(
Europe
Luxembourg
vital statistics
- Luxembourg City
- 580,000
- German, French, Luxembourgish
- Euro
If you’re a tiny country in a huge continent crammed with history, culture and gastronomic delights, what is it you can offer that your more famous neighbours can’t? That’s easy – more of the same, but in a simple, clean, easy-to-navigate package. Take that, rest of Europe!
Luxembourg, officially known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, epitomises everything that’s exceptional about this region. Cycle or hike in the hills, head to valley of Moselle to taste the local wine at cellar doors, explore some of the more than 50 castles around the country, and let your hair down at festivals that run the gamut of themes from contemporary film to medieval times.
Its people are a mix of different nationalities – primarily French, German and Belgium – and at any time you’ll likely meet more travellers than locals. That’s one of the minor downfalls of being such a tiny nation.
The lively capital, also called Luxembourg, is a mix of the new and historic. Its old town is World Heritage listed – during the early sixteenth century its fortress was considered the most impressive in Europe. For those who’ve worked up a hunger exploring, the city has an impressive four Michelin-starred restaurants (there are 11 around the country).