Holidays in Luxembourg

Understanding Luxembourg

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, Luxembourg was one of the major battlefields of the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945, a story well documented in the museum at Diekirch The state 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

Climate

Modified continental with mild winters, although January and February can get very cold and temperatures can fall to as low as -15°C The summer can be very hot in Luxembourg, with temperatures in July and August reaching around 30+°C

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 south

Holidays

• National holiday : National Day falls on the 23rd June Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte moved by 6 months to coincide with the warmer weather

Talking in Luxembourg

Luxembourgish "Lëtzebuergesch" is the national language, while French is the administrative language German is also widely used and almost universally understood That means outside of large cities where French is spoken on the street, the national language of Luxembourgish is spoken at home Luxembourgish is a separate and unique language, having previously evolved from a German dialect "Moselfränkisch" German Hochdeutsch enjoys official status and appears in some media and is used in the court system and is taught in schools However, everything from road signs, to menus to information in stores will appear in French French therefore is clearly the most useful of the three languages to know, essentially making Luxembourg a Francophone country for the visitor with the exception of places close to the German border such as Diekirch or Echternach

Over one third of Luxembourg's overall population is made up of foreigners, and this figure rises to around 50% in the cities Hence, again knowing French is your best bet if you want to converse with most people, especially as people working in shops and bars usually come from France or Belgium and don't bother to learn the local native language of Luxembourgish English is widely understood by such personnel as bus drivers, but many shop assistants will only respond if addressed in French Educated Luxembourgers are fluent in all four of the above languages; it is the "frontaliers" workers who live across one of the borders who may not speak English well or at all Apart from the more elderly inhabitants, virtually every Luxembourger understands and speaks fluent standard German and French Luxembourgers are the polyglots of Europe, perhaps making even the Swiss jealous!

Buying stuff in Luxembourg

Luxembourg uses the euro, so there is no need to change money if coming in from Belgium, France or Germany If you know any coin collectors, take a few local coins as keepsakes, since Luxembourgish coins are among the rarest of the euros — even in Luxembourg, most of your change will be in other countries' coins!

The general price level in Luxembourg is noticeably higher than in France and Germany, especially in central Luxembourg Even cheap hotels tend to cost over €100 a night and you won't get much change from €20 after a modest dinner and a drink Basing yourself in Trier or other cities across the border and daytripping to Luxembourg might be a good bet

On the upside, cigarettes, alcohol or petrol are comparatively cheap, making the small state a popular destination for long-haul drivers

Food and eating in Luxembourg

Traditional dishes are largely based on pork and potatoes and the influence of German and central European cooking is undeniable The unofficial national dish is judd mat gaardebounen, or smoked pork neck served with boiled broad beans A must to try if you do get the opportunity are Gromperekichelchen literally, Potato Biscuits which are a type of fried shredded potato cake containing onions, shallots and parsley Typically found served at outdoor events such as markets or funfairs they are absolutely delicious and a particularly nice snack on a cold winter's day

In most restaurants however, the typical local food would be French cuisine coming in bigger portions Italian food has been popular since the 1960s Home cooking has been very influenced by the recipes of Ketty Thull, apparently the best-selling cooking and baking book in Luxembourg since WW II

Drinking in Luxembourg

The Luxembourg white wines from the Moselle valley to the east of Luxembourg include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Rivaner and Elbling to name just a few and are good In autumn, many villages along the Moselle river organise wine-tasting village festivals

Young people tend to drink local or imported beer Luxembourg has a number of breweries, with Diekirch, from the village of the same name, Bofferding, Battin, and Mousel being the most popular Despite the fact that you would be hard pushed to find any of these outside of the country, all are excellent lagers

As an after dinner digestive, Luxembourgers like to drink an eau-de-vie The most commonly available are Mirabelle and Quetsch Both are made from plums and are extremely strong! Sometimes these are taken in coffee which may be a little more palatable for some

Accommodation in Luxembourg

Thanks to the heavy banking and EU presence in the city, hotels in central Luxembourg are quite expensive, although there is a good youth hostel see Luxembourg city#Sleep It may be more cost-effective to stay across the border in eg Trier and "commute" into Luxembourg, as a day-ticket valid for a return trip and free run of the entire country is only €840

The Association of Independent Hotels in Luxembourg operates a booking service at hotelslu 11 for a number of smaller hotels, mostly in the countryside but including a few in the city

Working in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a major player in the financial service sector Many thousands of people commute from neighbouring Belgium, France Les frontaliers and Germany on week days, considerably swelling the population of the capital city The majority work in the numerous financial institutions based in and around the capital particularly in the Kirchberg district and are drawn across the borders by the excellent salaries on offer Luxembourg City has a very international flavour as in addition to les frontaliers, it attracts young professionals from all over the globe In this area, business is done predominantly in English, French or German and it is necessary to be fluent in one of these as a minimum although many jobs will demand proficiency in at least two

Cities in Luxembourg

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