City Promenade Tour

Place de la Constitution
The Constitution Square was put up on the ancient Beck bastion (1644, 1685). The "Gëlle Fra", a monument which is located on this square, was set up in 1923 to commemorate the Luxembourgers who perished in the First World War, today it sympolises freedom and resistance for the Luxembourg people. From here you have a superb view over the Pétrusse Valley and the Adolphe Bridge.

Chemin de la Corniche
Also called “the most beautiful balcony of Europe” (according to the Luxembourg writer Batty Weber), it runs along the Alzette valley on the ramparts - built by the Spaniards and the French in the 17th century - from the Bock Promontory up to the lower part of the Holy Ghost Citadel, the so-called “Rondellen”.
Up to the year 1870 the Corniche had staircases in steep parts which were levelled off only after the dismantling of the fortress. Moreover the greatest part of the protecting wall with its loopholes was cleared away so as to disclose a superb panorama on the valley of the Alzette, the city district of Grund and the Rham Plateau.

Cathedral “Notre-Dame de Luxembourg”
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin was originally a Jesuit church, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1613.
It is a remarkable instance of late Gothic style, revealing various components and ornaments inspired by Renaissance style.
At the end of the 18th century it adopted the picture of the Lady Comforter of the Afflicted, who had the power to work miracles, and who is the patron saint of the city and the country.
50 years later it was consecrated Saint Mary's church and in 1870 Pope Pius IX dedicated the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin.
Between 1935 and 1938 it was enlarged.

Grand Ducal Palace
In its function as the city residence of the Grand Ducal family, the grand ducal Palace is situated right in the core of the Old Town.
Formerly the first town hall of the city occupied the site of the present palace; destroyed by a gunpowder explosion (1554), the town hall was rebuilt 20 years later. In the middle of the 18th century the former City Scales were added as an extension, whereas the Parliament was built as an annex in 1859. Since 1890 the main building has served as the Grand Dukes' official residence.
From 1992 to 1995 it was restored thoroughly. During the summer months, visitors can take a look behind the scenes of the grand ducal Palace.

William Square
Since the middle of the 13th century, this square, named after William II, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, has accommodated the church and the monastery of the order of Saint Francis. In common parlance the square is also called Knuedler - derived from the Luxembourgish word “Knued” denoting the knot in the belt of the Franciscan friars.
In 1797 the French seized the monastery with all its grounds and disposed of it part by part. In the following centuries the whole cluster of edifices was pulled down and the square redesigned. Today, the William Square hosts not only the Town Hall and the Luxembourg City Tourist Office, but also plenty of markets, open air concerts and feasts.

Holy Ghost Citadel
Among historic monuments in Luxembourg, the Holy Ghost Monastery was founded in 1234 on the square bearing the same name.
As the third ring was built in the 14th century, the plateau was linked to the protected part of the city.
Its military and strategic location was recognized during the first Spanish domination, but its final shape dates back to 1685-87, when the French military fortress builder Vauban expanded the site of the citadel and strengthened the walls and bulwarks into bastions.
Currently, the new ”Cité judiciaire”, heart of the Luxembourgish justice is located here.

Place d'Armes
As an integral part of the pedestrian zone, surrounded by lots of street cafés and restaurants, it has become the place where the young and the old, the locals and the visitors meet.
Place d'Armes, also named “Parlour of the City”, was aligned by Sebastian van Noyen from Utrecht and completed by Governor Jean Charles de Landas in 1671. The French troops of Louis XIV paved the square, planted lime-trees and used it for parades.
The Place d'Armes hosts today the Christmas Market and, due to the kiosk, open-air concerts during the season.
The City Palace, nowadays called Cercle Cité, is situated on the Place d'Armes as well. In 2006, comprehensive renovation and restoration work was carried out on the Cercle in order to transform it into a convention and exhibition centre. The work was completed in April 2011.

Bock Promontory
In 963 Siegfried, Count of Ardenne, acquired this massive rocky ledge, the cradle of the city of Luxembourg, through bartering with the Saint Maximin Abbey in Trier. The rock on which Siegfried built his castle, played a strategically crucial role.
Surrounded on three sides by the Alzette valley and accessible only from the west, the stronghold proved easy to defend. Inside the rock, the visitor finds the other historic monuments as the archeological crypt as well as casemates of the Bock, formerly used as underground defence galleries.