This Medieval City Is The Least Crowded Destination In Europe This Fall

Thinking of heading across the pond this summer, but the sight of the Paris, Rome, and Dubrovnik crowds keeps putting you off?

“Low season” is now a non-existent concept across a majority of Europe’s top tourism spots, with certain parts of Spain going as far as seeing widespread anti-tourist protests—and these can easily turn aggressive.

If you’re not exactly keen on being chased down the streets of Barcelona by angry locals brandishing water pistols, here’s where you should go instead:

Luxembourg Is The Quietest Destination In Europe

A charming historic capital in Central Europe, at the meeting point of the French and German-speaking worlds, Luxembourg City is Europe’s least-crowded destination this fall.

The capital of the namesake Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, one of the continent’s smallest nation-states, it has a rich history spanning over a thousand years, and despite its fascinating culture and beautiful sights, it continues to be largely ignored by Americans.

Lux (as locals call it) stands at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, and though it’s grown in population in recent decades to become a mid-size city home to over 136,000 inhabitants, it traces its origins back to a small Frankish settlement centered around a medieval castle.

A Medieval Town Straight From A Fairytale Scene

This castle, Luxembourg Castle, though ruined and demilitarized now, still dominates the city’s hilly townscape.

Its Ville Haute, or High Town, occupies the space where the ancient fortifications would once have stood, atop a prominent hill overlooking two rivers.

It houses the surviving sections of the city walls, the 17th century Notre-Dame Cathedral, the only cathedral in the whole of Luxembourg, and the stately Grand Ducal Palace, where the Grand Duke of Luxembourg resides.

Think of him as Lux’s equivalent to King Charles.

Down at the Grund, right at the foot of the fort, you’ll find the Luxembourgish Venice: picture a winding canal lined with pastel-colored townhouses and laid-back riverside eateries.

The Grund itself is part of Luxembourg City’s UNESCO-protected zone, and the best part is: as picture-perfect as it all is, there are close to zero crowds in sight.

Practically No Crowds

According to a study by Riviera Travel, a U.K. based firm, who ranked Europe’s most to least crowded destinations, informed by the latest Eurostat data, Luxembourg is officially the quietest European destination.

Spain, the busiest, registered a jaw-dropping 484.9 million overnights, the tiny, lesser-known Lux logged in a far less-impressive 3.4 million nights.

That’s not surprising, after all Luxembourg is indeed one of the smallest European countries, at only 998 square miles, so room capacity is lower.

On top of that, the Grand Duchy does not host Transatlantic flights due to the low demand from the American market. This means most U.S. tourists travel to Luxembourg via France, Germany, Belgium, or the Netherlands, its immediate neighbors.

Luxembourg Can Be Cheap To Visit

Affordability plays an equally important role in keeping Luxembourg an exclusive destination:

It is one of the wealthiest states in Europe and the wider world, and prices are definitely on the higher end.

On average, tourists spend $154 on meals per day, while the average hotel rate is $205. A one-week trip to Luxembourg costs, in total, $3,826 for 2 adults, according to Budget Your Trip estimates.

Though Luxembourg is up there with Switzerland and the Nordics in terms of prices, it doesn’t mean you can’t visit on a budget:

Luxembourg On A Budget

Luxembourg City is well-connected by train and buses to a number of satellite towns and districts that are only 15 to 20 minutes away from the downtown area.

For instance, you can find guesthouse-style rooms in Hollerich or Bonnevoie from only €75 for 2 adults, and even the budget-friendly Hotel Zurich, some steps away from the train station, has rooms from €90-a-night this fall.

For cheap eats, make sure you add KUMPIR and Piri Piri to your restaurant wish list:

The former is a takeout favorite serving overflowing filled potatoes (with beans, meat, cheese, and everything else you can fit in) from as cheap as €12.60.

The latter is a traditional Portuguese restaurant Luxembourg’s Portuguese diaspora can’t stay away from. A main seafood dish and a drink will set you back €38–40 on average (that’s considered a cheap dinner out in town).

Free Public Transportation Around The Country

To make up for the high costs, tourists get free public transportation not only within city boundaries, but across the whole of Luxembourg as a country.

Buses, trains, public funiculars and elevators: every mode of transport is tax-funded and accessible to visitors and residents alike without tickets or prior reservation.

This means you can travel the entire country without spending a penny on transportation, and there’s plenty to see and do:

From nature walks in the waterfall-dotted Mullerthal Trail, to getting lost in a fairytale scene in the castled, medieval village of Vianden, to exploring the Moselle wine region, your only concern is not hopping on the right bus.

Learn more about Luxembourg, and start planning your epic medieval adventure here.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.