Luxembourg - Luxemburgo

Introduction Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (in Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, in French: Grand-Duché of Luxembourg, in German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg), is a small country in the west of Europe which is part of the European Union. With no access to the sea, Luxembourg is surrounded by France to the south, Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. Despite having a population of half a million inhabitants, Luxembourg is an important business center and one of the richest states on the planet.

Capital Luxembourg City Idiom German, French Y Luxembourgish Surface 2586 km² Population 537 039 (2013) Currency euro Time zone UTC 1 (UTC 2 in summer) Telephone prefix 352

Understand

This country is the only existing Grand Duchy in these times. Luxembourg has diverse cultures and traditions since its territory is located between Latin and Germanic Europe. It has three official languages: French, German and Luxembourgish. Luxembourg is considered one of the richest countries in the world.

With successful steel, finance and high-tech industries, a strategic location in the heart of Western Europe, more natural beauty than might be expected given its size, and as one of the three richest countries in the world, Luxembourg enjoys a standard very high. to live and has prices to match!

History

Luxembourg City proper was founded in 963 and its strategic position soon promised it a great future. Luxembourg was at the crossroads of Western Europe and was heavily fortified. You can still see the extensive city walls and towers that make up its distinctive urban landscape. Due to its key position, Luxembourg became a duchy that once included a much larger territory extending into present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. The powerful Habsburg family maintained their control until the late Renaissance.

After the Napoleonic wars, the Duchy of Luxembourg was awarded to the Netherlands. It had a special status as a member of the German confederation and the citadel was armed with a Prussian garrison. Luxembourg remained a strategic location that everyone sought to control. He was granted the title of "Grand Duchy" in 1815, but lost some territories to France and Germany.

During the course of the 19th century, advances in warfare and the emergence of artillery made Luxembourg obsolete as a stronghold and became little more than a rural territory of no strategic interest. The Germans renounced their rights over it and moved its garrison, its western half was granted to Belgium in 1839, and the Netherlands granted it complete independence in 1867. Since then, Luxembourg has grown from being a country poor of fields and farms. One of the many dioramas in the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, invaded by Germany in both world wars, Luxembourg was one of the main battlegrounds of the Battle of the Ardennes in the winter of 1944-1945, a well-documented story in the Diekirch museum. The state ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered the Benelux Customs Union and joined NATO the following year. Cooperation between the Benelux countries already existed after the First World War, but this time it turned out to be much more important on a European scale. 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 zone. As the majority of Luxembourgers are fluent in (at least) two languages ​​(French and Luxembourgish / German), and the small country seems not to pose a threat to most of the EU, Luxembourgers have risen to high positions in the administration of the EU. The most notable is Jean Claude Juncker, chairman of the EU commission since 2014.

The official national motto of Luxembourg is called Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn , which means "We want to continue being what we are". It refers to the ownership of the nation by foreign powers and their desire to remain an independent state today and in the future.

As of January 2020, it had an estimated population of 626,000.

Weather

Luxembourg enjoys a temperate oceanic climate, with the hills of the Ardennes providing additional protection against the influences of the Atlantic. The best time to go, or at least the sunniest, is from May to August, although with a bit of luck you will enjoy mild weather in April and September as well. The warm months of July through August are peak season in the country, with open-air festivals everywhere, but spring comes with plenty of flowers and fall with wine-making opportunities in the Moselle Valley area.

Despite the small size of the country, there are measurable differences in overall temperature, with the north generally being a few degrees cooler and receiving large amounts of snow in winter. Although comparatively mild for this part of Europe, winters are cold for travel, with temperatures averaging around 2 ° C in January and occasional lows of -15 ° C at night. July and August are the warmest months, with average temperatures between 15 ° C and 25 ° C, and generally a few days above 30 ° C. Annual precipitation is around 780 mm, with maximums in August and December.

Ground

Mostly gently rolling highlands with wide, shallow valleys; highlands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to the Moselle floodplain in the south.

Holidays

• National holiday : the national day falls on June 23. (Grand Duchess Charlotte's birthday moved 6 months to coincide with warmer weather)

Districts

Map of the three districts of Luxembourg: Diekirch (blue), Grevenmacher (yellow) and Luxembourg (green).

