Luxembourg Old Town hosts Winterlights from 20 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 19:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSWinterlights and the historic centre
- Winterlights begins on 20 November 2026 under the City of Luxembourg programme.
- Place d'Armes and Place Guillaume II host markets and activities within the old town.
- UNESCO inscribed Luxembourg's old quarters and fortifications in 1994.
Luxembourg Old Town (vieille ville de Luxembourg) will form part of Winterlights in Luxembourg from 20 November 2026, when the City of Luxembourg launches its winter festival across the capital. The programme runs until 3 January 2027, while the associated illuminations continue until 10 January 2027.
Winterlights brings markets to Luxembourg Old Town
The city authority lists the Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtmaart at Place d'Armes and the Adventskalennerhaus at Place Guillaume II among the Winterlights attractions. Both squares sit in the historic upper town, connecting the seasonal programme with the streets and public spaces of the old quarters.
The festival also includes the Wantermaart at Place de la Constitution, the Niklosmaart at Place de Paris and the Wanterpark with an ice-skating rink at Kinnekswiss. The programme covers markets, concerts, exhibitions, Christmas-themed films, theatre, dance and activities for children.
On 29 November 2026, the Kleeschen on tour procession will visit several locations across Luxembourg City. The city authority says that Winterkids activities at Place Guillaume II will include creative workshops and puppet shows.
Winterlights dates and venues are set out by the City of Luxembourg, which is organising the festival and publishing its practical information.
Winterlights meets a fortified European city
The old quarters occupy a steep rocky outcrop at the meeting point of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers. This terrain helped shape Luxembourg as a fortified city, and the winter markets now use public squares within the same historic urban setting.
UNESCO describes the site as a fortified European city with surviving gates, forts, bastions, redoubts and casemates. A small fort was built shortly after the middle of the tenth century, while a stone wall protected the settlement by the twelfth century.
Most of the fortifications were dismantled after the Treaty of London in 1867, but substantial remains survive in and around the old quarters. The city and its old quarters and fortifications were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.
The placement of Winterlights at Place d'Armes and Place Guillaume II therefore puts seasonal markets inside a protected historic ensemble rather than in a separate festival ground. The programme offers a current reason to revisit the squares while the streets retain the layout and public buildings associated with the city's development since the tenth century.
The UNESCO description of Luxembourg records the site's fortification history, surviving urban fabric and World Heritage status.
Visiting Luxembourg Old Town: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Winterlights begins on 20 November 2026 and runs until 3 January 2027, with the Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtmaart at Place d'Armes and the Adventskalennerhaus at Place Guillaume II.
- The seasonal programme is spread across public squares and streets, so visitors can find markets, decorations and cultural activities in the old town rather than at one enclosed venue.
- Luxembourg Old Town is in Luxembourg City. The City of Luxembourg recommends public transport and identifies tram and bus connections from park-and-ride facilities to the city centre.
- The site includes steep rocky ground, narrow historic streets and surviving fortifications, including gates, bastions, redoubts and casemates.
- Luxembourg's official languages include Luxembourgish, French and German, and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Luxembourg Old Town
When does Winterlights take place at Luxembourg Old Town?
Winterlights begins on 20 November 2026 and runs until 3 January 2027. The illuminations continue until 10 January 2027.
What is Luxembourg Old Town?
It is the historic urban area within the City of Luxembourg's old quarters and fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.
Where is Luxembourg Old Town and how do you get there?
It is in Luxembourg City, at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers. The city recommends public transport from park-and-ride facilities to the centre.
