Monuments to visit Luxembourg

Inaugurated on 6 October 2008, overlooking the Lower Town on the Holy Spirit Plateau, the Judicial City is worth a visit, particularly for its buildings in the Moselle Baroque style (Youth Court, Justice of the Peace and many others). Many people also take its lift which leads directly to the Lower Town: handy to avoid going down on the sloping streets! On the forecourt, where the view is superb, especially at night, you will discover a monumental sculpture representing in an arc of a circle a series of birds taking flight.

Jean-Pierre Pescatore (1793-1855) bequeathed at his death a good fortune to the city of Luxembourg, as well as a collection of works of art, with the obligation to create a museum and a charitable home. This is how the Pescatore Foundation and the retirement home located in the heart of the city came into being. It is housed in an 1892 building of neo-gothic architecture, which can be admired on the upper town side, just a stone's throw from the panoramic lift to the Pfaffenthal.

The castle of Hollenfels was built in the 13th century on a hollow rock from which it takes its name (Hohler Fels). A habitable part was added to it in the 18th century in a neobaroque style. The residential keep, 39 m high, dates from the first period. It houses vaulted rooms heated by open fireplaces. The fortress also includes a curtain wall and an angular tower. A masonry bridge spans the moat and provides access to the castle. Since 1948, the Luxembourg state has owned the castle and has set up a youth hostel there

The current city hotel was completed in 1838, it is in neo-neoclassic style. The two bronze lions placed at the ends of the entrance stairs date back to 1931 and are the symbols of Luxembourg. It is in this building that major national ceremonies are held and the reception of many heads of foreign states visiting the Grand duchy.

Septfontaines Castle, which is more of a beautiful residence than a castle in itself, dates from the 18th century and was the seigneurial residence of the Boch brothers. It is located on the former site of the porcelain factory, in a huge green park, a few minutes from the town centre. Numerous receptions and major events with wide media coverage are organised there throughout the year: concerts, meetings, rally stages, Christmas market..

The birthplace of Robert Schuman, the "Father of Europe", lies on the heights of Clausen. Since 1990 it has been the seat of the European Studies and Research Centre Robert Schuman (ECRE). Its main objectives are scientific research into the history of the European integration process, on the one hand, and the contribution to an explanation of the historic position of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the construction of a united Europe.

Located in the center of the small town, the castle of Mersch has long since lost its ramparts and its moat. Of simple appearance, made of stone and slate roof, preceded by a rural outbuilding with a typical red-pink color, it has been the object of numerous restorations over the centuries. Today it is the first stop in the Valley of the Seven Castles. Its construction dates back to the Middle Ages, in 1232, when Theodoric I became the founder of the lordship of Mersch. However, the fortress was stormed by Burgundian troops and burned down. It was then rebuilt for the first time. In 1304, the first noble family of Mersch died out for lack of male lineage. Through successive marriages, the lordship passed into the hands of numerous families: Milberg, Kerpen-Manders-cheid, Brandenburg, Feltz, Autel, Mohr von Waldt, Reinach, Sonnenberg. The last noble owners, the Von Sonnenberg-Reinach, sold the castle in 1898 to a wholesale trader Charles Schwartz-Hallinger. In 1927 it became the property of a bailiff, Pierre Uhres-Fabritius.

Then, in 1957, the municipality acquired the castle, before selling it to the State just three years later. But thanks to an exchange contract signed in 1988, the commune regained ownership of the castle. In 1993, after extensive renovations, the castle became the seat of the municipal administration. Today it houses the administrative offices of the municipality. It is therefore not possible to visit the interior.

Directly adjacent to the National Library of Luxembourg, the media library offers a wide range of multi-media information and entertainment documents. Here you will find books, newspapers, comic strips, CDs, etc. The documents are available for home loan or on-site consultation and can be freely consulted. A reference address in Luxembourg's cultural and educational life, located on the Kirchberg plateau.

As a platform for exchange for all those involved in architecture, engineering, urban planning, landscape and land-use planning, each year LUCA puts together a wide-ranging program to address the issues and challenges posed today by the production of the built environment. Exhibitions, conferences, debates, study tours, educational workshops and guided tours are just some of the many activities on offer.

