Luxembourg
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Access
Luxembourg can be reached from Italy mainly by air via Luxembourg-Findel International Airport (LUX), with stopover flights - direct flights from Italy are rare but exist on some seasonal routes. Overland connections from Italy are easy: from the Italian motorway towards the Brenner Pass one reaches Austria, then Germany via Munich-Stuttgart-Treviers, with access to Luxembourg via the German-Luxembourg border. From northern Italy, via Ventimiglia and the French (Côte d'Azur-Rhône-Metz), one reaches the French-Luxembourg border at Thionville. The [A1] (towards Brussels) and [A6] (towards Paris) motorways cross the country without tolls. The CFL (Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois) operates the railway network with international trains to Brussels, Paris and Frankfurt. Domestic public transport is completely free of charge for all users (buses, trams and regional trains) as of 2020 - Luxembourg is the first country in the world to offer this service. Road connections to Belgium, France and Germany are efficient and toll-free on Luxembourg territory. The main natural areas - the Mullerthal (Little Switzerland of Luxembourg), the Ardennes and the Moselle Valley - can be reached in less than an hour from the capital.
Introduction
Luxembourg - officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - is a landlocked parliamentary constitutional monarchy in western Europe, bordered by Belgium to the north and west, Germany to the east and France to the south. With an area of 2,586 km², it is the sixth smallest country in Europe by area. The capital is Luxembourg city (Lëtzebuerg), home to around 136,000 residents out of a national population of around 672,000 (01.01.2024) - the highest density of immigrants in the European Union, with foreigners making up 47% of the resident population. Luxembourg is one of the founding countries of the European Union (1957) and the European Community institutions: the EU Court of Justice, the European Parliament (second seat), the European Investment Bank, the European Court of Auditors and the EU Council Secretariat are based in Luxembourg. There are three official languages: Luxembourgish (national language), French and German; multilingualism is an identifying characteristic of the country. The Grand Duchy has one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. There are no significant alpine reliefs: the highest peak, the Kneiff, reaches 560 m.
.Description
The territory of Luxembourg is divided into two distinct geographical areas. The Ösling (or Luxembourg Ardennes) - in the northern third of the country - is a high plateau of shale and sandstone with altitudes between 400 and 560 m (Kneiff, highest elevation), coniferous and deciduous forests, deep valleys cut by watercourses (Our, Sûre, Clerve). The Gutland (or Bon Pays) - in the southern two-thirds - is a hilly, undulating region with more fertile soils, cultivated valleys (wheat, vine, fruit) and major population centres. Five regions characterise the landscape diversity: the Luxembourg Ardennes (forests, river valleys), the Plateau de Luxembourg (undulating, agricultural), the Mullerthal or Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise (exceptional sandstone formations, canyons, forests), the Vallée de la Moselle (vineyards, riverside villages) and the Terres Rouges / Minett (former steel mining area, reconverted). The Mullerthal - with its canyons and bizarrely shaped sandstone rock formations created by water erosion - is the country's most popular outdoor area. The main rivers are the Moselle (which marks the border with Germany for 34 km), the Sûre and the Our.
The history of Luxembourg begins with the medieval county of Siegfried (963 A.D.), who built an early castle on the Bock promontory - the nucleus of the future city of Luxembourg. The county rose to duchy status in 1354 and then to grand duchy status in 1815, after passing through Burgundian (1443), Spanish (1477), Austro-Hungarian (1713) and French (1795-1815) rule. The Congress of Vienna (1815) created the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in personal union with the Netherlands and with a Prussian garrison in the fortress. The Treaty of London of 1867 sanctioned permanent neutrality and the disarmament of the fortress - the walls were partially demolished, but the underground casemates survive as a UNESCO heritage site (1994). Luxembourg participated in two world wars under German occupation (1914-1918 and 1940-1944); in the latter, the Battle of the Ardennes (1944-1945) was partially fought on Luxembourg territory. After the Second World War, Luxembourg renounced neutrality and became a founding member of NATO (1949), the Benelux (1948) and the EEC (1957).
Luxembourg's economy is dominated by financial and banking services - Luxembourg is the EU's second largest financial centre after London for investment funds - and the steel industry (ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, has Luxembourg roots). Media and telecommunications (RTL Group, SES satellite services) are sectors of excellence. Moselle wine - Riesling, Pinot Gris, Rivaner - is produced on approximately 1,300 hectares of vineyards and enjoys an excellent international reputation. Luxembourg gastronomy reflects Belgian, French, German and Italian influences: Judd mat Gaardebounen (smoked pork neck with broad beans), Kniddelen (dumplings), Kachkéis (typical cream cheese), bières artisanales and Alsatian choucrout. Luxembourg is home to the largest Italian community in proportion to its population in the EU (around 3.5% of residents), with roots in 20th century mining immigration.
The Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise or Mullerthal is the main natural area of outdoor interest, famous for its Triassic sandstone formations eroded into spectacular shapes (arches, gorges, rock mushrooms) near Echternach - a UNESCO centre for the Processional Dance of St Willibrord, a medieval Christian tradition protected by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. The Our Nature Park and the Dudelange Regional Nature Park in the former mining area complete the system. The fauna includes fallow deer (Dama dama), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), otters (Lutra lutra) - recently reintroduced - and wetland and forest birdlife.
Luxembourg hiking is mainly developed in the Mullerthal and Ardennes. The Mullerthal Trail (112 km, three variants of 37 km each) is the country's best-known long-distance trail, certified as a Leading Quality Trail; it runs through the sandstone canyons between Echternach, Larochette and Beaufort, with steps carved into the rock and walks under the sandstone walls. The national hiking network has around 5,000 km of marked trails. The Via Mosellana runs through the wine-growing valley on the Luxembourg Rhine.
Mountaineering is not feasible in Luxembourg due to the absence of technical relief. The Kneiff (560 m) is the highest peak and can be reached without hiking difficulties. Sport climbing is practised on the sandstone walls of the Mullerthal (Berdorf crag and surroundings), with routes of low difficulty on sandstone rock.
Luxembourg trail running is well developed for the size of the country. The ING Night Marathon Luxembourg (night trail), the Moselle Trail Run and several races in the Mullerthal enliven the national calendar. The Mullerthal Trail is used for competitions with modest altitude differences but spectacular scenery.
.Information
General Data
Capital: Luxembourg
Area: 2.586 km²
Minimum altitude: 133m (Moselle-Sûre confluence at the German border)
Maximum elevation: 560m - Kneiff (Luxembourg Ardennes)
Number of inhabitants: 672,050 (01.01.2024)
Official name: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg / Grand-Duché de Luxembourg / Großherzogtum Luxemburg
Name of inhabitants: Luxembourgers
Cantons: 12
Bordering countries: Belgium - France - Germany
Institutional website: https://www.gouvernement.lu