Where to stay in Luxembourg City
Luxembourg City is small, but it is built on a rock cut by two river gorges, so the map is flatter than the walking. Stay in the Ville Haute, the upper old town, for the sights at your door, in the Grund or Clausen down in the valley for views and evenings out, or by the Gare for trains and a lower bill. Kirchberg has modern hotels and the museums, a tram ride away. Public transport is free across the whole country, which makes the choice about feel more than distance. Weekdays are full of business travelers, so rates are often lower at weekends.
The short answer
- First trip
- The Ville Haute for the sights on foot, or the Grund for a view and a night out.
- Couples
- The Grund or Clausen for evenings in the valley, or the Ville Haute for a calm room.
- Families
- Kirchberg for flat streets, parks and the museums, or Limpertsberg.
- Tight budget
- Around the Gare, or Hollerich and Cloche d'Or, a tram ride from the center.
- Quiet
- Limpertsberg, Pfaffenthal or the Ville Haute after dark.
How we judge an area of Luxembourg City: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Luxembourg City's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Grand Ducal Palace | Bock Casemates | Gare Centrale | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ville Haute (the upper old town) | The sights on foot | Quiet | 5 min | 10 min | 20 min | On foot; trams and buses at Hamilius | €€€€ |
| Grund | Views, evenings out | Lively at weekends | 5 min | 5 min | 15 min | Lift or steps to the upper town; bus in the valley | €€€ |
| Clausen | Bars, a local night | Loud at weekends | 10 min | 5 min | 20 min | Bus in the valley; steps or lift up | €€€ |
| Pfaffenthal | Calm, local feel | Quiet | 10 min | 5 min | 30 min | Funicular and lift; bus | €€€ |
| Gare (the station quarter) | Trains, value | Busy around the station | 20 min | 20 min | 5 min | Station, trams, bus 29 to the airport | €€ |
| Limpertsberg | Quiet, parks | Very quiet | 15 min | 20 min | 35 min | Buses to the center | €€€ |
| Kirchberg | Museums, modern hotels | Quiet | 30 min | 30 min | 50 min | Tram T1 to the center | €€€ |
| Hollerich and Cloche d'Or | Lower prices | Quiet | 25 min | 30 min | 20 min | Tram and buses to the Gare | €€ |
Walking times are the straight line between two points plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. They are measured from the middle of each area, so a hotel at its edge will be a few minutes either way. The city sits on a plateau above two gorges, so a short walk can include a steep climb or a lift. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it. Luxembourg is dear everywhere, so € here means the cheapest in the city, not cheap.
Where the neighborhoods are
The Ville Haute, for the sights at your door
The upper old town around Place d'Armes and Place Guillaume II. The most convenient base, and quiet once the shops close.
The Ville Haute is the plateau at the heart of the old city: the Place d'Armes, the Place Guillaume II with its market, the Grand Ducal Palace, the cathedral and the shopping streets between them. The Corniche walk and the Bock Casemates are ten minutes away, and the Pont Adolphe is five.
It is the most expensive part of the city to stay in, and the hotels are mostly smaller and older, so rooms can be tight and lifts small. Evenings are calm because offices and shops empty out, though the cafe terraces on the squares stay open late in summer. The Gare is a twenty-minute walk or a tram ride away.
Good for
- Walking to the palace, the squares and the Corniche
- A first visit of two or three nights
- A quiet room away from the bars
Think twice if
- You want value: this is the dearest area
- You want a lively evening: most of the bars are in the Grund and Clausen
- You are driving: parking is dear and many streets are closed to cars
Staying in Ville Haute (the upper old town): nearby sights, food and getting around
The Grund, for the valley and a night out
The old river quarter in the gorge below the fortress. Pretty, with restaurants and bars, and a steep climb back up.
The Grund lies along the Alzette, under the walls of the old fortress, with the Neumünster Abbey, narrow streets and a good run of restaurants and bars. It is the best place in the city for an evening out, and it looks very good from the Corniche above. A panoramic lift and steps link it to the upper town.
There are only a few small hotels. Friday and Saturday evenings are loud around the bars, and in summer the noise carries up the valley walls. Walking back up to the Ville Haute takes ten to fifteen minutes and is steep, so check your route if stairs are hard for you.
Good for
- Evenings in the valley, with restaurants and bars on the doorstep
- The views, the abbey and the river walks
- Couples and a short stay
Think twice if
- Hills or stairs are hard for you
- You sleep lightly on Friday and Saturday nights
- You want a wide choice of hotels
Clausen, for bars along the river
The valley quarter just downstream from the Grund, known for its string of bars and for the old brewery.
