As the excitement for the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis increases, get ready to watch the procession as well as to anticipate mobility changes.
The pope will arrive at Findel Airport at 10 am., then proceed to the Grand Ducal Palace and Cercle Cité for his first engagements. A public procession in the Popemobile will follow through key boulevards, ending at the Bishop's House for lunch with Cardinal Hollerich. Several roads, including Plateau Bourbon, Boulevard Royal, Avenue Marie-Thérèse, and Boulevard F.D. Roosevelt, will be closed to private traffic except for pedestrians. Public viewing areas will be set up at Kinnekswiss and Place de Paris. Lastly, the pope will visit Luxembourg's Cathedral of Notre-Dame, but due to time constraints, will not host mass. Pope Francis will then address the local Christian community before departing for Brussels at 6:15 pm.
Full Programme Overview
10.00 – Arrival at Findel Airport
11.00 – Meeting with the Grand Ducal Couple at the Grand Ducal Palace
12.00 – Speech and meeting with the public at Cercle Cité
12.45 - 13.15 – Popemobile procession through Luxembourg City
16.30 - 17.30 – Gathering with the Catholic community at the Cathedral
18.15 – Farewell ceremony and departure to Brussels
Mobility and traffic disruptions
Significant mobility disruptions are expected on 26 September. From 9 am onward, individual traffic in the upper town and much of the Plateau Bourbon will be restricted. Boulevard Royal, Avenue Marie-Thérèse, and Boulevard F.D. Roosevelt will also be closed to private traffic.
Car parks will be affected. Access to the Knuedler (Place Guillame II) parking will be restricted from midnight on 25 September, with exits allowed until 8 am on the 26th. The car parks of Place du Théâtre and Monterey will remain accessible, but only via Avenue Monterey. Given the closure of certain public parking lots on 26 September, it's recommended to check the availability of parking spaces in advance.
Public transportation updates
Authorities advise passengers to check live updates.
Tram:
From around 12:15 to 13:45, the tram will drive in both directions "Luxexpo - Hamilius" and "Gare Centrale - Stadion," although no trams will operate between "Hamilius" and "Gare Centrale", i.e. the stations "Place de Metz" and "Place de Paris" will be out of order.
Bus lines:
RGTR
Lines 601, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608 and 609 will only go as far as Gasperich. The stops after that in the direction of the city centre will not be served.
Lines 701, 702, 703 and 711 go as far as Stäreplaz. The Monterey stop will not be served by these lines.
School lines E10 and E11 will be diverted from Limpertsberg via the Schuman roundabout, Boulevard de la foire and Route d'Esch, before resuming their normal route. This will also be the case for line E32.
AVL
For last-minute changes as well as delays to lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 31 and 33, city authorities advise passengers to check live updates.
Vel'OH!, Chargy, Carloh and cyclists:
vel'OH!
These vel'OH! stations will be closed from 20:00 on Wednesday, 25 September to 20:00 on Thursday, 26 September:
Metzer Plaz, Place de Metz
Gëlle Fra, Place de la Constitution
Knuedler, Place Guillaume II
Rousegaertchen, Place des Martyrs
Paraiser Plaz, Rue Ste Zithe
Chargy
The following Chargy stations will be inaccessible on Thursday, 26 September:
Parking Knuedler
Rue Notre-Dame
Place des Bains
Carloh
Rue Notre-Dame station will be closed on Thursday, 26 September.
Cyclists
Cyclists are recommended to plan their trips in advance with other available cycle routes since some bike paths in the city centre and Gare district will be closed.
Security measures and closures
In addition to local authorities and Belgian police, Vatican security personnel will also be onsite to ensure the Pope's safety and smooth transportation. For security reasons, the exact route from Findel to the city and back will not be publicly disclosed.
Attendees are advised to remain vigilant about their belongings due to potential pickpockets. Preventive tips can be found on the police website, with the added reminder to report suspicious people, objects or emergencies by calling 113.
Several public venues will be closed on the day of the visit, including the Luxembourg City Library, Cityshopping.lu's InfoPoint, the Casemates, the Infobus, and InfoChantier. In addition, the Luxembourg Tourist Office will not be conducting their usual guided tours.
Finally, the public toilets in Upper Luxembourg will be closed for security measures. As an alternative, a series of mobile toilets will be set up.