Luxembourg is officially divided into three administrative districts: Diekirch, Grevenmacher and Luxembourg. These are divided into twelve cantons and one hundred and six small communes. The largest city in the country, and its capital, is Luxembourg located in the district of the same name.

Diekirch
	This district is located in the north of the country and borders Germany and Belgium. Here are cities like Dieckirch, Clervaux, Ettelbruck Y Vianden. The latter is a small but interesting city known for its incredible castle and the beautiful valley where it is located.
Grevenmacher
	Grevenmacher is in the southwest of the country and borders Germany and France. A small wine-producing town called Schengen is famous because a few years ago the Schengen Agreement was signed between several European countries. Echternach is the oldest city in the country and its surroundings are known as "Little Switzerland".
Luxembourg
	Luxembourg is the most populated and wealthiest district in the country. Here is the capital, of the same name and other important cities such as Esch-sur-Alzette Y Mersch. The urban area has just over one hundred thousand inhabitants and is one of the richest cities in Europe. Luxembourg is home to important institutions of the European Union and was considered "European Capital of Culture" in 1995 and 2007.

Luxembourg can be divided into the following five regions, each with its own characteristics.Central luxembourg (Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg and Mersch)

Land of the Red Rocks (Differdange, Dudelange and Esch-sur-Alzette)

Luxembourg Ardennes (Diekirch, Ettelbruck and Vianden)

Moselle valley (Grevenmacher, Mondorf-les-Bains and Schengen)

Mullerthal (Beaufort, Consdorf and Echternach)

Cities

1. Luxembourg City. Capital of the Grand Duchy, divided by two deep river valleys
2. Clervaux. Small castle that houses the Family of Man photographic exhibition
3. Diekirch. City known for its WWII history
4. Echternach. Small town known for the basilica containing the crypt of St. Willibrord
5. Ettelbruck. Transport hub for northern Luxembourg
6. Esch-sur-Alzette. Former mining town now home to the country's university, the second largest city in Luxembourg
7. Mondorf-les-Bains. Casino spa town located on the border between Luxembourg and France
8. Vianden. Picturesque town dominated by a splendid castle

Other destinations

1. Esch-sur-Sûre. A very small town built around a castle on top of a hill. Not far downstream is the lake of the Haute Sûre .  
2. Schengen. The homonymous town of the Schengen treaty, located on the border with France and Germany.

To get

Border procedures

Luxembourg is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

• There are normally no border controls between the countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. This includes most of the European Union and some other countries.
• There are usually identity checks before boarding international flights or ships. Sometimes there are temporary border controls at land borders.
• Also, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty.
• See Traveling the Schengen area for more information on how the program works, which countries are members, and what are the requirements for your nationality .

If you are from a country or territory that does not require a visa for the Schengen zone - except from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Seychelles - which is allowed to work in Luxembourg without having to obtain any authorization during the 90-day visa-free period of stay. However, this visa exemption does not necessarily extend to other Schengen countries.

By plane

• Luxembourg Findel Airport (LUX^IATA) (6 km (3.7 miles) outside Luxembourg City). This airport is connected by Luxair, the national airline and other airlines from many European destinations. The full schedule is available on the airport website. Visitors to airports not directly served can connect to Luxembourg at hubs in Amsterdam Schiphol (served by KLM), Paris Charles de Gaulle (served by Air France and Luxair), Frankfurt Airport (served by Lufthansa) and London Heathrow (served by British respiratory tract). International flights to Luxembourg with a change at a central airport are often not much more expensive or even cheaper than flights to the center itself. Edit
• Frankfurt- Hahn (HHN^IATA), in the German countryside halfway between Frankfurt and Luxembourg, is about two hours by direct bus from Flibco. This airport is served mainly by low-cost companies such as Ryanair.
• Brussels- South Charleroi (CRL^IATA), in Charleroi (about 50 km south of Brussels) it is about three hours by direct bus from Flibco. This airport is also served mainly by low-cost airlines.
• Frankfurt airport (FRA^IATA) is a bit further. DeLux-Express and Flibco bus services connect the airport with Luxembourg City.