Clausen sits on the river just below the Bock, a few minutes' walk from the Grund. It is known for the Rives de Clausen, a strip of bars and restaurants built into former brewery buildings, and for traditional cantines on the climb up to the old town. The Bock Casemates are just above.
There are very few hotels. The strip is lively from Thursday to Saturday and can be loud late, and the climb to the upper town is steep. It suits people who want to be where the evening is, not people after a quiet room.
Good for
- Bars and restaurants on the doorstep
- The Bock and the Grund close by
- A short stay with a night out in mind
Think twice if
- You want quiet on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- Hills are hard for you
- You want a choice of hotels
Pfaffenthal, for a calm base in the valley
A small residential quarter on the Alzette, north of the old town, linked to Kirchberg by a funicular.
Pfaffenthal is a quiet valley quarter with old houses, a river path and a funicular up to the Kirchberg plateau. A panoramic lift connects it to the upper town. It is peaceful and overlooked, and the old town is fifteen minutes away on foot, uphill.
There are few hotels and few places to eat, so it works best for people who like to be a bit apart. The railway line runs through the valley, and you should check which side a room faces.
Good for
- A calm, local feel close to the old town
- The funicular to Kirchberg
- River walks
Think twice if
- You want a choice of restaurants at the door
- Hills are hard for you
- You are sensitive to train noise
Staying in Pfaffenthal: nearby sights, food and getting around
The Gare, for trains and a lower price
Around the main station, with the widest choice of mid-range hotels. Practical and well connected, but not pretty.
The Gare quarter runs along the Avenue de la Gare and the streets around the station. It has the most hotels in the city, at several price levels, and trains, buses and trams all start here. The old town is a twenty-minute walk across the Pont Adolphe, or a short tram ride.
The streets nearest the station are rougher than the rest of the city and can feel uneasy late at night, with street drinking and some drug dealing. That is common near a major station. Pick a hotel on the Avenue de la Gare side or a few blocks away, and walk back along the busy roads.
Good for
- Trains, buses and the airport bus 29
- A choice of hotels at lower prices
- A late arrival or an early train
Think twice if
- You will walk back late: some side streets feel rough
- You want atmosphere outside the door
Staying in Gare (the station quarter): nearby sights, food and getting around
Limpertsberg, for quiet streets and parks
A residential district north-west of the old town, with the Glacis park, the university lycées and a calm feel.
Limpertsberg is a leafy residential district beyond the Glacis park, with apartment blocks, schools and a small shopping street. It is a fifteen-minute walk or a short bus ride to the Place d'Armes, and the Glacis, where the funfair sets up in late summer, is on the way.
There are few hotels, mostly small. Evenings are very quiet, and there is little to see in the district itself. It suits people who want to sleep well and take a bus in.
Good for
- Quiet nights and green streets
- A walk to the old town through the park
- Longer stays
Think twice if
- You want restaurants and bars at the door
- You want a choice of hotels
Staying in Limpertsberg: nearby sights, food and getting around
Kirchberg, for modern hotels and the museums
The plateau of the European institutions, with large hotels, the Philharmonie and Mudam. Calm, glassy and a tram ride away.
Kirchberg is a modern district on a plateau across the Pétrusse gorge: the European Court of Justice, the Philharmonie concert hall, the Mudam art museum, Fort Thüngen and a string of larger hotels, plus a shopping center. Trams run to the Gare and the old town in about fifteen minutes.
Streets are wide and flat, and it suits families, business travelers and concert-goers. Hotels are mostly modern and well equipped. It is quiet in the evenings and at weekends, with fewer places to eat than the old town. Rates swing with the business calendar and are often lower at weekends.
Good for
- The Philharmonie, Mudam and Fort Thüngen on foot
- Modern hotels with easy trams
- Flat streets and parks for families
Think twice if
- You want old streets and atmosphere at the door
- You want a lively evening: it is quiet
Staying in Kirchberg: nearby sights, food and getting around
Hollerich and Cloche d'Or, for a lower price
South-west of the station, a mix of older streets and new offices and shops. Cheaper, and linked by tram and bus.
Hollerich is a mixed district beyond the station, with older houses and the Cloche d'Or, a newer area of offices, apartments and a shopping center. The tram runs through to the Gare and the old town, and Cloche d'Or has a range of mid-range chain hotels.
It is a functional place, not a pretty one, and there is little to do in the evening besides the shops. The old town is a thirty-minute walk, so you will take the tram, which is free.
