Luxembourg
Located at the confluence of the Rivers Alzette and Pétrusse, Luxembourg City (pop. 85,000) is the capital of the country of the same name.
It is one of the most important banking and financial centre in Europe, and the country indeed has retained the highest GDP per capita in the world (both nominal and at PPP) for many years.
Luxembourg is also home to several EU institutions, such as the European Court of Justice, the European Investment Bank, the Secretariat of the European Parliament and parts of the European Commission. They are all located in the suburb of Kirchberg, east of the city centre.
History
The history of Luxembourg starts in 963 when Siegfried I, Count in the Moselgau and Ardennes, acquires the the feudal lands in the area and builds his castle there, known as the Lucilinburhuc (literally "small castle"). The early town developed near the intersection of an old Roman road. The Church of the Redemption (now called St. Michael's Church) is first mentioned in 987, with the visit of Egbert, Archbishop of Trier. By the end of the 12th century, the town had expanded westward, as far as the present location of the Cathedral of Our Lady.
The 14th century saw the emergence of the House of Luxembourg on the European scene, with the election of Henry VII (1275-1313) as King of the Romans from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. His son, John the Blind (1296-1346) would become King of Bohemia, and titular King of Poland from 1310. John's son, Charles IV of Luxembourg (1316-1378), would be King of Bohemia, and Holy Roman Emperor. Charles' eldest son, Wenceslaus (1361-1419) inherited the title of King of Bohemia and was elected King of the Romans. Upon his death, his younger brother Sigismund (1368-1437), suceeded him as King of Bohemia, and added Hungary and Croatia to his domain, before being crowned Holy Roman Emperor. He was the second longest ruling Kings of Hungary in history, reigning for 50 years from 1387 to 1437.
The House of Luxembourg's alliance with the Habsburgs resulted in the title of King of Germany of Holy Roman Emperor being inherited by the Habsburgs after Sigismund's death. The Habsburgs kept both titles in their family until the dissolution of the Empire by Napoleon in 1806.
The accumulation of power by the House of Luxembourg boosted the development of Luxembourg City. In 1340, John the Blind built new fortifications, and in 1354 Charles IV elevated the county to the status of duchy. The title of Duke of Luxembourg, however, was usually held as appanage by a separate branch of the family.
In 1443, six years after the death of Sigismund and the extinction of the first House of Luxembourg, the Burgundians under Philip the Good conquered Luxembourg. The duchy became one of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which passed to the Habsburgs with the marriage of Mary of Burgundy to Maximilian of Austria in 1477.
Under Habsburg administration, Luxembourg Castle was repeatedly strengthened so that by the 16th century, Luxembourg itself was one of the strongest fortifications in Europe. The first casemates were built in the 17th century. The Spaniards built 23 km of tunnels, starting in 1644. These were then enlarged under French rule by Marshal Vauban, and augmented again under Austrian rule in the 1730s and 1740s.
During the French Revolution, Luxembourg underwent a seven-month siege, which earned it the nickname of "Gibraltar of the North". The Austrians eventually surrendered to the French, and Luxembourg became of capital of the new Département des Forêts.
After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, Luxembourg was elevated to a grand duchy, with William I of Orange-Nassau as its first Grand Duke. William was also sovereign of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (comprising modern Belgium and the Netherlands), although Luxembourg officially remained a separate country. In 1830, Belgium declared its independence and William fought a disastrous war until 1839 when he was forced to settle for peace. Luxembourg became part of the new Kingdom of Belgium from 1830 to 1839. The First Treaty of London (1839) recognised the independence of Luxembourg.
In 1867, a diplomatic dispute arose between France and Prussia over the political status of Luxembourg. The conflict was solved by the Second Treaty of London (1867), which formally ratified the country's independence, but compelled Luxembourg to dismantle its fortifications - a process that took sixteen years !
Sightseeing
Luxembourg city looks much bigger than its population would suggest. Visitors could feel they have arrived in a city of over one million inhabitants like Brussels or Lille seeing the architectural splendour of the town.
Most of the sights are to be found in the upper old town and lower old town (known as 'the Grund'). The upper part comprised between the Grand-Rue, the Chemin de la Corniche and the Boulevard Roosevelt, is the commercial centre, with the ducal palace, brand shops, restaurants, cafés, ministries and ... banks !
The old quarters of the Grund lying along the Alzette at the bottom of the cliff are ideal for strolls by good weather. The area was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994, and with its well-preservered city wall and its beguiling architecture it is not difficult to see why.
Restaurants & Bars
You can search for restaurants by location, price range, type of cuisine, etc. on Resto.lu.
A few recommended restaurants in the capital :
Mosconi, 13, rue Munster - 2160 Grund (Gastronomic Italian - 2 Michelin star)
Clairefontaine, 9, Place de Clairefontaine - 1341 Luxembourg (Gastronomic French - 1 Michelin star)
Le Bouquet Garni, Salon St. Michel, 32, Rue de l'Eau - 1449 Luxembourg (Gastronomic French - 1 Michelin star)
Les Jardins du President, 2, Place Sainte-Cunégonde - 1367 Clausen (Gastronomic French)
Kamakura, 4, Rue Münster - 2160 Grund (Japanese)
Yamu Sanatsu, 26, Rue Notre-Dame - 2240 Luxembourg (Japanese)
Other excellent restaurant outside Luxembourg City include :
La Bergerie, Maison 1, - 6251 Geyershaff (Gastronomic French - 2 Michelin star)
L' Auberge Royale - Favaro, 19, Rue des Remparts - 4303 Esch-sur-Alzette (Gastronomic Italian - 1 Michelin star)
Fridrici, 116, Rue de Belvaux - 4026 Esch-sur-Alzette (Gastronomic Italian - 1 Michelin star)
La Table des Guilloux, 17, Rue Résistance - 4996 Schouweilen (Gastronomic French - 1 Michelin star)
Léa Linster, 17, Route du Luxembourg - Frisange (Gastronomic French - 1 Michelin star)
Les Roses, Rue Théodore Flammang - 5618 Mondorf-les-Bains (Gastronomic French - 1 Michelin star)
How to get there
Luxembourg City is a major transport hub in the region. It is connected to all the main bordering cities in France, Germany and Belgium by road or train.
By car, coming from Belgium, the E25/A4 motorway reaches the city from Arlon, Bastogne, Liege, Namur and Brussels. The E25 continues to Metz and Strasbourg in France. From/to Germany, take the E44/A1 from/to Trier or the E29/A8 from/to Saarbrücken.
By train, Luxembourg is on the line linking Brussels (2h30min to 3h) to Zurich (5h to 6h) via Namur (1h40min to 2h), Arlon (17min), Metz (50min) and Strasbourg (2h10min). Trains to Paris (about 4h) go via Metz or Brussels. There are also direct trains to Trier (45min), Nancy (1h40min), Liege (2h30min) and Cologne (3h30min).
There are buses from/to Saarbrücken (1h15min).
TGV Est network
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