Luxembourg tourist information

Luxemburg is a small landlocked country in the north-west of continental Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of under half a million people in an area of about 2,600 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi).

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Canach Dommeldange Eischen Findel Luxembourg Vianden

Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarchy, ruled by a Grand Duke. It is the world's only sovereign Grand Duchy. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, Benelux, and the Western European Union, reflecting the political consensus in favour of economic, political, and military integration.

Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Although French is the predominant language in the daily life and streets, Luxembourg remains a trilingual country; French, German, and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although it is a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It is ranked 168th in size of all the countries of the world. The country is about 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq. mi) in size. In the west, it borders the Belgian province of Luxembourg, which is (at 4,443 km²; 1,715 sq. mi) nearly twice the size of the country. It measures 82 km (51 miles) long and 57 km (35 miles) wide.

The northern third of the country is known as the 'Oesling', and forms part of the Ardennes. It is dominated by hills and low mountains, including the Kneiff, which is the highest point, at 560 metres (1,837 ft).

The southern two-thirds of the country is called the 'Gutland', and is more densely populated than the Oesling. It is also more diverse, and can be divided into five geographic sub-regions: Little Switzerland, the Luxembourg plateau, the Moselle valley, the Red Lands, and the Valley of the Seven Castles.

The border between Luxembourg and Germany is formed by three rivers: the Moselle, the Sauer, and the Our.

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Cuisine ^*

Luxembourgish cuisine reflects Luxembourg's position on the border between the Latin and Germanic worlds, being heavily influenced by the cuisines of neighbouring France and Germany. More recently, it has had influence from its many Italian and Portuguese immigrants.

Most particularly native Luxembourgian dishes, consumed as the traditional daily fare, share roots in the Luxembourgian peasantry, similarly to German cuisine and in marked contrast to more sophisticated French.

Luxembourg has many delicacies: pastries, Luxembourg Cheese, the fresh fish from local rivers (trout, pike, and crayfish), Ardennes ham smoked in saltpeter, game during hunting season (such as hare and wild boar), small plum tarts in September (quetsch), smoked neck of pork with broad beans (judd mat gaardebounen), fried small river fish (such as bream, chub, gudgeon, roach, and rudd), calves' liver dumplings (quenelles) with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, black pudding (treipen) and sausages with mashed potatoes and horseradish, and green bean soup (bouneschlupp). French cuisine is featured prominently on many menus, and German and Belgian cuisine (but not as much).

Specialties
These are some specialties of Luxembourg:

Thuringer - Inexpensive, small sausages that taste like a spicy version of the German bratwurst. They are often sold by street vendors and at roadside stands. New regulations prohibit the use of the word "Thuringer" as it is now regionally protected and reserved to sausages produced in the German free state of Thuringia. Instead, they are now officially referred to as Letzebuerger Grillwurscht, translating as Luxembourgian barbecue sausage.
Gromperekichelcher - Carefully spiced potato pancake with chopped onions and parsley, then deep-fried. They are available at roadside stands as well.
Eisleker Ham - Smoke-cured uncooked ham, said to look like the Italian Proscuitto crudo, sliced paper-thin and commonly served with fresh bread.
Kachkeis (cooked cheese) - A soft cheese spread.
Pate - A spreadable paste, usually made of meat but vegetarian versions exist.
Quetschentaart - A plum tart; it, along with peach, cherry, and pear tarts are a typical dessert and can be found in any pastry shop.
Miel luxembourgeois de marque nationale is a honey from Luxembourg that is protected under EU law.

Alcohol
In 1993 it was reported that Luxembourg had the highest worldwide per capita consumption of alcohol; an average of three beers a day for every man, woman, and child. French wine is the most commonly drunk alcohol, and fine beers from Germany and Belgium are widely available. Alcohol is available cheaper in Luxembourg than anywhere else in Europe. It's also common to come across home-produced alcohol, called eau de vie, distilled from various different fruits and usually fifty percent alcohol by volume.

Some white and sparkling wines are even produced in Luxembourg, alongside the north bank of the Moselle, which has a winemaking history dating back to the Romans. The names of some wines made in Luxembourg: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Rivaner, Elbling, Gewurztraminer, and Cremant de Luxembourg. Look for the National Mark, which identifies authentic Luxembourg wine.

Luxembourg has a fair number of breweries, given its tiny size. Imported beers, however, have control of the beer market in Luxembourg. During the 1970s and 1980s, over 600,000 hectoliters of beer were brewed each year. The peak was reached in 1976 when over 800,000 hectoliters of beer were brewed, and since then the amount has been decreasing. In 2001, production dropped below 400,000 hectoliters for the first time since 1950. Some beers currently made in Luxembourg: Battin Edelpils and other beers at the Brasserie Battin, Biere Blonde and others at the Restaurant Beierhaascht, Bofferding Lager and others at the Brasserie Bofferding, Hengeschter and others at the Cornelyshaff, Diekirch Premium and others at the Brasserie de Luxembourg Mousel-Diekirch SA, Simon Dinkel and others at the Brasserie Simon. The Brasserie de Redang also brewed beer for five years, but closed in 2005.

History Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Culture

Luxembourg has been overshadowed by the culture of its neighbours, although, being long a deeply rural and folkloric nation, the country retains some folk traditions. There are also several notable museums, located mainly in Luxembourg City; these include the National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg, and the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM). Luxembourg City itself is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a whole.

The country has produced some internationally-known artists, including the painter Joseph Kutter and the photographer Edward Steichen.

Transportation

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Terrain Mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast.

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Languages Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)

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Ethnic Groups Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and resident workers)