Luxembourg City scavenger hunt: poets, grand dukes and a fortress on the rock
The Luxembourg City scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk between the main landmarks of the old town, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. From the poets' monument to the ramparts the game takes about 2 hours, yet only 30 minutes of that is walking, 2 km linking 10 stops, which is little for a capital built on a rock above two river valleys.
Highlights include Place d'Armes, the Knuedler square, the Grand Ducal Palace, the Bock Casemates where the city was founded, St Michael's Church, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Gëlle Fra above the Pétrusse valley. The old town sits on a rocky plateau ringed by fortifications, so short walks bring you from royal squares to deep valley views.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 30 min · 2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Clues in sandstone, bronze and gold above the valleys
A knotted cord, a horseman and a golden lady
Each riddle is answered by something in front of you: the bronze rider on the Knuedler, the carvings on the palace's Renaissance front, the gilded figure on her obelisk above the Pétrusse. Nobody needs Luxembourgish or a history lesson on the grand duchy to crack them.
Count Siegfried's rock and a king who rode in blind
Answers unlock the stories behind the stones: the castle Siegfried acquired on the Bock in 963, why the fortress was called the Gibraltar of the North, and John the Blind, who died at Crécy in 1346 and lies in the cathedral crypt. The audio narration tells them, or you read them on screen.
Only 2 km, with some ups and downs
Google Maps guides you for around 30 minutes in all, from the poets' monument through the squares out to the Bock, then back past the cathedral to the ramparts. The old town sits on a plateau, so expect a few slopes and cobbles near the casemates.
Coffee by the bandstand on Place d'Armes
Sit down on one of the café terraces around the bandstand, or linger at a viewpoint over the valley, and the game simply waits for you. Carry on an hour later or on another day, from the stop where you paused.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Business travellers, families and mixed-language groups in Luxembourg
A stopover between trains or meetings
With about 2 hours needed and only half an hour on foot, the hunt fits into a business trip or a break on a journey through the Benelux. You come away knowing how a castle on a rock became a capital.
Children who like guards, tunnels and gold
The sentry outside the Grand Ducal Palace, the openings cut into the Bock rock and the golden lady high on her column keep young eyes busy, and the short distances suit small legs, as long as a grown-up joins every young team.
Multilingual groups and international teams
Luxembourgers switch between Luxembourgish, French and German all day, and the game is just as flexible: up to 5 players form a team, each on their own phone and in their own language. Several teams can leave the Dicks-Lentz Monument a few minutes apart.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The route: from the Dicks-Lentz Monument past the palace and the Bock to the Gëlle Fra and the ramparts
10 stops · about 30 min walking · start: Dicks-Lentz Monument · finish: Scenic Corridor
The hunt starts at the Dicks-Lentz Monument and visits Place d'Armes, Place Guillaume II and the Grand Ducal Palace before heading out to the Bock Casemates on the edge of the old town. You then pass St Michael's Church in the Fish Market, the Kaddish Holocaust memorial and Notre-Dame Cathedral, reach the Gëlle Fra on Place de la Constitution and finish on a scenic stretch along the old fortress walls. Even the casemates and the cathedral are only studied from the outside, so the game asks for no entry ticket, and if your hotel is closer to the palace or the Fish Market, the app can make that your opening stop and line up the rest from there.
Open the route map ↗
1Dicks-Lentz MonumentStart
This monument honours Luxembourg's two national poets, Edmond de la Fontaine, known as Dicks, and Michel Lentz. Dicks wrote some of the first plays in the Luxembourgish language, and Lentz wrote the words of the national anthem, Ons Heemecht.
2Place d'Armes
This tree-lined square with its cafés and bandstand takes its name from the soldiers of the fortress garrison who once paraded here. On one side stands the Cercle Cité, an ornate early 20th-century building used for receptions and exhibitions. In summer the bandstand hosts open-air concerts.
3Place Guillaume II
Locals call this large square the Knuedler, after the knotted cord worn by the Franciscan friars whose monastery once stood here. In the middle rides an equestrian statue of William II, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and the City Hall lines one side of the square.
4Grand Ducal Palace
The palace began life as the city hall, and its richly decorated Renaissance façade dates from the 16th century. Today it is the Grand Duke's official residence in the capital, where he carries out his duties as head of state. The Chamber of Deputies, Luxembourg's parliament, sits right next door.
5Bock Casemates
On the Bock promontory Count Siegfried acquired a castle in 963, the moment usually seen as the founding of Luxembourg. From the 17th century tunnels were dug into the rock to shelter soldiers, guns and supplies, and the fortress was nicknamed the Gibraltar of the North. The old quarters and fortifications have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.
6St Michael's Church
St Michael's Church stands on the oldest religious site in the city, where a castle chapel was consecrated in 987. The present building dates mostly from the late 17th century and mixes Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque features. It stands in the Fish Market area, the oldest part of the old town.
7Kaddish Monument
The Kaddish monument is Luxembourg's national memorial to the Jews who were persecuted, deported and murdered during the Holocaust. It was created by Shelomo Selinger, a sculptor who survived the Nazi camps himself, and unveiled in 2018. Its name comes from the Jewish prayer recited in memory of the dead.
8Notre-Dame Cathedral
Built between 1613 and 1621 as a Jesuit church, Notre-Dame combines late Gothic architecture with Renaissance details and became a cathedral in the 19th century. Its crypt holds the tomb of John the Blind, Count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, who died at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, and the burial vault of the grand ducal family.
9Monument of Remembrance (Gëlle Fra)
The Gëlle Fra, or Golden Lady, stands on top of a tall obelisk on Place de la Constitution, above the Pétrusse valley. Created by the sculptor Claus Cito and unveiled in 1923, it honours the Luxembourgers who volunteered to fight in the First World War. The Nazi occupiers pulled it down in 1940, and it was later restored.
10Scenic CorridorFinish
The route ends on a scenic stretch along the edge of the rocky plateau on which the old town was built. Here the former fortress walls drop steeply into the green valley below, and you can see why Luxembourg was once one of the strongest fortresses in Europe.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Ronald van der Wijk (verified owner) –
Dena (verified owner) –
Such a wonderful day exploring with our family! Highly recommend this scavenger hunt!
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was a good way to see the city but I found it far too easy
Selina– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Super Schnitzeljagd. Rätsel könnten aber etwas anspruchsvoller sein.
Peter– Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Infos waren Klasse aufbereitet, man hat wirklich alles sehen können. Die Rätsel waren nicht zu schwer. Die Anbindung an Google Maps und das man gezwungen war die App zu installieren hat uns leider gar nicht gefallen
Enes– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Da wir nur einen einzigen Tag hatten, war dieses Spiel eine sehr gute Gelegenheit die Stadt spielerisch zu erkunden und keine wichtige Sehenswürdigkeit zu verpassen. Die Rätsel waren grundsätzlich selbsterklärend und nicht übermäßig schwer.
Mark– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide