What makes luxembourg unique

It is perhaps unsurprising that Luxembourg is a melting pot when it comes to languages — it is bordered by Belgium, Germany, and France, after all. However, Luxembourgers really have taken learning languages into their stride. Then, during primary school, German is taught, and, finally, during secondary school, French and English are taught… so many Luxembourgers end up speaking four languages — pretty cool huh?

The high level of tourists in Luxembourg makes for one exceptionally culturally diverse country. The designation lasts for an entire year and throughout that year the city plays host to a series of cultural events, typically boosting the economy of the city as well as enriching its social and cultural vibes. So, what does Luxembourg actually have to offer in terms of culture?

Quite a bit actually. But why so heavily fortified? If you think about where Luxembourg is located, between three different countries, it makes sense that it would have been of key strategical importance in years gone by.

In fact, the city originated as little more than a castle constructed on a very difficult-to-reach patch of rock. As the city passed through the hands of various rulers, more and more defenses were added, and these structures show hints of the French, Roman, Spanish, and even Prussian, designers.

Although the fortress itself was eventually dismantled in , in accordance with the Treaty of London, its streets, gates, fortifications, and old quarters tell the tale of its past. Particularly impressive are the Bock Casemates — a series of underground tunnels constructed by Spanish rulers that stretch for kilometers underneath the city itself.

The hopping procession of Echternach occurs every year on Whit Tuesday and is in honor of the late monk St Willibrord who founded the Benedictine abbey way back in A visit to this unique country is guaranteed to leave an impression.

While there used to be many grand duchies such as the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Luxembourg is the last one. Its current monarch, Grand Duke Henri, has been on the throne since If a group of nation branders were to design the ideal country, they would probably come up with something very close to Luxembourg.

While the country offers countless vistas of green hills and medieval castles, the capital, Luxembourg City, is especially suited for photographs. Visitors can walk along cobblestone switchbacks that offer a stunning view of an abbey, cottages, and river valleys below. Subscriber Account active since. The area of the whole country is square miles, and as of January it counted , inhabitants.

Luxembourg has a stable political landscape and is the ninth-least-corrupt country in the world. The world's last grand duchy — a territory whose head of state is a grand duke or grand duchess — Luxembourg is like no other place on earth. Located in the heart of Western Europe, Luxembourg offers easy access to every big and small city around. With up to nine flights to London on some days , the financial hub of the world is only a one-hour flight away.

Paris is not even an hour away by plane and is two hours away in TGV. Brussels is a three-hour train ride away, and it takes just two hours to fly to Berlin. And while the plane tickets when flying from Luxembourg's only airport, the Findel, can be quite pricey, there are a few airports close-by in neighboring countries where low-cost companies fly from. Though the country gained its full independence only in , Luxembourg City's roots go back very a long way.

The first mentions of the city go back to the year It is also around that time that the construction for the city's fortification began. Throughout the country, vestiges of the country's medieval history are also displayed in different museums and can be seen in the Casemates underground tunnels built for the defense of the city in the s , in the numerous castles, and in the architecture of many towns throughout the grand duchy. Most of the castles are located in the north of the country; the three biggest castles are the ones in Vianden Clervaux and Bourscheid.

While it doesn't have the most creative name, the country's capital is a superb example of the juxtaposition between the old and the new as well as natural and man-made. Built in the middle ages, the city center is full of small, old buildings and remnants of its medieval past.

The valley in the middle of the city boasts a river surrounded by greenery. The previous year, 83 per cent of the population voted in favour of same-sex marriage.

It is produced in the wine region of Moselle in a traditional way, similar to Champagne. The wine goes through two fermentation cycles, with the second requiring nine months of maturing in the bottle. A full list of the most recent award-winning varieties can be found here. While Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, also produce this type of wine, Luxembourg has them beat with the most awards won. Unemployment in Luxembourg is the lowest in all of Europe and has been for 40 years. However, her actual birthday was 23 January but the date was changed and celebrations were shifted to the summer for the more favourable weather conditions.

Now, National Day is celebrated throughout the country with fireworks, live music and other outdoor festivities. Luxembourg boasts the highest percentage of expatriates of all European countries and is home to people from over different nationalities. Portuguese residents constitute the largest percentage of the foreign population, at over 15 per cent. There is a 17km-long underground tunnel network deep beneath the capital city.

At some points, the tunnels penetrate up to 40 metres inside the rock face.