As I mentioned in the last post, the whole of Luxembourg city is on a small rock in front of a big rock. When the original fortification was built, it was mix of being built over the rock as well as excavated into the rock. It was not only built by Count Sigefroy, the founder of the city, but was expanded in course of time by Italians, Spanish, Belgian, French, Austrian, Dutch and Prussians.
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The casemates were first built in 1644 when the city was under the Spanish. In course of time it was an expansive 23km of underground galleries. Today, after portions of it were destroyed as a part of Treaty of Vienna, some parts of the casemates could not be demolished, as.... you know,the city is actually sitting on top of the casemates!!!
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Today, 17km of the original casemates, in 2 levels, still remain intact and are available for us to explore through them. First of all what does Casemate mean? It comes from the Greek work Chasma(ta) which is a bomb-proof vaulted room.
Here's a tip: Do keep in mind that these 2 are included in the Wenzel Walking Tour. So you may want to skip doing this on your own, if you're booking the tour.
Here's another tip: Wear good shoes in Bock Casemates. The ground is not even and some places are slippery if it rains (you know, its a labyrinth dug out of a hill). This is not wheelchair or stroller friendly.
To Stay:
Hotels and B&Bs are available at all price points, all over the city.
Here's my review of Novotel Luxembourg Centre where I stayed.
Do keep in mind that Luxembourg is costlier than most European cities. So, very cheap accommodation is almost unavailable. For eg., Ibis Budget in Paris is around €45 while here its €60!
Entry Tickets & Timings:
Bock Casemates: €7, 10:00AM to 5:30/8:30PM in winter & summer respectively. Closed from 4th Nov to 28th Feb every year.
Chemin de la Corniche: Free & open 24 x 7
To Get There:
Both the sites are walkable from Luxembourg Central. Ofcourse, an mentioned earlier, there are elevators. The city is also well connected by buses and tram.
Guided/Self-guided tours: Wenzel Walking Tour (the map of the walking tour is downloadable). It is a ticketed tour but the price also includes entry to Bock casemates.
On Google Maps: Chemin de la Corniche, Bock Casemates
P.S: I was invited by Luxembourg Tourism to experience the city for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.
To Stay:
Hotels and B&Bs are available at all price points, all over the city.
Here's my review of Novotel Luxembourg Centre where I stayed.
Do keep in mind that Luxembourg is costlier than most European cities. So, very cheap accommodation is almost unavailable. For eg., Ibis Budget in Paris is around €45 while here its €60!
Entry Tickets & Timings:
Bock Casemates: €7, 10:00AM to 5:30/8:30PM in winter & summer respectively. Closed from 4th Nov to 28th Feb every year.
Chemin de la Corniche: Free & open 24 x 7
To Get There:
Both the sites are walkable from Luxembourg Central. Ofcourse, an mentioned earlier, there are elevators. The city is also well connected by buses and tram.
Guided/Self-guided tours: Wenzel Walking Tour (the map of the walking tour is downloadable). It is a ticketed tour but the price also includes entry to Bock casemates.
On Google Maps: Chemin de la Corniche, Bock Casemates
P.S: I was invited by Luxembourg Tourism to experience the city for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.