Good for
- Lower prices than the center
- Free trams and buses into the old town
- A car stay with parking
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the sights
- You want a street with character
Staying in Hollerich and Cloche d'Or: nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Luxembourg City, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Luxembourg City. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room on the side streets nearest the station, if you will be out late
Convenient for the train and cheap, but the blocks around the station can feel rough after dark. Choose the Avenue de la Gare side or stay a few blocks away.
- A hotel in the Grund or Clausen, if you sleep lightly on a weekend
The bars are in the valley, and the sound carries. Ask for a room away from the river, or stay in the Ville Haute.
- A 'Luxembourg' hotel out by the airport, for a city break
The rate looks good until you add the ride into town. The bus is free, but takes 20 minutes each way, so stay in the city.
- A hotel across the border in France, Belgium or Germany, to save money
Rooms in towns over the border cost less, but you add a long commute and cross the border twice. Check the whole cost before you book it.
- A hotel in the Ville Haute with no lift, if stairs are hard for you
Some old buildings have small lifts or none. Check the floor and the lift before you book.
Which neighborhood suits you
First time in Luxembourg City
The Ville Haute for the sights on foot, or the Grund for the view.
Families with children
Kirchberg, with flat streets and museums, or Limpertsberg.
Food and drink
The Grund and Clausen for traditional rooms and bars, the Ville Haute for brasseries.
Peace and quiet
Limpertsberg, Pfaffenthal or the Ville Haute.
Trains and the airport
The Gare, where bus 29 and the trains start.
Concerts and museums
Kirchberg, beside the Philharmonie and Mudam.
Before you book a room in Luxembourg City
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Luxembourg City makes a good stay.
- The city tourist taxLuxembourg City charges a tourist tax of 3% of the accommodation invoice before VAT, according to a 2026 report in Paperjam, and the city collected about €3.6 million from it in 2025. Each municipality sets its own tax, so check the line on your hotel's invoice. It may not be in the price a booking site shows first.
- Free public transportBuses, trams and second-class trains are free across all of Luxembourg, for visitors as well as residents. First-class train seats and some evening buses still charge. Nothing needs to be bought, so a hotel outside the walking center costs you nothing extra to reach it.
- From Luxembourg airportBus 29 links the airport and the Gare Centrale in under 22 minutes, with a bus about every 20 minutes. A tram extension to the airport opened on 2 March 2025: from the Theater stop it takes about 16 minutes, with a tram every 8 minutes.
- It is a dear cityLuxembourg has some of the highest hotel prices in Europe, driven by business travel. A cheap room here is dear by the standards of most cities, and meals and drinks match. Weekends and school holidays are often cheaper than Tuesday to Thursday.
- Weekdays and weekendsHotels fill with business and European institution visitors from Monday to Thursday, and empty at weekends. If your dates are flexible, a Friday to Sunday stay is usually cheaper than a midweek one.
- Closed on MondaysMany museums close on Mondays, and the old town is quiet on Sunday. Plan your days around it rather than choosing a hotel for it.
- Hills, lifts and stairsThe upper town and the valleys are linked by steep paths, steps and a lift. Check the floor and the lift in old buildings, and think about the walk back from the valley.
Where to stay in Luxembourg City: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Luxembourg City for a first visit?
The Ville Haute: the palace, the squares and the Corniche are all within ten minutes on foot. The Grund is the other choice, for the valley views and evenings out, with a steep climb back up.
Is the area around the station safe?
In general, yes, but the blocks around the station can feel rough late at night, as around many big stations. Stay on the Avenue de la Gare side, keep to the busy roads at night, and mind your bag.
Is it better to stay in the Grund or the Ville Haute?
The Ville Haute is quieter and more central, but dearer. The Grund is prettier and livelier in the evening, with a climb back to the sights.
Can you walk everywhere in Luxembourg City?
In the old town and the valleys, yes, but expect hills and stairs. Kirchberg, the Gare and Limpertsberg are a tram or bus ride apart, and all of them are free.
Is public transport really free in Luxembourg?
Yes. Buses, trams and second-class trains are free for everyone, including visitors. First-class seats and some evening buses cost extra.
How do you get from Luxembourg airport to the city?
Bus 29 reaches the Gare Centrale in under 22 minutes, with a bus about every 20 minutes. The tram to the airport also opened in March 2025, and takes about 16 minutes from the Theater stop.
Is Luxembourg City too expensive for a short break?
It is dear, with hotels priced well above most of Europe. The Gare and Hollerich are cheapest, free transport saves on getting around, and weekends are cheaper than midweek.
Is there a tourist tax in Luxembourg City?
Yes: 3% of the accommodation invoice before VAT, collected by the city, according to Paperjam. It is paid on top of the room rate and may not show in the first price online.