By train

• Luxembourg train station This station opened in 1859 can be reached directly from Paris (2 hours), Metz (1 hour), Brussels (3 hours) and Trier (43 min). Both international and domestic timetables can be found on the CFL National Rail Company website. Trains from Paris must be booked in advance on the SNCF website and have discounts for early bookings. Trains to Metz, Brussels, Trier and other local destinations do not have advance discounts or the ability to reserve seats, so there is no advantage to booking these trains in advance. When traveling from Trier, it is advisable to purchase a TagesTicket DeLux, a one-day ticket that costs € 8.40 and is valid for a round trip to Luxembourg and for free use of buses and trains in both Luxembourg and the Trier area.CFL operates a minibus between the Luxembourg train station and TGV Lorraine, where passengers can take TGV connections to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Disneyland Paris, Rennes, Bordeaux and other destinations, and a bus service to Saarbrücken, where passengers they can connect to the German ICE network.

By car

The Metz (A3), Brussels (A6) and Trier (A1) motorways connect to the ring road around Luxembourg City, from which most other parts of the country can be reached.

If you want to enjoy a nice view on the way to the city, "Grund" and Kasematten, leave the motorway coming from the East (Germany) at the exit "Cents". Enter Cents and drive downhill. Don't let the signs that the route is blocked by "Grund" stop you.

By bus

Luxembourg has a number of long-distance intercity buses. These include Ouibus, Flixbus, Eurolines, Regiojet, and Flibco. In general, these buses are less convenient than trains: they offer less comfort and do not run frequently (often only once a day). However, they are sometimes cheaper than trains.

In addition, there are commuter buses to nearby places like Trier and Bitburg in Germany and Bastogne in Belgium.

Travel

Luxembourg is a compact country, making it easy to reach almost any city in the country in an hour or less by public transport. The agency Mobilitéit coordinates the country's trains and buses; its website and mobile app are very useful for planning trips in Luxembourg.

From February 29, 2020, the Most of the public transport in Luxembourg is free. You only need a ticket for cross-border travel, or if you want to travel first class on the train.

By train

The train network Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) is generally a good way to get around the country. Luxembourg City is the main railway hub, from where lines depart in all directions. While the south is reasonably well covered, the north is limited to a main line running from Luxembourg City to Liege in Belgium via Mersch, Ettelbruck, Clervaux, and Troisvierges. Diekirch has a branch of Ettelbruck and Wiltz of Kautenbach. To the south, you can reach Bettembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette. To the east, there is a line to Trier in Germany, which crosses the Moselle river at Wasserbillig.

Trains in Luxembourg are comfortable and modern, and generally run perfectly on time.

By bus

The country has countless bus services that reach all the towns in the country. Most services run at least hourly during the week, with higher frequencies on weekdays and reduced operations on Saturdays and Sundays.

Buses 1 to 31 serve Luxembourg City, the most useful when arriving in the country are line 16 (Airport - Kirchberg - City Center - Train station - Howald) and 29 (Airport - City center - Train station - Howald). Almost all city buses stop at the central bus station, Hamilius, and the train station (Luxembourg Gare) on their routes at some point, resulting in very frequent connections between these places (once every 1 or 2 minutes ).

Bus service outside of the city is also extensive and reliable. Buses numbered 100 and up will take you out of town. For destinations in the north of the country, you usually first need to take a train to Mersch, Ettelbruck, Wiltz or Clervaux, and there change to a bus to the final destination. Other destinations usually have a direct bus from the capital.

The buses are modern and clean. On-board displays and announcements warn of the next stop on most bus services. It is important to take the bus you want to take by raising your hand towards the road as it arrives.

By car

Luxembourg's road infrastructure is well developed. Anywhere along the major motorways is easily accessible via them (including Grevenmacher in the east, Mamer in the west, Bettembourg in the south, and Mersch and Ettelbruck in the north). Esch-sur-Alzette, the second largest city in the country (more like a small town by international standards) also has its own motorway.

Unless otherwise stated, the speed limits are 50 km / h in cities and towns, 90 km / h outside built-up areas and 130 km / h on the motorway (110 km / h in the rain). Watch out for the yellow town / village shields that indicate when you enter or leave a town or village. Speed ​​limits are raised by signs to 110 km / h in some places on the N7 and N11, and reduced to 70 km / h on some open rural roads. Within cities and towns, speed limits can be increased to 70 km / h on main roads or reduced to 30 km / h in residential areas. Speed ​​limits are enforced by random police checks as well as fixed speed cameras. Note that if you have a right hand drive car, you will most likely be flagged for a customs check upon entry. Police are also very interested in stopping drivers for having the "wrong" lights on in the city. that is, position lights instead of low beams.

