You want to get to know Luxembourg, the country itself and the capital city of the same name? Guided travel in Luxembourg is the easy, laid back way to do it, with everything sorted out for you so all you need to do is relax and enjoy the place to the full. Here are some of the best bits about a tiny, weeny EU country with a fearsome history and a big heart.
58 chunks of interesting-ness about Luxembourg
- The country borders France, Belgium and Germany and is home to just 655,000 people, the sixth smallest nation in Europe
- It is the richest country in the world by far
- ‘Live and let live’ is the name of the game here, a famously tolerant country
- Luxembourg has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times
- This is the only ‘grand duchy’ in the world, a constitutional monarchy
- The Schengen Agreements were signed here
- The towns of Esch-sur-Alzette, Differdange, and Dudelange are home to around 10,000 people each
- They speak 3 official languages: French, German, and Lëtzebeurgesch or ‘Luxembourgish’
- The duchy is home to 70+ castles, revealing its violent and complicated past
- The public transport in Luxembourg is FREE! How cool is that?
- The capital fought off the Spanish and French thanks to the powerful fortifications and challenging landscapes
- The capital city’s crime rate is incredibly low, once voted the safest city on earth for expats to live
- The country has everything including empty space to hike in that qualifies as wilderness, home-grown wines, and more than its fair share of eccentric local customs
- This isn’t a massive tourist hot-spot, so you’ll be free from the huge holiday crowds you get in many countries and their capitals
- Your national dish? In Luxembourg they traditionally love pork and beans best
- The weather is best from June to August
- Nature-wise, the autumn colour in the dense forested gorges is hard to beat for drama between September and November
- The city’s Winterlights festival is a big favourite, all glittery and festive
- In January and February it is famously COLD!
- Luxembourg City has been listed as the European Capital of Culture two times
- You can drive the entire country from north to south – or the other way round – in just 90 minutes
- Work here to be paid the world’s highest minimum wage
- Almost half of the workforce commutes into Luxembourg from France, Belgium and Germany
- The Ardennes region has some stunning National Parks to discover nature
- The Land of Red Rocks was once the heart of the iron and steel industry, now it’s a beautiful UNESCO Biosphere reserve
- You’re within easy reach of the marvellous Moselle wine region
- Esch is stuffed with world-class museums
- Luxembourg’s former Prime Minister was the first EU leader to have a same-sex marriage
- The Mullerthal’s gorgeous woodland and rolling hills make a delightful getaway from the buzz of the city
- Vianden is home to stunning medieval castle, in the beautiful Our valley near the German border
- Echternach is the oldest town in Luxembourg, founded in the year 698
- Little Switzerland, AKA Mullerthal, is a heavenly place of craggy hills, thick forests, deep caves and rushing streams
- Visit Clervaux castle to admire Edward Steichen’s famous ‘The Family of Man’ photos
- Head for Fond-de-Gras to explore the fascinating Industry and Railway Park, where you can ride on an old steam train.
- Find Rumelange and go to the National Mines Museum
- Go boating on Upper Sûre Lake, Luxembourg’s biggest lake surrounded by wonderful hiking trails
- The Diekirch National Museum of Military History tells some harrowing true stories and deeds of derring-do
- Ruined medieval Bourscheid Castle has views so splendid you’ll want to share them on Insta
- More than a third of Luxembourg is covered in dense, peaceful forest
- Luxembourg City features dramatic rocky ravines making some of the walking pretty steep
- Since 1912, when it first competed in the games, Luxembourg has won one Olympic gold medal
- With just 130,000 or so people living in the capital city, it is a pleasure to discover on foot
- Get unforgettable views from the Chemin de la Corniche
- Sample local Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay wines
- Make your way to the Pont Adolphe bridge for even more amazing eye-candy
- Visit the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg to find out what lies in the city’s history – it’s fascinating
- Explore the Bock Casemates, a huge and complex network of underground tunnels and fortifications lined with cannons – so strong it gave the city its nickname: the Gibraltar of the North
- This country has the highest rate of car ownership in the EU
- Watch the world go by or join in with the party vibe in the Rives de Clausen neighbourhood, buzzy and lively. They made beer here in the 1100s, now it is packed with cool restaurants and bars
- Marvel at the old Belval blast furnaces in the city of Esch, and climb the huge structures via a guided tour for views to die for, all the way to France
- Hike the Minett Park Fond-de-Gras, an ex-mine railway turned into stunningly pretty walking trails
- Visit the Schiessentümpel Waterfall on the Müllerthal Trail in Luxembourg’s ‘Little Switzerland’ – the total trail goes for 70 miles
- Visit Echternach on the border with Germany, where the hold the bizarre traditional Lechternacher Sprangprëssessioun. They gather in a procession then bunny-hop to polka music while dressed in white shirts and black trousers. This is, allegedly, to pay tribute to St Willibrord who founded the local Benedictine Abbey. We imagine he was thrilled
- Take in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old Quarters
- A dramatic gorge splits the capital in two with deep valleys, high cliffs and a little castle built in the year 963. The fortress that was once here stood for almost a thousand years, so strong it became known as the Gibraltar of the North
- Reflect on life, the universe and everything in the lush green Gëlle Fra and riverside gardens in the Grund
- Picnic in any of the lovely city parks
- Get inspired by the architecture at Kirchberg, home to the Modern Art Museum Mudam and Philharmonie buildings
It might be weeny but Luxembourg has such a lot to offer visitors, with plenty for every taste. History and architecture, a capital where they party like professionals, a rich culture, a warm welcome and an experience to remember. Happy travelling!
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