Luxembourg City 'Gibraltar of the North'

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It was raining the day we arrived in Luxembourg City, and as any semi-professional world traveler would do (tongue-in-cheek, of course), we had our rain gear and made ready use of it.

The city’s history dates back to the year 963, when Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes, had a castle named "Lucilinburhuc" built on a rock overlooking the River Alzette. It was the famous French fortress builder Vauban who, at the service of Louis XIV, later turned Luxembourg into one of his masterpieces, suitably known as the ‘Gibraltar of the North’

Luxembourg is the World's Only Grand Duchy, formed in 1815 by agreement of the European powers at the Congress of Vienna. It was originally ruled by the King of The Netherlands, but in 1890 official ties were severed when the King died with no male heir. The Grand Duchy has had its own monarch ever since.

For the traveler, the following language usage may be useful; Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language).

After settling into our hotel just footsteps from the City Centre and the lower towns of Grund, Clausen and Pfaffenthal we set out to explore the sights, history and beauty of this most modern and picturesque city.

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Photos

We're in town!
At the train station in Luxembourg City, it rained all day.

Pont Adolphe
Adolphe Bridge (New Bridge) erected 1900-1903, Spans the Petrusse Valley. The Luxembourg National Bank is at the background right.

Beck Bastion
Erected during the first Spanish rule by Issac von Traybach on the site of what is now Constitution Square (1644), the bastion is named after the former Governor of the Duchy of Luxembourg, Baron Johann von Beck. You can see the Luxembourg Cathedral in the far right.

Bock Castle
Fortified crossing at the River Alzette and Saint John's Church, also named Saint John on the Stone, it is mentioned as early as 1309 in the foundation document of Count Henry VII.

City Palace
Cercle Municipal administrative building with several festive halls, seat of the Luxembourg City Tourist Office.

Palace of the Grand Dukes
In its function as the city residence of the Grand-Ducal family, it is situated right in the core of the old town. Since 1890 the building has been the Palace of the Grand Dukes.

Viaduct / Passerelle
Holly and I in the Petrusse Valley with the Old Bridge - in common parlance - in the background. The bridge was built between 1859 and 1861 to span the Petrusse Valley at a height of 45 metres.

Bock Promontory
In 963 Siegfried, Count of Ardenne, acquired this massive rocky ledge on which he built his castle and played a crucial defensive role. Surrounded on three sides by the Alzette Valley, the stronghold proved easy to defend. Inside the rock are the casemates of the Bock, which served as underground defense galleries.

"Gelle Fra" Memorial
The Golden Lady on Constitution Square was set up in 1923 to commemorate the Luxembourgers who perished in the First World War. The memorial represents a gold-plated female figure on a stone obelisk. Today it symbolizes freedom and resistance for the Luxembourg people.

Luxembourg WWII Memorial
The inscription above the flowers translated: Our heroes of the armed forces died for their country.

Monument National de Solidarite
On "Canon Hill" was erected in 1971 and commemorates the Second World War. Holly stands behind the Eternal Flame.

Clairefontaine Square
In the middle of Clairefontaine Square stands the Grand Duchess Charlotte Memorial, erected in honour of Grand Duchess Charlotte (1896-1985).

Beck Bastion Garden
Pont Adolphe in background

The Luxembourgeois Motto
Luxembourg fell under Burgundian domination in 1443. During the next 400 years, Spanish, French and Austrian armies took turns occupying the fortified capital. In 1815, after the breakup of the Napoleonien Empire, Luxembourg became a Grand-Duchy under Dutch ruling and finally regained its independence in 1839. "Mir wolle bleiwe wat mir sin" is inscribed on one of the houses and is central to the cultural identity of the Luxembourg people. Translation: We want to remain what we are.

Dicks-Lentz Monument
Located on Jan Pallach Square, this monument was erected to pay homage to the two national poets Dicks (1823-1891) and Michel Lentz (1820-1893), who wrote the lyrics of the Luxembourg national anthem.

