Luxembourg - World highest GDP/capita country
How did I end up visiting Luxembourg
One fine afternoon in August, this following Youtube video caught my attention.
The quality of the video (by 2 Belgian Explorers), and the sceneries it captured, totally change my perception on Luxembourg. I knew Luxembourg as a financial capital with world highest GDP/Capita. Never crossed my mind that it also has such a scenic place called Mullerthal Trail.
Luxembourg isn't far from Paris. I knew I can make a trip there even over the weekend. And so, without hesitation, I checked the https://en.oui.sncf/en/ website, and grabbed a return train ticket for 66Euro, to travel to Luxembourg on 15 September. Europe train network is very established, so why not travel by train to save the earth?
The trip highlights
I took a 0820hrs train from Gare De L'est. In order to save some money, I have opted for a cheaper option that required me to transit at Metz Ville for 40 minutes. It wasn't that bad an idea though, as I have never been to Metz before.
From Metz, I continued my train trip to Luxembourg. I set my plan quite clearly, i.e. to head to the Mullerthal trail right after I arrived at Luxembourg central train station. To hike the full 112km route 1, 2, 3 trails of Mullerthal would take at least a week. For this short trip, I opted for the E1 trail, with a trail length of 13.5km, and an estimated duration of 4 hours. Below link gives you more information of this trail.
From the central train station, I took Tram No. T1 to Kirchberg, Luxexpo. It took about 25 minutes to reach this 14th station from the central. Then, a short 2 minutes walk to the bus station to take Bus 110 to Echternach, Gare Centre.
In fact, there are many options and Google Map can always be relied upon. The bus ride was about 40 minutes long before I reached Echternach Gare Centre.
I grabbed a Kebab on my way to the Tourist Information Centre. I obtained a very handy 1 page map from the centre to start my walking trail on Mullerthal E1. Not long after the start, I arrived at the viewpoint of Echternach. The trail then led me to a "Wollefsschlucht" gorge. A long the way, there were some very narrow passage through the rock formation. Even though some sections of the trail were showered by light drizzle, the beauty of the nature still stood out.
To rest at night, I have booked a place at the Luxembourg International Youth Hostel through the booking.com (or you can book directly at the official website https://youthhostels.lu/en/youth-hostels/youth-hostel-luxembourg). In a city where standard of living is high, a bed in the hostel is probably the most affordable option for a solo traveller who just needs a place to sleep. The hostel is located 2 Rue du Fort Olisy, next to a viaduct on the banks of the Alzette River. A very strategic location indeed and it is only few minutes walk away from the Chemin de la Corniche (also known as the most beautiful corridor of Europe). A night stay with breakfast the next morning only costs 26.70 Euro. The dinner menu is only 11.50 Euro.
The next morning, I checked out quite early. Spent some time exploring the old town and the Chemin de la Corniche.
From the old town, I moved on to visit the Cathedral Notre Dame in the town centre.
With 3 hours left before my train to Paris, I took T1 tram to explore the buildings along the route.
I left Luxembourg at 6pm, heading back to Paris (campus).
My transports, accommodation, and F&B
Train: Oui.sncf train return ticket (Paris - Luxembourg - Paris) - 66.50 Euro
Accommodation: International Youth Hostel - 26.70 Euro
Food (2 days) - 25 Euro
My 3 Plus and 2 Minus:-
3 things I like about this trip:
- Did I mention that all the public transportation in Luxembourg are free? Yes, the trams, the trains, the buses are all free, even if you are not a resident of Luxembourg.
- The International youth hostel - a very affordable option for the travelers
- E1 trail experience
2 thing I would do differently if I can turn back the clock:
- I would wake up a bit earlier to try to catch the golden hour for a better photo
- Explore the old city at night instead of going to bed too early