
Luxembourg Fortress © Luxembourg City Tourist Office
In the early morning haze Luxembourg City is reminiscent
of an ancient fairytale city, with its towers and turrets. The
old centre of town, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, can trace its history back to the 10th century, when
Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes, built a castle on a
rock above the Alzette River. He named the castle
Lucilinburhuc. Over the centuries the castle and surrounding town
was strengthened with numerous additional fortifications, walls and
gates until it became known as the 'Gibraltar of the North'.
Today the various components of the fortress are the city’s
chief tourist attraction. There are some other interesting sights
in the old centre of town too, including several museums.
Modern Luxembourg on the plateau du Krichberg is more concerned
with business than pleasure, as the work of a major international
financial centre goes on inside the many modern office complexes in
the area. Luxembourg has the highest number of banks of any city in
Europe, and it is also home to numerous European Union
institutions. The European Council of Ministers holds their
sessions in the city for three months every year, and the European
Court of Justice presides here too.
Attractions

Grand Ducal Palace
Grand Ducal Palace
The city residence of the Grand Ducal family is right in the
heart of the old town, and is surprisingly unpretentious,
recognisable more by the fact that there are sentry boxes outside.
The building features ochre yellow stone decorated with spires and
railings, overlooking...
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Luxembourg Fortress © Luxembourg City Tourist Office
The Fortress
The mighty fortress started by Count Siegfried atop the Rock of
Bock in 963 eventually became a citadel with three girdles of
battlements, the inner one fortified with bastions, and the other
two containing a total of 24 forts along their length. As...
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Moyen relic © www.mnha.public.lu
The National Museum for History and Art
This museum was recently substantially refurbished and contains
some major archaeological finds from the Gallo-Roman period, which
are displayed in underground galleries. Collections of fine arts,
medieval artefacts, coins, medals and arms are also on display.
...
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Clervaux
In the heart of the Ardennes Mountain region about 30 miles
(50km) north of Luxembourg City, the village of Clervaux is
overlooked by a 15th-century castle, a Romanesque church with twin
spires, and a large Benedictine monastery. The castle houses three
small museums, including...
see full detailsEchternach
The beautiful town of Echternach lies on the border between
Germany and Luxembourg on the banks of the Sûre River. It
boasts a famed abbey, founded in the 7th century by St Willibrord,
whose remains are contained in a magnificent white marble
sarcophagus in...
see full detailsHamm Cemetery
In a silent forest clearing near the village of Hamm, a few
miles east of Luxembourg city, lie the graves of more than 5,000
American soldiers killed during World War II, when the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg became a battleground in the Allies’ last
bid...
see full detailsVianden
The picturesque village of Vianden, situated on the banks of the
Our River and guarded by a magnificent restored medieval castle,
makes a pleasant day trip about 25 miles (40km) north of the city
of Luxembourg. The castle dates back to the 9th...
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