Luxembourg - Lussemburgo

Luxembourg is a state ofWestern Europe bordering to the west with the Belgium, to the east with the Germany and to the south with the France.

To know

Extremely small size (roughly the same as the province of Piacenza), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg still boasts the enviable record of the highest per capita income in the world according to the estimates of the International Monetary Fund in 2011.

It is configured as a parliamentary principality. It is part of the European Union, of which it is one of the founding countries (1957).

Despite its size, Luxembourg has several tourist attractions: from the vineyards of the Moselle to the feudal houses of the Middle Ages through the steel control sites.

Geographical notes

It is a landlocked state.

The north of the country (Oesling), has hills and low mountains, is furrowed by numerous valleys and is included in the Ardennes massif, with Mount Huldange as the highest point at 559 meters. The southern area of ​​the territory (Gutland) is hilly. The southern and eastern borders of Luxembourg are formed by rivers, the largest of which is the Moselle; to remember then the Sauer, the Alzette, the Our.

When to go

The best time to visit the Grand Duchy is in summer: the national holiday is celebrated on 23 June. In the streets of the capital and other cities there is space for concerts and outdoor parties.

But also spring is an ideal period, on April 9 the traditional Emaischen is held in Luxembourg city and Nospelt, an open-air market where every trader sells ceramic birds in which you can blow through holes, creating verses similar to those of the birds.

Background

The year 963 marks the beginning of the history of Luxembourg with an exchange between Count Siegfried of Luxembourg and the abbey of Saint-Maximin in Trier on the Bock.

In 1354 the county of Luxembourg was elevated to the rank of a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, the state of Luxembourg is recreated, albeit controlled by the kingdom of the Netherlands, from which it becomes independent in 1839, while losing part of its territory in favor of Belgium.

The negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918 confirm the independence of the country. In May 1940, the Germany Nazi violates the neutrality of Luxembourg and occupies the Grand Duchy. The Nazi regime regarded Luxembourg as a German area (even though the Luxembourgers were against the Nazi regime). The country, liberated by the Allies as early as September 1944 by US troops, was reoccupied by the Nazi armies during the Ardennes counter-offensive.

In 1944 the country joined the Benelux and in 1948, Luxembourg was one of the founding members of the Brussels Treaty. In 1995 the town of Schengen acquired international fame by virtue of the treaty that took place there, and which is the basis of free movement within the European Union.

Spoken languages

National language is the Luxembourgish. Almost the entire population speaks fluently German or French or both. Given the strong immigration, it is common to find people who speak Italian, Portuguese and others.

Territories and tourist destinations

Luxembourg is divided into 3 administrative districts, which are further divided into 12 cantons and then into 106 municipalities.

Despite being a small state, Luxembourg has a great variety of landscapes, and the following territories can be distinguished:

Gutland

Gutland ("Bon Pays" in French) - Territory that occupies the south and the center of the Grand Duchy. The Gutland consists largely of a plateau dotted with rounded hills not exceeding 400 m and furrowed by rivers that form narrow valleys. Luxembourg City, the small capital of the Grand Duchy is located in the center of the plateau.

They are considered part of the Gutland also the following regions:

1. Luxembourg Moselle Valley - The Moselle river originates from the Vosges mountains in Alsace and after crossing the Lorraine enters Luxembourg territory marking for a good stretch the southern border between Luxembourg and Germany before flowing into the Rhine at the town German of Koblenz. The region is of tourist interest thanks to its rural landscapes dominated by vineyards from which excellent white wines are obtained. The way of wine (Route du Vin) passes through the villages of Wasserbillig, Grevenmacher, Machtum, Wormeldange, Ehnen, Remich is Wellenstein.
2. Valley of the Seven Castles - Corresponds to the valley of the Eisch river which extends to the borders with the Belgium (City of Arlon). The journey is short and can be done in less than an hour. The castles along the way are Mersch, Schoenfels, Hollenfels, Ansembourg, Septfontaines and Koerich.
3. Little Luxembourgish Switzerland (Mullerthal, Kleine Luxemburger Schweiz, "Kleng Lëtzebuerger Schwäiz" in Luxembourgish, "Petite Suisse luxembourgeoise" in French) - The name given to the territory of the town of Echternach (4 877 inhabitants in 2009). The landscapes of Mullerthal are characterized by forests and an infinity of streams that often form waterfalls. Unlike the Switzerland, the altitude of Mullerthal is very modest (400 m a.s.l.).
4. Red Lands (Luxembourgish: Minett, German: Rote Erde, French: Terres Rouges) - Correspondents in the cantonal territory of Esch-sur-Alzette on the border with France, the Terre Rosse owe their characteristic color to the underground iron deposits exploited by the ArcelorMittal company, for a long time the first steel producer in the world. Today the mines are mostly abandoned and the local economy has turned towards construction materials and chemicals. The Terre Rosse remain the area of ​​the grand duchy with the highest population density with several centers over 7 000 inhabitants such as Bettembourg, Differdange, Dudelange, Pétange is Schifflange.

Oesling

Sparsely populated, Oesling (or Ösling, in Luxembourgish Éislek) is a mountainous territory that covers the north of the Grand Duchy. It corresponds to the eastern offshoots of the Ardennes of Belgium. Since the conformation of the soil allows low-yield agriculture, its landscapes are still virgin and characterized by the presence of coppice woods among which villages dominated by fairytale castles emerge. The centers of major tourist interest are Clervaux, Vianden ed Esch-sur-Sûre. The centers also deserve a mention Ettelbruck, Diekirch, Wiltz, Echternach.

Urban centers

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

Luxembourg is a member of theSchengen area.

There are no border controls between the countries that have signed and implemented the treaty, i.e. the European Union (with the exception of the Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland is Romania), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway is Switzerland; likewise, a visa granted by any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But beware: not all members of the European Union have signed the Schengen Treaty and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union; this means that there may be random customs checks, but without immigration checks (traveling within Schengen, but not from / to a non-EU country) or it may be necessary to pass immigration checks, but not customs checks (traveling within the EU, but not from / to a non-Schengen country).

Airports in Europe they are therefore divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" areas, which in fact behave like the national equivalents of "domestic" and "international" flights. If you fly from outside Europe to a Schengen country and then continue to another, immigration and customs checks will be carried out at the first stop and then continue to the final destination without further checks. Traveling between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen member state will result in normal border controls. Note that regardless of whether you are traveling within the Schengen area or not, many airlines will continue to insist on seeing your identity card or passport.

Citizens ofEU or EFTA (the "European Free Trade Association", known in English such as EFTA, and consisting of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) for entry they only need a valid identity card for expatriation or a passport, both obviously valid, in no case will you need a visa for a stay of any length; the same criteria also apply to foreign citizens, in addition they will only have to show the regular entry visa that allowed them access to the first member state.

The citizens non-EU / EFTA they typically need a passport for entry into a Schengen country and most will need a visa.

Since 2012, minors must also have an identity card to leave the national territory and must be accompanied by at least one of the parents indicated in this document. In the absence of the parents, the minor must have a "accompanying declaration" signed by them and validated by the competent bodies, indicating the person or body to whom the minor will be entrusted.

Only citizens of the following non-EU / EFTA countries not need a visa to enter the Schengen area: Albania¹, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina¹, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, North Macedonia¹, Malaysia, Maurizio, Mexico, Moldova¹, Principality of Monaco, Montenegro¹, New Zeland, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia^1, 2, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan³ (China), United States, Uruguay, Vatican CITY, Venezuela, also people in possession of passports of the British National (Overseas), Hong Kong or Macau.

Non-EU / EFTA citizens not can stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen area as a whole and, in general, cannot work during their stay (although some Schengen countries have exceptions to certain nationalities; see below). Counting begins once you enter a country in theSchengen area and it continues even when one leaves one Schengen country for another.

