UNESCO World Heritage, check

I have (another) somewhat arbitrary life goal of visiting all 900+ sites on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Luxembourg has a grand total of one.

Last Saturday may have been cold, it may have been rainy, the wind may have been so strong that no umbrella could stay right side out for long, but we were not deterred: we walked every cobblestone street and every stony rampart of "The City of Luxembourg: its old quarters and fortifications".

This was no easy task: Luxembourg City was what it was (the "Gibraltar of the North") because it sits on top of a rocky promontory, surrounded on three sides by a deep river valley (we're talking a straight drop). Up, down, up, down - this is not a walking tour for the faint of heart.

Looking for a short cut.

Jeff dwarfed by one of many old gates.

But I love scrambling over rocky ruins, especially those of fortresses that are labyrinthine and terraced. We climbed up watch towers, snaked across old sentry walks, took pictures from every redoubt (don't worry, I'll spare you).

If you ever find yourself in Luxembourg, most hotels and tourist places will have brochures for two self-guided walks: The City Promenade (for the city center) and the Wenzel Walk (for the ruins of the fortress). I would more strongly recommend the latter, though the former is a nice addition (and would be even more lovely on a non-tempestuous day).


UNESCO World Heritage cite, check. Next up: watching the villagers storm the castle...