I’ve taken you here before, to Luxembourg, the tiny capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, but this time I am on a mission to best my own record of visiting museums in one day, and this place is the place to do just that. Along the historic city center, there is a museum mile of sorts, and when you look at it on the map it is curved like a smile, hence its reference to “Museumsmile.”
I’m dropped off in the middle of the town with only an address and no map. Luckily, I’m pointed in the right direction and easily find the tourist office around this square where I get my museum pass (9 euros for 7 museums)–it’s not too far from the palace and other interesting official buildings:
The museums do not open till 10, so I make my way to the upper part of the city for these views that I’d fallen for the first time I came here:
In order to get those shots, you have to endure the steep inclines followed by sharp declines:
Anyway, I arrive at my first stop: the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg…
They are having a special exhibit on the discourse of poverty in Luxembourg; can poverty be creeping into the consciousness of a country seemingly as rich as this once again?
It’s a beautiful building with wonderful almost-aerial views,
and my favorite stop is at this neon swing…
One down. Next is the National Museum of History and Art, an incredible ten-story structure that I absolutely want to convert into my own house (one story for shoes, one for bags…hey, might as well dream big, right?):
No photography is allowed, and my legs feel like cooked spaghetti after I finish walking through the tenth floor. Two down. Just outside of this museum, they are putting up a huge pine tree in front of this building:
And while I could choose to rest my feet at this cozy restaurant,
I opt to turn left uphill for these views instead–let me give you the almost-360 view:
Then it’s back down the hill…
to the third museum: the National Museum of Natural History,
It’s literally a 30-minute stop in this museum. Three down. The weather is getting colder and colder each time I leave a building, but I can’t help wander around this Christmas market:
And not too far from here I spy a Ladurée, and as much as I would love to pop in and pig out on the macaroons, it’s starting to rain and I’ve got a few more museums to see still. So next up is the Casino Luxembourg-Forum for Contemporary Art:
This space is just cool. Huge lofts for artists in residence, art lovers, art researchers, or just visitors looking to dry out in one of their libraries. No wifi for me to check email, but after sifting through all their art books in the library, I loiter around their interesting displays and even get to meet an artist in the midst of installing his exhibit. I sort of don’t want to leave this place because not only is it raining and getting dark outside, the wind is now shrieking. I don’t think my umbrella will survive. Four down.
The last museum, Museum of Modern Art Grand-Duke Jean (MUDAM), is actually on the other side of the city and I have to take the bus. Oy! I can manage trains and subways but I’m usually not too good with buses. Yet by some miracle, I manage to find the right one and hop off at the Philharmonic stop:
Wowza, this is worth all the hassles!
And just behind the Philharmonic center is the MUDAM:
Very cool place. Lucky for me, this night all the museums happen to be open late, so I get to visit my last and fifth place without too much rushing. I’ve got two hours left before my pickup, and after a leisurely visit, I get to chill out with some hot tea and a delicious apple crumble tart:
Five down. Some people run marathons to best their personal records. Others climb taller and taller mountains. As for me, I’m already looking to see where I can go next to hit 6 museums in one day. Gotta find more comfortable shoes!
i can feel my feet trembling throughout this post.
gosh.
thats definitely a lot of walking u did there.
hope u got a heavenly reflexology massage later!