Audio walk · Luxembourg City
Kirchberg: Philharmonie, Mudam & Fort Thüngen
Put your phone in your pocket and walk. Your phone reads each stop aloud, then waits while you walk to the next one; tap “I've arrived” to carry on. Everything it says is written out below, so the walk works without sound too.
- 3 stops
- about 5 min of listening
- about 11 min between stops
- Cluster guide
3 stops · about 5 min listening · about 11 min between stops
Before you start
Voice and speed
The script is in English. On-device voices keep working with no signal once this page is open or saved.
Transcript
Everything the tour says, in order. Read it instead of listening if you prefer.
Before you start
Welcome to the Kirchberg: Philharmonie, Mudam & Fort Thüngen audio walk in Luxembourg City. 3 stops: Philharmonie Luxembourg, Mudam Luxembourg and Fort Thüngen (Dräi Eechelen). The modern plateau: the Philharmonie, the Mudam art museum and Fort Thüngen; reach it by tram and plan around museum closing days.
Place de l'Europe and the Philharmonie south-east to Fort Thüngen and the Mudam. Underfoot: paved, level; slope: flat; shade: low.
Luxembourg City is a fortress that became a capital, and then a financial and European centre, without ever leaving its rock. Its old quarters stand on a promontory above two river valleys, its casemates run under the streets, and its newest quarter, Kirchberg, houses European courts and concert halls on a separate plateau.
Before you start: Museums: bags may need to go in a locker at the door. Keep your eyes on the street, and pause the audio before you cross a road.
1. Philharmonie Luxembourg
Stop 1 of 3: Philharmonie Luxembourg. Arrival point: Place de l'Europe, Kirchberg; tram stop Philharmonie–Mudam.
The concert hall on Kirchberg, with its ring of white columns: a 15-minute exterior stop, or an evening concert if you book ahead.
Kirchberg has the modern architecture: the Philharmonie by Christian de Portzamparc, opened in 2005, with a ring of white columns; Mudam by I. M. Pei, opened in 2006, in pale stone and glass beside the remains of Fort Thüngen; and the towers of the European institutions. The Philharmonie draws international orchestras, Mudam shows contemporary art, and the national museums have free permanent collections (check each one).
Concert etiquette: arrive early, silence phones. Busy before evening concerts; quiet by day. Outside yes; inside only where signed. The hall opened in 2005 and was designed by the French architect Christian de Portzamparc. It hosts the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and international artists across classical, jazz and world music.
Walk:Next, stop 2: Mudam Luxembourg. It's about 5 minutes on foot, about 250 metres to the south. Route: Walk along Kirchberg plateau. The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
2. Mudam Luxembourg
Mudam Luxembourg — Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean
Stop 2 of 3: Mudam Luxembourg. Arrival point: Park Dräi Eechelen, Kirchberg; tram stop Philharmonie–Mudam.
The modern-art museum by I. M. Pei on Kirchberg, beside the old fort: 45–60 minutes; check the closing day, usually Tuesday.
Do not touch the works. Quiet on weekday mornings; busy on Saturdays. Allowed in many rooms; check each exhibition. The museum opened in 2006 and was designed by I. M. Pei; it stands beside the remains of Fort Thüngen and includes part of its walls. It focuses on contemporary art with changing exhibitions; the permanent collection is smaller. There is a shop and a café; lockers for bags. Check the photography rules for each exhibition. Check the exhibition calendar and the closing day (often Tuesday). Take the tram to Philharmonie–Mudam and walk through the park. Rain plan? Yes, a good indoor stop. Shoes on.
Walk:Next, stop 3: Fort Thüngen (Dräi Eechelen). It's about 6 minutes on foot, about 150 metres to the south-west. Route: Walk to the fort. The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
3. Fort Thüngen (Dräi Eechelen)
Fort Thüngen — Dräi Eechelen
Stop 3 of 3: Fort Thüngen (Dräi Eechelen). Arrival point: Park Dräi Eechelen, Kirchberg; tram stop Philharmonie–Mudam.
The restored 18th-century fort with its three round towers and a small museum, in a park beside Mudam: 25 minutes for the towers and the view.
The Fort Thüngen, built by the Austrians in 1732, has been restored with its three round towers, known as the Three Acorns.
Do not climb on the walls. Quiet; a few visitors at weekends. Yes. The fort was built by the Austrians in the 1730s and dismantled after the 1867 treaty; the towers have been restored. The three towers give the fort its nickname Dräi Eechelen, the three acorns. A small museum inside tells the fortress story. Stay on marked paths in the park. Walk from Mudam across the park; the fort's three towers are visible ahead. Walk around the outside for the towers and the view across the Pétrusse and Alzette to the old town.
End of the walk
That's the end of the Kirchberg: Philharmonie, Mudam & Fort Thüngen walk. To carry on, Ville Haute: Place d'Armes & the Grand-Ducal Palace is about 15 minutes away (tram towards the centre).
Built from this site's place pages, walking times and city deep dive; nothing is added that isn't on those pages. Opening hours, prices and rules change: check each place page before you go. Walking times are typical (median) and assume a steady pace.