Notre-Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame was begun in 1613 as a Jesuit church, late Gothic in structure with Renaissance detail on the north portal, and became the cathedral in 1870. Its crypt holds the tombs of the grand ducal family and, in a separate chapel, John the Blind, the fourteenth-century king of Bohemia and count of Luxembourg. The Octave pilgrimage each spring brings large numbers to the image of Our Lady of Luxembourg kept here.

What you actually see

• The north portal - the Renaissance doorway on the 1613 building.
• The ducal crypt - the burial place of the grand ducal family.
• John the Blind's tomb - the fourteenth-century king's burial in the crypt.
• The Octave pilgrimage - the spring devotion centred on the Marian image.

When to go

Year round; it is open daily outside services. The Octave runs for two weeks in April and May and fills the cathedral. Photography is restricted during services.

Honest expectations

It closes during services, which are frequent. The interior is dark and the crypt has limited access. The building was damaged by fire in 1985 and parts were rebuilt.

Nearby

The Grand Ducal Palace is north, and the Adolphe Bridge is west.