• However, New Zealand citizens can stay for more than 90 days if they only visit certain Schengen countries. See the explanation from the New Zealand government.

Non-EU / EFTA citizens (even if exempt from visa, except for Andorran, Monegasque or San Marino citizens), must ensure that the passport is stamped both at the entrance and at the exit from the Schengen area. Without the entry stamp, you can be treated as someone who has exceeded the stay foreseen by the visa when trying to leave the Schengen area; furthermore, those without an exit stamp can be denied entry the next time they try to enter the Schengen area because it could turn out that they have exceeded their stay during the previous visit. If you can't get a stamp affixed to your passport at all, be sure to keep documents such as boarding passes, transport tickets and ATM receipts that can help convince border inspection staff of legal stay in the Schengen area.

Note that:

• British subjects with having the right to reside in UK and the citizens of the British Overseas Territories connected to Gibraltar, are considered "citizens of the United Kingdom for the purposes of the European Union" and therefore can enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, albeit with authorization ETIAS which is valid for three years.
• British subjects and citizens of the British Overseas Territories, both without right of residence in the United Kingdom, they need a visa.

However, all citizens of the British Overseas Territories except those exclusively linked to the sovereign areas of Cyprus are eligible for British citizenship and, subsequently, the same access criteria listed above

By plane

To learn more, see: Airports in Luxembourg.

The only international airport is that of Findel less than 6 km from the capital of the grand duchy. Flights from Milan-Malpensa e Rome-Fiumicino are operated by Luxair^{[link not working]}, the flag carrier of the grand duchy.

Findel Airport was a forerunner of flights low cost, being the company's continental base Loftleidir / Icelandair in the 70s; the company pioneered the policy of using secondary airports.Frankfurt-Hahn airport where Ryanair manages several flights from Italian airports (Alghero, Bari, Bergamo, Bologna, Cagliari, Lamezia, Pescara, Pisa, Rimini, Rome-Ciampino, Trapani, Treviso) is about 115 km from Luxembourg city. The connections between that airport and the capital of the grand duchy are ensured by bus lines Flibco

The airport of Charleroi where it also operates Ryanair it is 195 km further west. From there you will have to take a train to Arlon where a train leaves for Luxembourg City, or, in a somewhat more hasty way, get on a bus of the usual bus lines Flibco.

By car

Luxembourg City is less than 700 km from Milan. The itinerary passes through the cities Swiss of Lamp is Basel and those French of Mulhouse, Colmar, Strasbourg. The route is completely motorway.

The signs follow the German style: secondary road destinations in black on a yellow background, highways in white on a blue background.

There are efficient connections with all the neighboring countries, sometimes even on absolutely secondary roads.

On boat

The motor ship only in summer Princess Marie-Astrid it goes up the course of the Moselle river from Schengen to Bernkastel is Trier, in Germany.

On the train

There are no direct links fromItaly for Luxembourg and it will be necessary to change at the station Basel. Information on the line Milan-Basel on the Trenitalia website. It is clear that the train could prove to be an uneconomical choice compared to the plane or the bus as well as a considerable waste of time.

Since 2007, Luxembourg has been integrated into the French high-speed train network. From Paris to Luxembourg City the trip takes about 2 hours.

From Colony is Frankfurt the trains of the Deutsche Bahn they take 3 and 4 hours respectively.

The local train manager is Chemins de Fer LuxembourgeoisThere are numerous local lines, often terminating in locations across the border and all reported further on Pétange, for example, one can arrive at France with a tourist train that crosses the abandoned mines of the Terre Rosse.

By bus

• Eurolines Italy [3] manages a connection from various Italian centers with terminus in the city Belgian of Antwerp and intermediate stop at the railway station of Luxembourg City
• Eurolines Germany [4] has the largest number of connections from German cities to the capital of the Grand Duchy.
• From Frankfurt am Main you can get there by flibco buses. For example from the main airport Frankfurt you arrive at the station Luxembourg (city) in about 3 and a half hours by spending € 29 (December 2013). For updated prices and timetables see site.

