Luxembourg's Royal-Hamilius, Cloche d'Or, Kirchberg, place de l'Étoile, old dairy, and the site of the future national stadium, all look very different.

These aerial images detail just how stark the transformation between 2004 and 2019 has been!

Changes in the landscape across Luxembourg's capital city and countryside have been undertaken at a staggering pace, even if the rate at which the roads are developed seems at times staggeringly slow.

A visit to Luxembourg Ville's website reveals a number of easily recognisable locations that have undergone huge development.

Here we present a selection of images from some of these sites.

CENTRE-VILLE: ROYAL HAMILIUS


(Drag the slider from left to right to see the transformation between 2004 and 2019)

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique
The historic centre of the capital is largely protected from too much urban development but that has not prevented a radical and modern rethink around the famous Hamilius building (post) which dates from the 70s.

The comparison between the two photos highlights the 'disappearance' of the bus station (commonly referred to as The Hamilius) in front of the post office.

The other notable addition is that we can clearly see the emergence of the "pirate ship" playground, a godsend to parents and au-pairs, which was created in 2007.

KIRCHBERG: FUNICULAR & COURT OF JUSTICE

Connecting the city centre to Kirchberg was always a challenge in yesteryear, often involving a large detour and/or manpower to get items/product from one side to the other.

The construction of the Pont Grande-Duchesse (Red Bridge) changed the transport route significantly. Inaugurated in 1966, the bridge was a first step in the development of the urban plateau.

Though the overall style of the bridge hasn't changed much, it is repainted regularly, the guard rails have been altered (for safety) and the roadway has been widened to accommodate the tram in ongoing works that began in 2017.

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique
On the right, we see another facet of the development of Kirchberg in tandem with the enlargement of the European Union.

Since the 90s, given the growth of European Union, first to 25, and then to 27 member states in 2004-2005 there are clear extensions to establishments that may not be as obvious when viewing from the ground.

The extension of the European Investment Bank (EIB) (the long building at the top of the image) and the third, fourth and even fifth extensions of the European Court of Justice designed by Dominique Perrault.

At the bottom of the image, you are drawn to the Place de l'Europe with the Philharmonie, the MUDAM and the 'two towers'.

Heading east of the square you can see the "Héichhaus", the oldest European building, dating from 1966, underwent a restoration and had the addition of the European Convention Centre Luxembourg to its base.

THE SOUTH: THE BOOM OF THE CLOCHE D'OR

Located south of the capital this neighbourhood has experienced significant development over recent years.

The project and completion of the new Cloche d'Or district found its genesis in a strategy adopted by the City of Luxembourg to strengthen the south and was defined a decade ago.

With a mix of housing, office, shopping and leisure functions, the ambition was to create a new district that will thrive throughout the day, with 30,000 inhabitants, numerous offices, a shopping centre and the largest park in the capital.

Toward the bottom of the photo from 2004, we see the star-shaped Drosbach center taking shape.

But it is above all the creation and development of the Ban de Gasperich, to the east of the area, which is more impressive with a huge increase in buildings evident in the more recent photo.

Monuments and landmarks to point out include, to the south, the water tower, the PWC building which was first inaugurated in 2014,  the shopping centre and also the Lycée Vauban.

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique

Conversely, in the northeast, the "old" Gasperich has not changed too much, just as, on the other side, the residential district of Cessange has become denser in population, but has not experienced a major overhaul.

KIRCHBERG: RTL HQ & CITY

In the early 1990s, RTL left Villa Louvigny in the city centre to settle in Kirchberg. The growth of the group's activities and the evolution of technologies required a new, more spacious and more modern building, equipped with cutting-edge technology.

Construction began in August 2013 and the building was inaugurated on 19 April 2017. Three towers with a total area of ​​36,000 m² were built. Two of these towers are reserved for RTL Group employees.

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique

The old headquarters (buildings KB1 and KB2) were demolished and work is underway to construct residential and mixed-use buildings.

MERL: THE OLD DAIRY

Here is a lesser known site with an interesting history. We are in Merl, a residential area west of the capital. From 1960 to 2009, Luxlait's processing and production facilities were located there but real estate fluctuations necessitated a move to the North.

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique

In 2010, these installations were demolished and the land was sold to carry out a vast residential project.

Some 550 apartments were built along with a supermarket, offices, shops and a cultural centre.

NO BIG CHANGE AT PLACE DE L'ÉTOILE

While you don't see big changes between the two photos here, that's entirely natural: unlike some of the other locations highlighted above, Place de l'Étoile is one of those areas that has not undergone much change.

The 1970s saw the birth of a tunnel project linking the Place au Glacis to Kirchberg as part of an ambitious architectural competition, with the overall aim of 'easier' eastern entrance to the capital. The plan was subsequently abandoned as pressure from business owners prevented forward momentum.

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique

The situation changed in 2007 when Qatari investors wished to invest in Luxembourg and bought swathes of land. The project consisted of more than 20,000 m2 and included a shopping centre, offices and housing and is growing even further today.

In 2016, an Abu Dhabi fund bought additional land and were keen on developing a luxury housing project, but nothing was built.

In 2018, the main tram terminus was housed at the top end of Kirchberg, pending the extension to the station.

ALMOST COMPLETE: NATIONAL STADIUM

We return to the south of the capital to see a very specific site which was not even planned for the location back in 2004 - though the site has drawn ire for going significantly over budget.

Faced with population growth and pressure from an improvement in international sporting standards, the construction of a new national stadium was decided in 2014.

The location between the Cloche d'Or and Kockelscheuer was chosen for its availability and proximity with accessibility being key from major motorways.

Photo credit: Ville de Luxembourg, Service Topographie et géomatique

The 9,385 covered seats for spectators, VIP areas, and food kiosks, will be used for national football and rugby matches. There will be a business club with kitchen, VIP boxes and rooms for the press.

Ground was broken on 18 September 2017. The end of the works, initially scheduled for October 2019, was not hit and it will be necessary to wait until the end of 2020 for the first sporting event to kick off.