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Luxembourg Guide
Luxemburg is an independent and sovereign country headed by grand duke Henri. The country has a surface area of 2,587 square kilometres, of which one third is covered by forest. The population is more
the 460,000. The "Luxembourgeois" are trilingual: they speak Lėtzebuergesch (the national language),
French and German. Most of them also have a good mastery of English.
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The economic structure of my country rests upon the banking sector as well as insurance, telecommunications,
the steel and engineering industry, tourism, agriculture and wine-growing. Situated at the very heart
of Western Europe, my country has always been at its cross-roads. Indeed, Robert Schuman, "Father of
Modern Europe", was born here. Luxembourg is also home for several European Institutions and has
provided two Presidents to the European Commission, Gaston Thorn and Jacques Santer.
I would like to help you discover and savour the five tourist regions, each with their distinctly different
countryside. Be enraptured by the heart of the "Good Land" and the millennial Capital of my country,
by the hills and treasures of the Ardennes, by the mythical rocks of the Mullerthal, by the kingdom of
the vine in the Moselle Valley, and by the industrial and architectural heritage of our country in the "Land of the Red Rocks". |
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| Luxembourg history |
The capital of the Grand Duchy was founded in about 963 and is the seat of Government and the official residence of the Grand Duke. Since the “European Community for Coal and Steel” (ECSC) was created in Luxembourg in 1952, a host of European institutions have settled here, the General Secretariate of the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Bank of Investment and several Directorates of the European Commission, to name but a few.
Luxembourg shaped its destiny as one of the “Capitals of Europe” not only through its central
geographical location in the heart of Europe but also through its multi-lingualism. This international momentum confers the city a cosmopolitan flair that is stunning in view of its size. Years of experience, an exceptional political and social stability, a rigid financial
monitoring, innovative products and flexible services have made of Luxemburg the European financial centre by excellence (www.luxembourgforfinance.lu). The vast green spaces in the Pétrusse Valley and the City Gardens as well as the historical city centre, transformed almost completely into a pedestrian zone, provide the visitor with leisure, cultural experience and comfortable shopping.
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Luxembourg Attraction
As far back as 963 Count Siegfried chose the Bock promontory to build his fortress which was to become, together with the first market near Saint Michael’s Church, the cradle of the city, surrounded by a simple fortification. In the course of the years a second and third fortification were constructed on the west side, whereas the rocks of the Pétrusse valley and of the Alzette valley constituted a safe natural defence. All these powerful ramparts, however, did not prevent the Burgundians from taking the city by surprise in 1443; it developed into a strategic position, important on the European chess-board. After more than four centuries the best military engineers of the Burgundians, the French, the Spaniards, the Austrians and of the Germanic Confederation ended up transforming the city into one of the mightiest emplacements in the world, known as the “Gibraltar of the North”.
Three girdles of battlements provided its defence: the inner one was fortified with bastions; the second included fifteen forts and the third was composed of an exterior wall, containing nine forts, all hewn into the rock. An extraordinary network of 23 km of underground tunnels - the so-called casemates - and more than 40.000 m2 of bombproof rooms were hewn in the rocky foundations of the city. They were capable of sheltering not only thousands of defenders with their equipment and their horses, but also workshops for artillery and arms, kitchens, bakeries and slaughter-houses.
The fortifications covered a surface of 180 ha, while the city accounted for only about 120 ha, inclusive of its lower districts. The Treaty of London, signed by the super-powers on May 11th 1867, stipulated the dismantling of the bulwarks, 10% of which still remain visible. The fortress ramparts and the historically impressive Old Town enjoy international reputation: in 1994 UNESCO listed them as World Heritage.
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| Luxembourg Museum |
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MUDAM ;- Famous architect I.M. Pei chose the historic site of the Fort Thüngen for the construction of the Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean (Mudam). Mudam, located on the Kirchberg-Plateau, between the Place de l'Europe and the Old Town of Luxembourg, invites the public to an exploration of contemporary art.
National Museum of History and Art:- Three levels of 700 square metres each have been carved out of the rock which is visible through glass walls. The new underground galleries are used to display the very significant archaeological collections of the museum.
National Museum of Natural History:- The National Museum of Natural History is a modern family museum downtown Luxemboug in Grund and highlights “man”. Human development and impact on nature are illustrated in the various rooms dedicated to evolution, ecology and geology. An interactive multimedia system as well as databases connect the visitor with information about local natural landscapes, animal and plant species.
Museum of the History of the City of Luxembourg:-The Museum of the History of the City of Luxembourg is situated inside a group of four restored noble dwellings and is to reflect the urbanistic and architectural development of the city since its creation in the 10th century up to the present day.
Post and Telecommunications Museum:- It reflects the history of the post and telecommunications in Luxembourg. Extensive collections of historical appliances, old documents and postmarks, medallions and photos provide an interesting insight into the social importance of the post and the technological advance of telecommunications. Furthermore, the museum owns a remarkable collection of stamps.
Tram and Bus Museum:It was inaugurated in the quarter of Hollerich in 1991. The visitor comes across exhibits like a historical horse-drawn coach, old tramway carriages and models of buses as well as historical uniforms. Numerous photos and documents illustrate the development of city transportation since 1875.
Casino Luxembourg - Forum of contemporary art:- The Casino Bourgeois, built in 1882, became a centre for socializing in Luxembourg within a short time. In the middle of the 20th century the State purchased it and rented it out to the Cultural Circle of the European Union. Named “Foyer Européen” from then onwards, it was a centre for social and cultural events up to the end of 1990.
Robert Krieps Building ("Tutesall"):-The Robert Krieps Building, located in the city district of Grund, is a part of Neumünster Abbey, which was temporarily used both as a military hospital and as a prison in the course of the centuries. The so-called “Tutesall”, the place where prison inmates had to glue paper bags, is integrated into the new Cultural Centre of Neumünster Abbey and is used for concerts, conferences and theatre performances.
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| Getting There
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| Railways: total: 274 km (2002). Highways: total: 5,189 km; paved: 5,189 km (including 114 km of expressways); unpaved: 0 km (2000). Waterways: 37 km; Moselle. Ports and harbors: Mertert. Airports: 2 (2002). |
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