Vacationing in Luxembourg

jaschmidt | Jan 18, 2010 |

0 Comments | Rating: 0

Luxembourg is literally a small country roughly measuring around 998 square miles or 2,858 square kilometers. It is said to be just about the size of Delaware. Although it was once a part of Charlemagne's empire, it gained recognition as an independent date as early as 963 and was under different sovereign rules. It was only in 1848 that it became autonomous and was declared as a neutral territory.

Places to Visit in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a country known for its breathtaking views hence earning its title as "Europe's Most Beautiful Balcony". Take a spot at the Citadelle du St. Espirit and from there you will be able to see the most stunning panoramic view of Luxembourg's lower town and its nearby river valleys.
Visitors enjoy promenading along the Wenzel Walks. Cultural and historical landmarks collected from a thousand years of history can be visited by just passing through this path. Here you will find most of Luxembourg's Unesco World Heritage Site as well as other fascinating attractions like the Bock Promontory, the Castle Bridge and the Church of St. Ulrich.

A great part of the sites and attractions of Luxembourg are manifestations of the country's compelling history. In fact, there's the National Museum of Military History where the tourist can see a comprehensive compilation about the famous Battle of the Bulge. War memorabilia include the weaponry used, military uniform and equipment as well as some soldier's personal paraphernalia and photographs.

Then there's the General Patton Memorial Museum at Ettenbruck, also known as Patton Town. Obviously, the museum was built to honor the memory of General George Patton Jr. who led the Allied troops that liberated Luxembourg from Germany on Christmas Day of 1944. Here you will see on display more than a thousand photographs and documents that depicted German occupation during World War II.

Another part of Luxembourg history is the Bock Casemates which is an underground network of 23 km of defensive passageways built on several levels as deep as 131 feet below. It was fortified with 40,000 m2 bombproof rooms carved from the city's rock foundations. It is actually an archaeological crypt built in 1644 but served its purpose during wars as shelter for thousands of the city's defenders including their war equipment, food supplies and artillery.

A more modern showcase of the city's cultural and historical artifacts is the Luxembourg City History Museum. Here you will find scale models that depict the transformation of Luxembourg beginning from the 10th century onwards. It provides several interactive multi media technology that will provide the background information of original artifacts collected from its long line of history.

Visit the 11th century Vianden Castle and be awed by its display of medieval weaponry, highly wrought furniture and Gobelin tapestry. You will get to see where the famous French writer Victor Hugo stayed while in exile in Vianden. His house has operated as a museum since 1935 bearing all of the French writer's original works as well as other personal belongings and documents.

If you've never seen a swan lake before, here's your chance to see one. The said lake is a tributary to the 12th century Beaufort Castle of Echternach. The beauty of the lake is enhanced during summertime as plays and concerts are brought here for the visitors to enj oy the place even more. If you would like to see the darker side of the castle's ruins, you will also see a sinister looking torture chamber in the way that Victor Hugo had described them. Victor Hugo's famous works by the way are Les Miserable and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Don't fail to visit the Butterfly Garden in Grevenmacher where you will find exotic and different butterfly species from all over the world. It is considered as a unique hothouse where butterflies can take refuge especially during their breeding season. You will learn a lot about butterflies and if you're in luck, you will see some of them in actual hatchery as they give birth to their young.

Accommodations at Luxembourg

You can find many reasonably priced hostels, camping sites, hotels and guesthouses. Campsites are the more favored and are found to be excellent alternatives when visiting Luxembourg. The city is small but almost one third of its territory is blanketed in forests. There are available caravans, campers, camper-vans and camper equipment for rent since most tourists find camping as a more enjoyable form of exploring the small city.

Dining in Luxembourg

Luxembourg may be a small city but you can find a variation of international cuisine among its many restaurants. Choices range from Greek, to Portuguese, Himalayan, Brazilian, Thai, Mexican and Indian to the most predominant French cuisine. You can also have a choice of eating only vegetarian dishes or fish or by way of the more economical self-service eateries.

Luxembourg may be small but typical of anything that comes in small packages; Luxembourg brings a lot of great surprises.