Gare

The complete guide to Gare

Population and area: district figures of the City of Luxembourg, end of 2025.

History in brief

The quarter takes its name from the station, la gare, which has stood on the Bourbon plateau since 1859, the year the first railway reached Luxembourg. The same year, the Passerelle viaduct opened, the first bridge to span the valley between the plateau and the old town. Development took off after the Treaty of London of 1867, which ordered the dismantling of the fortress: freed from military restrictions, the plateau filled with apartment buildings, hotels, banks and shops. The Adolphe Bridge, opened in 1903, gave the quarter its grand connection to the old town, and the Avenue de la Liberté became its boulevard.

Streets and landmarks

• Luxembourg Central Station, the country's main rail hub.
• The Avenue de la Liberté, running from the station to the Adolphe Bridge, lined with Belle Époque buildings and now carrying the tram.
• The Place de Paris, one of the quarter's squares, and the Villa Clivio.
• The Spuerkeess headquarters, whose clock tower is one of the city's best-known silhouettes, above the Pétrusse valley.
• The Passerelle and the Adolphe Bridge, crossing the valley to the old town.

Who lives here

Around 11,300 people live in the Gare quarter, on just over one square kilometre, which makes it the most densely populated quarter of the capital. It is also the most international: around 80% of residents are not Luxembourgish. That density and diversity are the quarter's defining features: shops open late, restaurants from many countries, and a constant flow of people.

Housing and the rental market

The Gare quarter has more studios and small apartments than most of the city, in Belle Époque buildings, post-war blocks and recent conversions. For people arriving alone or on a fixed-term contract, it is often the quickest place to find somewhere to live. Older buildings offer high ceilings and handsome facades, and sometimes older heating and windows. Our listing here, a furnished studio with a private garden, shows that quiet courtyards exist behind the busy streets. See our article on living around the station.

Shopping, food and daily services

Everything is on foot: supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, banks, post office, dry cleaners, hairdressers and restaurants of every kind. It is one of the few quarters where daily life needs no car at all.

Families, schools and green space

The quarter is dense, and green space is limited within it. The Pétrusse valley park, below the plateau, is the nearest large green area, with footpaths and playgrounds. Primary schools serve the area, and families often weigh the Gare's convenience against the calmer streets of neighbouring quarters.

Getting around in practice

No address is better connected. The station offers national rail, cross-border trains to France, Belgium and Germany, and international services. The T1 tram stops at the station and runs along the Avenue de la Liberté to the old town, Limpertsberg, Kirchberg and the airport, and south to Bonnevoie and Cloche d'Or. The city's bus network converges here. All public transport in Luxembourg is free.

Before you sign: what to check at the Gare

• The exact street. Busy commercial streets and calm residential ones are a few minutes apart.
• Evening visit. Some streets near the station are lively late at night.
• Orientation. Rooms on the courtyard side are often much quieter.
• Parking. Street parking is scarce; look for a garage if you have a car.

Who lives in Gare

Gare is home to about 11,292 residents on 1.05 km², a density of roughly 10,728 people per km², which makes it the 1st most densely populated of the 23 quarters in our guides. Around 18% of residents hold Luxembourgish nationality, lower than the city-wide share of about 31% (137,696 residents at the end of 2025, according to the City of Luxembourg). Like the capital as a whole, it is a genuinely international place to live.

A walk through Gare

The Gare quarter has been defined by the railway since 1859, when Luxembourg's principal station was built on the Bourbon plateau, separated from the old town by the valley where the Pétrusse joins the Alzette. After the Treaty of London of 1867 led to the dismantling of the fortress, the quarter grew rapidly. Start at the station and walk along the Avenue de la Liberté, the grand boulevard that links it to the old town, lined with Belle Époque buildings and carrying the tram. Halfway, Place de Paris opens out; at the end, the Adolphe Bridge, opened in 1903, crosses the valley towards the old town. Nearby, the older Passerelle viaduct, opened in 1859, was the first link between the station and the city. Along the way you pass buildings such as the Villa Clivio, a reminder of the quarter's elegant early years.

Gare through the year

The Gare quarter never really slows down. Trains, trams and buses run from early morning; shops and restaurants keep it busy into the evening. It is the most international quarter of the city, with more than eight in ten residents holding a nationality other than Luxembourgish, which shows in its shops and restaurants. Its closeness to the old town puts the winter market and summer festivals a walk away.

Advantages and trade-offs

Gare compared with its neighbours

Population and area: City of Luxembourg district figures, end of 2025. Luxembourgish share rounded.

Practical tips for your first weeks in Gare

• View any home in the evening as well as during the day.
• Ask which side of the building the bedroom faces; courtyard rooms can be very quiet.
• If you travel often, time the walk to the station platforms from the front door.
• Skip the car: this is the easiest quarter in the country to live without one.

The Aura view

The Gare quarter is Luxembourg's most practical address: trains, tram, shops and services on foot, and more small homes than anywhere else. Chosen street by street, it is an excellent first home in the country.