Schoenfels was first mentioned in 846. The name has evolved over the centuries, through a number of variants, but it probably derives from scindula (shingle, shingles, shingle-making...), Schindel or Schinder (squarers). Schoenfels Castle dates back to 1292. It was built before the era of artillery by Ferri, also known as Friedrich von Schoenfels. It was then passed down through marriage to the Ansembourg and Sanem lordly families. In the early ^16th century, Henri Schloeder de Lachen, lord of Schoenfels and Busbach, became the owner, marking the entrance to the keep with the Schloeder von Lachen coat of arms. Despite its lack of strategic value, the fortress was dismantled from its fortifications in 1683 by the French, and in 1690, it fell victim to fire. It changed ownership many more times until 1948. The industrialist Camille Weis then acquired the château, which was transferred to the Luxembourg state in 1971. The mansion adjacent to the keep was demolished in 1976. After renovation of the keep (21 m high, the tallest in the region), Schoenfels Castle was destined to become a visitor center and offices for the Eaux & Forêts administration, preserving its rich historical heritage for future generations. At present, only the grounds are accessible.

The Lords of Reckingen were first mentioned in documents in the 12th century. The castle was owned by the Fock von Hübingen family in the 16th century (Ernst Fock von Hübingen, who died in 1573, is buried in the parish church in a Renaissance vault) and later by Cavalry Captain Peter Blum in 1699. In 1870 the fortress was completely razed to the ground. The medieval keep, with dimensions of 9 x 9 m and 1.5 m thick walls, was preserved over a height of 3 m, before being integrated into a private dwelling.

The first mention of a lord of Berg dates back to 1311. Passing from the hands of King William II of the Netherlands, to the Grand Duke Adolphe and then to the Grand Duke William IV, the castle underwent important transformations until it was demolished and completely rebuilt. In 1934, the fortress became the property of the Luxembourg State. Following the Second World War, the castle will need an important restoration. It was not until 1964 that the castle became the main residence of the grand-ducal family after a long period of rehabilitation.

Now owned by the Banque Caisse d'Epargne de l'Etat (BCEE), the former headquarters of Arbed (which became Arcelor and then ArcelorMittal) is an impressive historic building with four wings grouped around a beautiful, large inner courtyard. Built between 1920 and 1922 and once a symbol of Luxembourg's steel industry and economic power, this "castle" was renovated after being bought by BCEE in 2014 and was inaugurated in 2016. The building is now an administrative building but is worth a look from the outside.

Located on the Place de la Constitution, a stone's throw from the Casemates de Pétrusse, the Monument du Souvenir Gëlle Fra (meaning "golden woman" in French) was inaugurated in 1923 in memory of the Luxembourg soldiers who fell at the front during the First World War. This monument is a must in Luxembourg City and consists of a 21-meter high stone obelisk. At the top of the obelisk is a golden woman holding a laurel wreath towards two soldiers.

This magnificent feudal castle, built on a rocky sandstone promontory, overlooks the village from a height of around 50 metres. It offers a panoramic view over the Vallée des Sept Châteaux, where you'll discover exceptional flora and fauna in a peaceful setting. Dating back to the 12th^century , the residence was remodeled in the 16th^and 17th^centuries . It was then transformed into a luxury hotel and is now a charming B&B, Le Temps d'Or.

The House are in 2007 the base camp of the European Capital of Culture, being at the same time information centre, meeting point for all visitors, exhibition space and event venue. They are located right behind the Luxembourg-Ville railway station, at the edge of the Bonnevoie district and thus easily accessible for all visitors and tourists. Classified at National Historic Monuments by Government order in 1991, these two warehouses of 5 000 m 2 built in 1875 served until little, repair workshop for locomotives and buses of the Luxembourg Railways (CFL). In 2007, each of them has specific orientations: Rotonde 1 is more focused on exhibitions and facilities and Rotonde 2, more on performances especially for and by young people.

From 1688 to 1705, the Saint John church has beautiful Baroque furniture, including a 1710 organ and a black madone from the Talk of Cologne school.