How to get around

On the train

The train manager is Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois. Here are some of the railway lines of tourist interest that terminate in places across the border:

• Line 10 begins, like all subsequent ones, a Luxembourg City and ends at Liege, in Belgium. It crosses the whole country from south to north. Make intermediate stops a Ettelbruck, Diekirch, Wiltz, Clervaux.
• Line 30 terminates in the city German of Trier climbing over the Moselle river at the village of Wasserbillig.
• Line 50 heads west, terminating in the city Belgian of Arlon from where do you change for Brussels.
• Line 60 points south through the Terre Rosse and with terminus at Thionville (France)
• Line 70 passes, like the previous one for Pétange after which it splits into two branches: one leads to the Belgian city of Athus, the other to the French city of Longuyon

As far as costs are concerned, the railways and municipal companies of the Grand Duchy guarantee various offers of daily passes or passes for short periods, such as weekends, at very low prices. As an example, a one-way ticket to the city Belgian of Arlon it cost just under 10 euros in 2011. Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois offers a monthly subscription for less than 50 euros. Tourists are offered the Luxembourg Card in denominations of 1, 2, 3 days, which allows free use of buses and trains as well as free access to most of the attractions of the Grand Duchy.

If you want to visit also Belgium is Netherlands you could use a passInterRail valid for the 3 countries of the Benelux. This is offered in cuts of 3, 4, 6 or 8 days to be consumed within a month. Discounts are available for young people and over 60s. Do not buy it lightly but plan your trip well otherwise you could lose out.

By bike

Another way to enjoy Luxembourg's natural beauty is to cycle and follow the many cycling routes, including using the train transport service. There is a bicycle rental system in the city (see veloh.lu)

What see

• Casemates of Bock and Petrusse - This is an extraordinary network of 17 km of underground tunnels and more than 40,000 m² of bomb shelters in the heart of the city. During the two world wars, they served as a refuge to protect up to 35,000 people in case of air raids or bombings. In 1994 they were inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage list, among other things together with the old town of Grund. The galleries that attract thousands of tourists every year are one of the main attractions of the capital.
• Little Luxembourg Switzerland - Located east of the Grand Duchy, the Mullerthal features numerous hills formed by surprisingly shaped sandstone rocks with pristine forests.
• Luxembourg City - The only city to have been designated European Capital of Culture twice, in 1995 and 2007. Among the numerous art museums we must mention the Mudam, inaugurated on 1 July 2006, designed by the same architect who he designed the Louvre in Paris. But also the Villa Vauban renovated in 2011 and surrounded by a flowery park.
• Medieval Castles - There are 109 medieval castles in Luxembourg. Many of the castles in the Grand Duchy are state-owned and run by private associations set up by volunteers. The National Sites and Monuments Service is responsible for the restoration and maintenance of the castles. The most famous are certainly Vianden Castle (located in a small charming village in the Luxembourg Ardennes, where you can also take a chairlift to admire the landscape), Beaufort Castle, Clervaux Castle and Bourscheid Castle.
• Parc Merveilleux - It is located in Bettembourg (South of the country) and is a zoo created mainly for children, where they can admire animals from the 5 continents of the planet.

What to do

Job opportunities

Very large. It should be borne in mind that the Luxembourg workforce exceeds the population, thanks to the contribution of cross-border commuters (from Belgium, France, Germany) and immigrants from all over the world. Think then that Schengen is a Luxembourgish village, and therefore Luxembourg can be considered the homeland of free personal movement in the European Union. Not being particularly subject to seasonal activities, there are job opportunities in Luxembourg throughout the year. A particularly efficient bureaucracy can also help you find a seasonal job; but the flexibility of the work is great, and the door to door it works quite well.

Currency and purchases

The national currency is theEUR (€, EUR). It is one of 25 countries Europeans who use this common currency: many belonging to the European Union, in particular the Eurozone, together with the 6 non-EU members who, however, have no say in the affairs of the Eurozone. Globally, these 25 countries have a population of over 330 million.

