Luxembourg. A small country sandwiched between Belgium, France and Germany with a population of less than 600,000. Maybe not the first place you’d think of for a holiday with a wealth of European cities at your feet… but it was actually the second time visiting for Mr S and I. 
One of Mr S’s close friends was born and raised in Luxembourg before moving to England for university. He is now once again based in his home country along with his wife and two children. It was this friend who was the reason for our first visit in 2013 when we came to the country to attend his wedding… fast forward six years and this time we were here for his 40th birthday.
We arrived in Luxembourg City on Friday early evening and checked straight into our hotel, Le Place D’Armes in the centre of Luxembourg city. We had chosen to stay in this hotel as it was where we stay previously and we knew the location was really central and in very easy reach of shops and restaurants in town. A Relais & Châteaux property, it also has good credentials in the hotel world. When we stayed previously we had a generously sized junior suite, but this time we’d only been able to book an entry level room in this small 28 room hotel.
Normally a small room would be fine on a city break, especially when we’re here to see friends, but I really wasn’t a big fan of this room. 
I didn’t like the way the bathroom led straight out from the bedroom with no door… the shower was behind that wall and there was a separate room for the loo but you’d certainly need to be very close to the person you’re sharing with! Also you could be standing in the shower and if house keeping walked in, they’d get a very full frontal view. Also the bed and the pillows were rock hard… I like soft beds but even for Mr S who likes hard beds it was too much.
Anyway we didn’t have long to get ready for the party which was film-themed fancy dress…
We popped down to the hotel’s newly reopened bar for a quick photo shoot… I’d put my outfit together very quickly but I was pleased with how it turned out… can you guess who I went as?
We’d actually been to the party venue before when we visited last time, it’s rather cool as it has the feel of a Bavarian restaurant. 
What do you think of Mr S’s outfit? There were actually at least five people dressed as characters from Top Gun but at least lots of people made an effort. After a late night at the party we woke up late the next day and missed breakfast at the hotel (which wasn’t included anyway) so we got baguettes at Paul opposite the hotel.
We spent most of Saturday with our friends, seeing their new place and meeting their children and dog. That night we went to an Italian restaurant in Luxembourg City (I didn’t get the name and wouldn’t recommend it!) and it was very quiet everywhere even for a Saturday night so we were back at the hotel fairly early. Though we still managed to miss breakfast the next day and headed to a place called Downtown which had been our favourite bagel place the first time round! After checking out of the hotel, I wanted to get a few more photos of hotel for my blog so I could give you a general feel of it. 
The lobby is very light and welcoming and there are quirky objets and sculptures dotted around the place. 
Built in a former printing house from the eighteenth century it’s actually several houses linked together with labyrinthine terraces, verandas, courtyards and patios. 
Perhaps the hotel’s greatest selling point are the restaurant options (none of which we actually tried), Chef Fabrice Salvador oversees the three restaurants which include Michelin-starred La Cristallerie, The Plëss (a rotisserie style restaurant) and casual Café de Paris. All of which are open to non-residence of the hotel. 
The architecture in Luxembourg is so pretty with lots of pretty churches alongside more modern architecture. On a Sunday it was oh so quiet, meaning it was quite perfect for Instagram opportunities. Having said that most shops and restaurants were shut and Luxembourg City centre is very small so you’ll probably see most of it in half an hour. I really recommend taking the elevator down to the Grund, a beautiful area located in the valley below the city centre on the banks of the Alzette river. 
The Grund is home to Mosconi, a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant and known as one of Luxembourg’s best. Mr S and I ate there on our last visit and it was one of the highlights of the trip.
Time was marching on and as there was only a few places open Mr S and I had to find somewhere for lunch. I hadn’t done my usual thorough pre-planning on this trip as I didn’t know how much of the time we’ be spending with other people. We’d been recommended a place called La Lorraine opposite our hotel, a French restaurant specialising in fish, it sounded like a great option to us.
We ordered the same thing, heart-warming fish soup for starter and sole for main – I wouldn’t say it was amazing and again I’m not sure I’d recommend the restaurant. It’s strange as last time we had great memories of the food yet this time it fell short. It just goes to show I should always do the research!
Luxembourg is a little random and I probably wouldn’t recommend dedicating a week’s holiday to the country but it’s a very relaxed place to visit for the weekend with interesting architecture and some very good restaurants if you have time to go!
