Corniche Path

You’re now walking along the most beautiful balcony in Europe! Nothing less! As the Luxembourg writer Batty Weber once said. The Corniche path follows the old ramparts built in the 17th century by the Spanish and the French. From the 1540s onwards, the city changed hands 4 times during the constant struggle between Charles V and Francis I. In the end, it was the Habsburgs who gained sovereignty over Luxembourg, and it was they who transformed the fortified town into a fortress. Construction work lasted over a century and a half! That’s it for the ramparts. However, if you’re interested in the rest of the story, you should know that France had not said its last word, and that after a siege led by Vauban, Louis XIV’s army conquered the town in 1684. Vauban completely redesigned the capital’s defences, which were already pretty good! But Luxembourg was returned to the Habsburgs in 1697 and then conquered by French revolutionary troops in 1795. Really, it’s a never ending story! In 1815, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was created and joined the member states of the German Confederation. In 1867, Luxembourg’s neutrality was finally proclaimed! It was at this point that the city got rid of its fortifications. Thanks to this, you can enjoy superb views from the ramparts today. The Corniche path runs along the Alzette valley and leads from the Rocher du Bock to the Saint-Esprit plateau, offering spectacular views over the valley, the Grund district and the Rham plateau, which is now open to the public after years of restoration.