One euro is divided into 100 cents. According to European legislation, the € symbol is always placed after the quantity (for example € 15). All banknotes have exactly the same invoice and all are legal tender in all countries of the euro zone.

• Banknotes - All banknotes have exactly the same design.
• Coins - All Eurozone countries have coins issued with a national design on one side and a common design on the opposite side. Coins can be used in any Eurozone country, regardless of the design used (i.e. a 1 Euro coin from Finland can be used in Portugal).
• Commemorative 2 euro coins - These are available in two variants: the common form and the commemorative minting. In this case they differ from the normal 2 euro coins only in their "national" part and circulate freely as legal tender. Each country can produce a certain amount as part of its normal coin production and sometimes "at European level" 2 euro coins are produced to commemorate special events (eg the anniversary of major treaties).
• Other commemorative coins - The much rarer variant relates to commemorative coins of other amounts (for example 10 euros or more) which have very particular designs and often contain not negligible quantities of gold, silver or platinum. Although on a purely legal level their value is nominal, the value of the material used is usually much higher, therefore it will be very unlikely to see them in circulation.

Luxembourg was among the promoters of the EMS (European Monetary System) which led first to the ECU, and finally to the adoption of the Euro.Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

(EN) With Google Finance:	AUDCADCHFGBPHKDJPYUSD
With Yahoo! Finance:	AUDCADCHFGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With XE.com:	AUDCADCHFGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With OANDA.com:	AUDCADCHFGBPHKDJPYUSD

Cost of living

Medium-high. a VAT rate of 15% keeps prices relatively low (but will be raised to 19% for harmonization between European countries). The standard of living is certainly very high - in 2005 Luxembourg was considered the richest country in the world - but there is a (relatively) low income bracket, so efficient services can also be found at low cost.

At the table

Tourist infrastructure

Events and parties

• Wiltz Festival. In July. The festival of Wiltz it is the major musical event of the grand duchy and sees a large turnout of the public. 
• Walnut festival. In October. It is celebrated in Vianden with a culinary market where all the delicacies are made with walnuts. 

Safety

No problem; in Luxembourg city there are areas where you have to be careful at night, but nothing in particular.

Health situation

European health care

As a citizen ofEuropean Union (EU), if you fall ill unexpectedly during a temporary holiday, study or work stay in another EU country, you are entitled to the same medical treatment available in every EU country. It is always necessary to carry the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is physical proof that you are insured in an EU country. However, if you do not have the card with you or you are unable to use it (as in cases of private assistance), you are always entitled to treatment, but you are obliged to pay the costs immediately and then ask for reimbursement on your return.

The countries in which health coverage is provided are all those adhering to theEuropean Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary), those of European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, is Norway), the Switzerland and some overseas territories.

Please remember that health care it does not include any rescue and repatriation operations so it will be useful to take out specific travel insurance e health care in private facilities.

Respect the customs

Luxembourg is certainly one of the most enjoyable countries to live in. The climate is not great - not very cold, but very humid - but the people are friendly, cooperative, respectful of privacy - and expect others to be too.The country is clean and tidy, thanks to public services, of course, but also thanks to the civilization of the citizens. So, the average Luxemburger will be friendly to you - you'd better be friendly to him too. Nothing wrong with offering a Bofferding (the national beer, together with Mousel) at the bar, the only meeting place - cinemas and theaters apart - after 8 pm - you just need to know how to stop.

The Luxembourgish greeting is moien - accent on the o, a little closed, as if there was an umlaut. Upon entering a shop, you will be greeted like this. Answer the same way, it's always okay.

How to keep in touch

Post office

Normal European standard postal service, with offices well distributed throughout the territory. The central post office is in Luxembourg (city) in Place d'Armes, the center of the city and the Grand Duchy.

Telephony

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Luxembourg
• Commons contains images or other files on Luxembourg
• Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Luxembourg
• Wikinews contains current news on Luxembourg
  

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