Luxembourg (population 660,000; area 2,586 km²) is the world’s only remaining Grand Duchy, and one of the wealthiest countries per capita on Earth (GDP per capita approximately €120,000 — the highest in the EU). It is also one of the least-visited countries in Western Europe by tourists relative to its proximity to major travel hubs. Luxembourg City is a 2-hour train journey from Paris; Cologne is 2.5 hours away; Brussels 3 hours; Frankfurt 3.5 hours.
Luxembourg City
Luxembourg City (population 130,000) is the national capital and one of the EU’s three capital cities (alongside Brussels and Strasbourg). The Bock Promontory: the most dramatic feature of the old city — a narrow sandstone ridge above the Alzette and Pétrusse river valleys, where the original fortress of the Counts of Luxembourg was built in 963 AD. The Casemates du Bock: 23km of underground tunnels carved into the sandstone rock between the 17th and 19th centuries for military purposes. UNESCO World Heritage since 1994. Most of the original fortifications were dismantled in 1867 under the Treaty of London, which guaranteed Luxembourg’s perpetual neutrality and required the destruction of 16 km of walls and the filling of moats. The Grund district: the lower town in the river valley below the old city — a Bohemian neighbourhood of converted mill buildings, trendy bars, and restaurants clustered along the Alzette. The contrast between the upper city (formal, EU-quarter) and the Grund (informal, residential) is one of the city’s defining characteristics. The MUDAM (Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean): a contemporary art museum designed by I.M. Pei (who also designed the Louvre Pyramid) in a 19th-century military fortification — a striking piece of architecture. The EU Quarter (Kirchberg): where the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, and parts of the European Commission are based. The Philharmonie (Luxembourg’s concert hall, also in Kirchberg) is an architecturally significant building and hosts world-class concerts.
The Country Beyond the Capital
The Moselle Valley: the Moselle river forms the border with Germany, and both banks produce wine — Luxembourg’s wine production is almost entirely white and Crémant (sparkling). The main grape: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, and Pinot Gris. The Moselle wine route (Route du Vin): accessible by bus or bike from Luxembourg City (40km). The villages of Ehnen, Wormeldange, and Remich are the most visited. At Caves Bernard-Massard in Grevenmacher, you can tour the underground Crémant cellars. The Müllerthal (Little Switzerland): a wooded sandstone landscape of narrow gorges, waterholes, and rock formations in the east of the country — one of the few regions with dramatic natural scenery in the Benelux. Extensive hiking trails (Müllerthal Trail, 112km total, divided into three stages). The villages of Berdorf and Echternach are the main base towns. Echternach (population 6,000) is the oldest city in Luxembourg, founded as a Benedictine monastery in 698 AD — the basilica of St Willibrord is a pilgrimage destination. The Dancing Procession of Echternach (Springprozession): a religious procession unique in the world — participants dance in a specific three-steps-forward-two-steps-back pattern (the “Echternach dance”). UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Northern Luxembourg (Oesling): the Luxembourg Ardennes — rolling forested hills, castles, and villages. The château of Vianden (overlooking the Our river) is one of the largest and best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic fortresses in the region.
