drink and sit for a little while before heading back out. On a chilly autumn afternoon, this is exactly what I want.
FIND IT: 7 Rue du Palais de Justice, Luxembourg City
Keep Wandering
After that, don’t add another attraction simply because you feel like you should. Luxembourg City is particularly beautiful towards the end of an autumn afternoon, when the light starts to change and the streets begin to quiet down.
Browse another shop. Walk through the old town. Head back towards the Corniche. Stop for a glass of wine if somewhere looks inviting.
Finish with Dinner at Brasserie Beaulieu
This is why I didn’t suggest a huge lunch. Head over to Bonnevoie and finish the day at Brasserie Beaulieu, one of my favourite choices for a cozy fall dinner.
It has that intimate Parisian-neighbourhood-brasserie feeling I love: small tables, warm lighting, very good wine and a menu that changes regularly.
After a day spent walking around the city, shopping and eating cookies, settling in here for dinner feels exactly right. Order some wine, see what’s on the ever changing menu and take your time.
FIND IT: 25 Rue Félix de Blochausen, Bonnevoie
Looking for more places for a cold-weather dinner? Read our guide to Cozy Restaurants in Luxembourg for Autumn.
The CSL Autumn Day
If you want the abbreviated version:
MORNING: Saturday market at Place Guillaume II
WALK: Old Town → Bock → Corniche → Grund
LUNCH: Charles Sandwiches
SHOP: Modu → kyō → Romantico Romantico → STITCH → La Manufacture Bohème → Devï + whatever has popped up lately
AFTERNOON: Cookie + warm drink at The Little Bakeshop
WANDER: No itinerary required
DINNER: Brasserie Beaulieu
