Despite a modest size, Luxembourg, the 'miniature state', preserves a great variety of treasures. Because of its central location in Europe Luxembourg has attracted a lot of attention from the rulers of neighbouring countries through the ages. This encouraged the inhabitants of Luxembourg to construct an incredible complex of catacombs during the 17th century - which today have been listed as a part of the world's cultural heritage by UNESCO. Furthermore the country has been blessed with impressive and beautiful natural scenery - definitely worth a visit.
Find your travel arrangement to Luxembourg here
Region and City Guides
Region:
City:
Facts
Local name
Grand Duchy de Luxembourg
Capital
Luxembourg
Size
2586 km2
Principal Languages
Letzeburgian, French and German
Principal Religion
Catholicism
Inhabitants
416.000
Government
Constitutional monarchy
Geography
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.
Travel preparation
Best time to visit
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.
Literature
Lonely Planet, Western Europe on a shoestring
Fodor's the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
Fodor's the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
Local conditions
Weight and Measures
In Luxembourg the following units of measurement are used:
Length: metres
Weight: kilos
Liquid: litres
Length: metres
Weight: kilos
Liquid: litres
Photography
There are no specific rules, you should, however, be careful near and inside religious buildings.
Behaviour
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.
Business Hours
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)
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)
Food and drink
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.
Disabled travellers
Luxembourg generally possesses good faclities for disabled people.
Holidays
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
May Day, May 1st
National day, June 23rd
All Saints day, November 1st
Christmas Day, December 25th
St. Stephen's day, December 26th
Accommodation / Hotel
Thanks to its European institutions Luxembourg has a wide range of overnight accommodation for tourists. There are many hotels in the country of all prices differing in quality. Furthermore, there are quite a lot of youth hostels and camping sites.
Book your Hotel in Luxembourg here
Book your Hotel in Luxembourg here
Camping
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.
Hostels
There are quite a lot of youth hostels scattered over Luxembourg.
Local transport
Luxembourg has an excellent network of roads, which is both thorough and in good condition. As the petrol prices are among the lowest in Europe Luxembourg is a good country for driving in. Furthermore there is an extensive network of buses in the country - all of which makes getting around easy and comfortable.
Bus
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.
Trains
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.
Taxi
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.
car rental
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.
