The Alzette bank
A walk between old mills under the fortress wall.
Wolfgang Staudt from Saarbruecken, Germany — CC BY 2.0 · Flocci Nivis — CC BY 4.0 · Flocci Nivis — CC BY 4.0 · amanderson2 — CC BY 2.0
The Grund is the quarter in the valley floor directly beneath the upper town, on both banks of the Alzette, the oldest inhabited part of Luxembourg and the one most different in character from the city above it. The class division here was literal: nobility, government and banks above on the fortified plateau, and craftsmen, tanners, mills and anyone who needed river water below. The result is a quarter of low stone houses, narrow lanes, small bridges and old mills, with the fortress walls rising over it like the wall of another city. Today the equation has reversed: the Grund is among the most sought-after quarters in the city, and its riverside cafes and restaurants are the main evening destination for residents. Walking the bank from the Neumünster abbey to the old mills is a short quiet stroll, with the free rock lift rather than the stairs for the way back up.
A walk between old mills under the fortress wall.
A free descent from the upper town in seconds.
Grund, 1615 Luxembourg
The Castle BridgeA short stone bridge linking the upper town to the Bock promontory, and the only1 minute walk4.6
Neumünster AbbeyNeumünster Abbey is a broad white complex on the floor of the Grund valley besid1 minute walk4.5
The Stierchen BridgeThe Stierchen is a small stone bridge crossing the Alzette in the Grund, and clo1 minute walk4.9
The Bock CasematesThe Bock Casemates are a network of tunnels cut inside the rock beneath the old 1 minute walk4.5
The National Museum of Natural HistoryThe National Museum of Natural History is in the Grund, housed in the former Hos2 minutes walk4.7By European standards yes — it is among the highest-income countries in the world and prices reflect that, restaurants and hotels especially. But there is a real offset: **all public transport in the entire country has been free since 2020**, for residents and visitors alike, trains, trams and buses included. That makes moving between the capital, Vianden and Echternach cost nothing, which is a substantial saving on a short trip.