Luxembourg Cathedral
It was originally a Jesuit church, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1613. It is a remarkable instance of late Gothic style, revealing various components and ornaments inspired by the Renaissance style.

Holly in the city district of Grund
The lower towns of Grund, Clausen and Pfaffenthal, which were inhabited in bygone days, line the banks of the Alzette. Especially skilled workmen who needed the Alzette water to carry out their craft settled here.

The Petrusse Express
Great way to see the lower towns of Grund, Clausen and Pfaffenthal, as well as the rest of the Petrusse Valley.

Comments

[Adam]

Nice page!
I really like your page. Great picture and great captions. I've seen more of Luxembourg here than I did in person!

[Tessa]

Luxembourg
Your page is really nice! I love the pictures, as well. I was doing a project on Luxembourg and your page was a great help for my research. I really want to visit this country some day. One of the things that appeals to me to be so interesting is that this country is so tiny that on some maps you can't even see it!

[Carine]

about Luxembourg
I love this page about my country. Yes, I do live in Luxembourg and... I should be ashamed because you seem to know Luxembourg better than I do. Your page reminded me that I live in a beautiful, modern city with a very rich history. I feel the need to explore all this again. Thank you.

[ashley]

I love this page
Hay I live in arkansas. I love the pictures the economy and everything else on this page it was pretty cool. Luxembourg was a cool name and a pretty country too. Well now I got to go so I hope I can tell everybody that Luxembourg is a cool country!!!

[Cool Travelers]

Thanks Ashley...
...for taking the time to read our blog. Luxembourg is quite a pretty place, maybe someday you'll get to visit. They speak French, so, you may want to start brushing up on some French. Au Revoir!

[Colleen]

Superdee Duper
I love this page mostly because my group had to do a project and this page helped us to get an A+. Thanks so much for this awesome site and keep adding more helpful information!

[Cool Travelers]

Superdee Duper
I'm happy my entries are helpful and entertaining to some, glad to have been a part of your project in some small way. Cheers to all!

[firewalker]

american indian club of luxemboug
was there any nice place to arrange native american indian events in north of luxembourg [e-mail]

[Cool Travelers]

Native American Indians ...
...in Luxembourg? In Europe; Sorry, I know very little; actually nothing at all about this.

[Natalie]

Thank You!
Thank you for posting these pictures. I felt nostalgic for Luxembourg today, did a little Google search, and stumbled across your site. Thanks for sharing!

[Cool Travelers]

Thanks Natalie...
...for the comment. We are glad you enjoyed "Gibraltar of the North" it's such a lovely place.

[Mary]

Thank you!!
I loved the pictures and the very informative narrative! I also enjoyed seeing how much the two of YOU seem to enjoy what you are doing. Thanks....I hope my husband and I can travel to this lovely place. Do you allow use of any of your photos???

[Cool Travelers]

Thank you
Glad you like our blog entry. You may use the pictures for non commercial purposes. Luxembourg is one of our favorite places to visit. Would like to live there for awhile when we retire.

[Nina Gerber]

Pictures
. What camera are you using those pics are lovely and clear. Beautiful city isn't it, I prticularly loved all that old architecture

[Cool Travelers]

Thanks for you comments.....
We use a simple 4.0 mega pixel Sony Cybershot. The trick to good pictures is lighting and good composition. Compose around your subject tight, eliminating anything that is superfluous. Also, change your perspective a little. We view the world from an average perspective approximately 5'10" to 6' 2" in hieght, pretty boring no! By changing your perspective to super low, i.e., how would a cat view the world from 10" of the ground makes for a dramatic picture and a perspective we don't see everyday. The opposite works the same way shoot from super high looking down on things. I did not intend to write a novel, but, there you go. Get out and travel and bring home some great pictures. Again, thanks for reading our blog.

[Aender]

really cool travelers ; ) nice to know that people aborad take such a keen interest in our little country!

[Cool Travelers]

Heaven on Earth
We wish we could live in your beautiful Luxembourg! We would like to visit you if you allow. If when we die, heaven isn't what it's cracked-up to be - send us back to Luxembourg!