|
 Across
the border from the Belgian province of Luxembourg, the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg is one of Europe's smallest sovereign states, a tiny
independent principality with a population of around 420,000. As a
country, it's relatively neglected by travellers, most people tending to
write it off as a dull and expensive financial centre, but this is a
mistake. Compared to much of Europe, its attractions are indeed fairly
low-key, and it is pricey, but it does have marvellous scenery in
abundance: the green hills of the Ardennes spreading over the border to
form a glorious heartland of deep wooded valleys spiked with sharp
craggy hilltops crowned with castles.
The capital, dramatically-sited Luxembourg City , is almost impossible
to avoid if you're not travelling by car. Home to something like a fifth
of the population, it is the country's only genuinely urban environment,
and well worth one or two nights' stay. The central part of Luxembourg
is, however, even more spectacular, rucking up into rich green hills and
valleys that reach their climax in the narrowing north of the country
around Echternach , a tiny town dominated by its ancient abbey, and
Vianden , with its magnificent castle.
Once part of the Spanish and later Austrian Netherlands, Luxembourg
today is an independent constitutional monarchy. Although everyone
speaks the indigenous language, Letzebuergesch - a dialect of German
that sounds a bit like Dutch - most also speak French and German and
many speak English too. Indeed, multilingualism is one of Luxembourg's
most admirable features and different languages are favoured for
different purposes - French is the official language of the government
and judiciary, the one you'll see on street signs and suchlike, whilst
German is the language most used by the press |
