Illuminated fortifications in Luxembourg city; Credit: © Ville de Luxembourg_Fränk Schneider

On Monday, 27 November 2023, the Ville de Luxembourg started the next phase of the illumination of the fortified heritage of the city in a project that has had a total budget of €2.4 million to implement.

The illumination includes the Plateau du St Esprit and the Cité Judiciaire, the National Archives, the Administration of Public Buildings, the Montée de Grund with the Grënnech Puert, the Chemin de la Corniche, the Lëtzebuerg City Museum, the Méchelskierch, the Schlassbréck and the Rocher du Bock (southern part), the Tour Jacob, the Rham plateau with the Bisserwee and the Viaduc Polfermillen.

This project is part of an overall concept for promoting the fortified heritage of the capital: this is the third and final stage of the implementation of the concept, after a first highlighting in December 2017 of the section between the Pont Adolphe and the Viaduc with in particular the Beck bastion, the Niederwall Louis-Beck and the Niederwall Beck-Jost) and the second lighting in December 2019 of the section including the Schlassbréck (northern part), the Victor Thorn boulevard, the Pfaffenthal climb, the Pfaffenthal Viaduc, the Trois Glands Viaduc, the Fort du Grünewald and the Tour Malakoff.

Through this step-by-step renewal of existing illuminations, the City aims to highlight the fortified heritage while respecting the environment as well as better illumination of pedestrian paths around the different elements, increasing citizens' feeling of security.

Development of bridges, viaducts and fortification elements

The new lighting illuminates the elements of the fortress and the rock massifs in a continuous and homogeneous manner, creating a strong image by enhancing the typical elements of the topographical, urban and architectural heritage and reinforcing the tourist appeal of the capital.

Sustainable development and respect for the environment

Modular and modern, the lighting installation installed makes it possible to considerably reduce energy consumption as well as operating and maintenance costs. All old projectors with an electrical power of 250 – 1000 W have been replaced by LED projectors with a power of 144 W (dimmable), which results in a reduction in energy consumption of around 90%.

The overall project to illuminate the fortified heritage was also developed in such a way as to reduce light pollution as much as possible, a specific study having been carried out on this subject. Thus, the light spectrum chosen minimises nuisance for nocturnal animals through the use of 3000K warm white light devoid of UV radiation, a lighting angle that does not illuminate the sky, the limitation of lighting hours or further reduction in light intensity from a certain time.