Luxembourg Travel Guide

Luxembourg is a small land-locked country in Western Europe, bordering Belgium to the north and west, France to the south and Germany to the east. Officially known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg because it is ruled by a grand duke, it is the second smallest country in the European Union with an area of only 2585 sq km. Despite this small size, Luxembourg has diverse terrain ranging from hilly dense forests in the north to fertile agricultural areas in the southern half of the country.

The recorded history of Luxembourg begins in 963AD when a grand castle was built at the centre of today’s capital. The country’s location in Europe made it a very sought-after and valuable territory and throughout the Middle Ages it was ruled by numerous European powers before becoming an independent state of the Netherlands and a Grand Duchy in 1815. It gained full independence by 1867 only to be invaded and occupied by Germany in both world wars. The infamous ‘Battle of the Bulge’ in World War II left the country with considerable damage. After the war, huge investments in the steel and iron industries rebuilt the country to its current status as one of Europe’s healthiest economies.

For tourists, Luxembourg offers the timeless splendour of medieval castles and fortresses, the magical scenery of the Ardennes in the north, the adored Royal Family of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and more hiking, biking and wine-tasting tours than many of the much larger European countries. Luxembourg is divided into three districts (Luxembourg, Diekirch and Grevenmacher) which are further divided into 12 cantons. The most visited district is Luxembourg in the south east with the dramatic capital city of the same name, the picture-perfect town of Vianden, and the beautiful Moselle Valley with picturesque vineyards and great wines.