A small country often overlooked when planning an overseas vacation, is the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, southeast of Belgium and between France and Germany. During a visit in June this year my wife and I discovered that it indeed is worth a visit. Packed into its small territory of 2 586 sq km you will find beautiful scenery, a world famous wine region, many impressive medieval castles and churches, interesting villages, and historical artifacts dating back to the time of the Roman occupation. And the capital, Luxembourg City, is most impressive.

Luxembourg was once part of Charlemagne’s empire, but became an independent state in 963. But over the centuries different countries such as Spain, France, Austria and the Netherlands held the country. In 1815 it became a grand duchy, lost half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of autonomy, attaining full independence in 1867. During both World Wars Germany occupied the country, but Allied troops liberated it in 1944. The so called Battle of the Bulge brought mass destruction of much of the Grand Duchy, but within a remarkably short time after the war the damage was restored. 

The topography varies: in the central region gently rolling hills with broad, shallow valleys, the green mountains of the Ardennes in the north with its deep wooded valleys spiked with sharp, craggy hills crowned with castles, and the steep slopes down to the Moselle’s flood plain in the south. Most of the country can be seen on day trips from the capital - nowhere more than a couple of hours’ journey away. With moderate temperatures (mild winters, cool summers) Luxembourg is a great destination any time of year, but the best times are between mid-April through mid-October. Three languages are primarily spoken: the national language Luxembourgish, German and French. However, English is also widely spoken, especially in the city and surrounding areas. 

The history of Luxembourg City is closely connected with that of the country itself. It originated in Roman times when camps were established at the crossroads of trading routes between Metz and Liege, and Trier and Paris. It is situated on one of the most spectacular sites of any capital in Europe: on a rocky promontory where the valleys of the Pètrusse and Alzette Rivers, which meet here, forms deep canyons around, natural obstacles to invading forces. Today only a small portion of the original fortifications can be seen; now beautiful parks cover the terrain once occupied by strong forts, and many bridges span the gullies, such as the Adolphe Bridge (1899 - 1903), separating the Old Town from the modern one.

The day began with the changing of the guard (which we unfortunately did not see) in front of the Palais Grand-Ducal. But at 22:00 that evening there was a torch-lit parade through the center of the Old Town. The streets were decorated with banners and colourful lights, and packed with people celebrating, dancing, with rock, pop and folklore concerts, as well as dj’s and street musicians entertaining the crowds, and livening up the streets, bars and cafes until dawn. At 24:00 the crowd gathered at the central square for a dazzling fireworks display.

The next morning we got up early, and walked to the nearby Old Town. The streets were empty, with everyone taking the day of and sleeping late. To our amazement the same streets which were a few hours ago packed with throngs of celebrators had already been spotlessly cleaned and washed! We were in time to see the beginning of the day’s celebrations with a military parade, followed by a Te Deum service at the majestic Cathèdrale Notre-Dame (for the royal family, government officials and special guests only. A red carpet was rolled out along which the celebrities entered the cathedral. The monarch and his wife arrived in his official vehicle bearing the royal flag on the bonnet. I took the opportunity of taking a photograph of my wife standing next to this luxurious Bentley! After the Te Deum, a 101-gun salute was fired outside the cathedral. Celebrations open to the public took place afterwards at various locations, with interesting parades and marches.

We drove north through Luxembourg, from where we entered Belgium. On the way we admired the beautiful countryside, sometimes turning of to some of the smaller towns, like the beautiful Clerveaux built around a loop of a river, and topped with a castle dating from the 12^th century. The Battle of the Bulge Museum inside recounts this battle. The castle also exhibits a moving collection of photographs by Edward Steichen, called the Family of Man.  Next to the castle stands a Medieval Gothic Cathedral.

We did not have the time to visit the valley of the River Moselle, which forms the border with Germany, and where the excellent Moselle wines are produced. However, we took the opportunity to taste some of the excellent white wines produced there, like the fruity Rieslings, the delicate Pinot Blancs and the flowery Gewürtztraminer. I think we should return to Luxembourg to taste more of this fascinating country!