The tiny central European country of Luxembourg has, despite size, plenty to offer. The country possesses, amongst other attractions, beautiful areas of natural scenery. It also boasts an incredible complex of catacombs that were constructed in the 17th century.
Grand Duchy de Luxembourg
Luxembourg
2586 km2
Letzeburgian, French and German
Catholicism
416.000
Constitutional monarchy
The highest point of Luxembourg is 550 metres above sea level, and the country is therefore not a particular mountainous country. What makes the miniature state geographically interesting are the woods and the many rivers cutting through the country.
The summers in Luxembourg are warm, with an average temperature of 25 degrees centigrade. Equivalently, the winters are mild, and the temperature is rarely below freezing. Due to the size of the country there is no difference from one end of the country to the other worth mentioning.
Lonely Planet, Western Europe on a shoestring
Fodor's the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
Luxembourg franc (flux), but Belgian francs will also be accepted.
Luxembourg is at the same technological level as the rest of Western Europe, so it is not a problem finding access to the Internet in all the larger towns.
To send for help in Luxembourg you must dial following numbers:
Emergencies (012)
Police (40-91-91)
Tipping is not necessary in Luxembourg. However, good service can always be rewarded.
When it is 12 O'clock in Britain it is 1 O'clock in Luxembourg.
In Luxembourg the following units of measurement are used:
Length: metres
Weight: kilos
Liquid: litres
There are no specific rules, you should, however, be careful near and inside religious buildings.
As anywhere else, ordinary decent behaviour is the way to go about things in Luxembourg. The country is used to foreigners and tourists, and the population is friendly and obliging.
Banks are open from 9 am to 12 and from 1 pm to 4.30 (Monday-Friday)
The shops are open from 9 am to 6 pm (Monday-Saturday), however, some minor shops are closed for lunch.
Offices are open from 8 am to 12 and from 2 pm to 6 pm (Monday-Friday)
Due to the size and the history of the country the cuisine is greatly influenced by that of neighbouring countries. Sauerkraut migrated from Germany , whilst Belgian cuisine delivered flesh dishes like pork and fish. You can try drinking the terrific beer brewed by Luxembourg monks. Furthermore, some fine white wines are produced from local slopes.
Luxembourg generally possesses good faclities for disabled people.
New Year's day, January 1st
May Day, May 1st
National day, June 23rd
All Saints day, November 1st
Christmas Day, December 25th
St. Stephen's day, December 26th
Luxembourg has a lot of excellent camping sites scattered around the country. Some of them can be found on the Internet.
There are many hotels in Luxembourg in all price ranges.
There are quite a lot of youth hostels scattered over Luxembourg.
The bus service is good in Luxembourg, with both domestic services and international lines to the larger cities of neighbouring countries. Some European inter-rail tickets even cover the bus fare here.
The train service is not very good compared to the rest of Europe. If you want to travel by train then the north-to-south line is the easiest, whilst the smaller lines in the other directions can take a disproportionately long time.
In a city as cosmopolitan as Luxembourg with its many great Institutions - taxis are easy to hail. Please note that prices are rather high on Sundays and holidays.
There are many car-hire services in Luxembourg. They are to be found in all greater cities, and renting a car is therefore not a problem.