Driving in Luxembourg is not as complicated as in other European countries. The locals are generally polite. When entering highways from side roads into the slower lane of traffic, other drivers will allow you to merge into the line of traffic, but traffic indicators are essential. As with other roads in Europe, always stay in the slow traffic lane, keeping the fast lane to overtake. Some drivers travel at high speeds and will turn on their headlights to indicate that they are in a hurry, even if you are seated at the speed limit. Most of the time, trucks stay in the slow lane at their regulated speed for large vehicles. They can be a bit annoying when passing other trucks. Truckers seem to be on the lookout for other vehicles. Cars towing caravans can be a bit of a threat at times, but staying alert will ensure there are no problems. You need to watch the closing speed of vehicles if you pass, as some drivers travel well over speed limits.

Normal day-to-day driving in Luxembourg is a pleasure, but traffic slows down at peak times.

Finding parking in the center of Luxembourg City on weekends can be difficult. Most spaces are filled quickly and some parking lots close early. The best option is to find a place near the station and then walk through the city center.

Parking is paid throughout the city (including all residential districts). The traffic guards are numerous and attentive.

Cycling

The streets and landscape of Luxembourg are good territory for cyclists; highly recommended.

To buy

Money

Luxembourg uses the euro, like several other European countries. One euro is divided into 100 cents. The official symbol of the euro is € and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for the penny.

All the notes and coins of this common currency are legal tender in all countries, except that in some of them the small denomination coins (one and two cents) are eliminated. Banknotes look the same in all countries, while coins have a common standard design on the reverse, expressing value, and a country-specific national design on the obverse. The obverse is also used for different commemorative coin designs. The design of the obverse does not affect the use of the coin.

If you know a coin collector, take some local coins as a souvenir, as Luxembourg coins are among the rarest of the euros; Even in Luxembourg, most of your change will be in currencies from other countries!

The general price level in Luxembourg is notably higher than in France and Germany, especially in central Luxembourg. Even cheap hotels usually cost more than € 100 a night and you won't get much change from € 20 after a modest dinner and a drink. To save some money, it may be an option to be based in Trier (or other cities across the border) and take an excursion to Luxembourg.

On the bright side, cigarettes, alcohol, and gasoline are comparatively cheap, making the small state a popular destination for long-distance drivers.

Eat and drink

To eat

Traditional dishes are mainly based on pork and potatoes and the influence of German and Central European cuisine is undeniable. The unofficial national dish is judd mat gaardebounen, or smoked pork neck served with boiled lima beans. If you have the opportunity, you should try the gromperekichelchen (literally, potato cookies), which are a type of fried shredded potato cake that contains onions, shallots, and parsley. Usually served at outdoor events such as markets or fairs, they are absolutely delicious and a particularly pleasant snack on a cold winter day.

In most restaurants, however, the typical local food would be French cuisine in larger portions. Italian food has been popular since the 1960s. Home cooking has been heavily influenced by the recipes of Ketty Thull, apparently the best-selling cookbook and pastry book in Luxembourg since World War II.

You can also taste the "Bamkuch" (literally tree cake), which is eaten mainly during celebrations such as weddings and baptisms. This sponge cake is traditionally made on a spit and is presented as a tree trunk made up of several layers, visible when cut, and representing the tree rings.

To drink

Luxembourgish white wines from the Moselle valley east of Luxembourg include Riesling, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Rivaner and Elbling, and they are good. In autumn, many villages along the Moselle River host wine-tasting festivals.

Young people tend to drink local or imported beer. Luxembourg has several breweries, being Diekirch , from the town of the same name, Bofferding, Battin, Simon and Mousel the most popular. Although it would be difficult to find any of these outside the country, they are all excellent lagers.

As a digestif after dinner, Luxembourgers like to drink a schnapps . The most commonly available are Mirabelle Y Quetsch. They are both made from plums and they are extremely strong! These are sometimes taken in coffee, which can be a bit more palatable to some.

external links

• Wikipedia has an article on Luxembourg.w: Luxembourg
• Wikimedia Commons houses multimedia content about Luxembourg. Commons