Luxembourg city is undoubtedly one of the richest and most expensive capital cities in Europe, but it also has the dubious honour of being in contention for the title of the Most Boring City on Earth. In spite of all the grand architecture, the overflowing evidence of wealth, and the sight of its impressive Medieval Fortifications and Old Town - both are inscripted UNESCO World Heritage site - Luxembourg is by all means a rather dour, not-very-exciting place.
The moment you step out of Luxembourg's main train station, you know you are in a French sphere of influence. The style of buildings in downtown Luxembourg are fairly typical of cities in Northern France, albeit with slightly less greyness.
Luxembourg is a popular place with package tour groups thanks to its location connecting Belgium and Germany with parts of northern France. Tourists from Asia and Russia, who are on a pre-arranged 2-week package-tour of western Europe by bus, stopped at Luxembourg for a few hours to have lunch, do some sightseeings and visit the various so-called Duty Free shops in the city centres stocked with souvenirs,cosmetics and designer bags afterwards, before continuing their tour of Europe northwards or westwards to Belgium or France.
The city centre of Luxembourg Ville consists of a pedestrian shopping zone, the financial districts with tall glass-metal office tower blocks and high-rise business centres, a government administrative quarters with several museums and galleries, and a very well-preserved Medieval Old Town.
One of the main draws of Luxembourg as a tourist destination is its medieval quarters and military fortifications. Inscripted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, the Medieval Quarters of Luxembourg City are located in a deep valley surrounded by gorges and a series of integrated honeycomb underground military fortifications built into the rock cliffs. A prime example of a fortified medievalcity, Luxembourg City's Old Quarters are accessible from the city centre situated on the top of the hills by a series of winding staircases and narrow cliff-side roads.
One of the best vantage points for a wonderful view of the picturesque Old Quarters is from the road bridge that connects the government administrative districts with the main throughfare which leads to the train station.
Given Luxembourg's strategic location at the crossroads of Germany, France and Belgium, Luxembourg City has long been contested by the major powers since the Roman times. The Roman Empire, the Burgundians, the French and the Germans all came and went, and left their marks on this tiny little duchy. Although most of the street signs in the city centre are in French, most locals speak Lëtzebuergesch, a High-German language used primarily in south-eastern parts of Belgium, parts of Lorraine, and along the Moselle Valley.
Nowadays the atmosphere of downtown Luxembourg is very similar to the towns and cities in Alsace and Lorraine, displaying a unique mix of Germanic tidiness with a slightly French touch. Although I must say in the case of Luxembourg, the elements of Germanic influences far outweigh the French ones.
There are several beautiful churches and cathedrals in the city centre, most famous of which is the Cathedral of Notre Dame:
Most tourists visit Luxembourg on a day-trip, stop just for a few hours, as Luxembourg is often treated as only an intermediate stop on the usually hectic schedule of bus package tours. After a short tour by foot around the old city and a photo stop outside the entrance to the Palace of the Grand Duke as well as Luxembourg's Chamber of Representatives, the tour groups return to the bus and leave the city centre to its inhabitants.
Prices in Luxembourg are fairly high, even by European standards. An ordinary 3-course lunch menu at one of the local restaurants inside the city centre will cost at least 25 euros and upwards. Hotel accommodation are not very cheap either, and standards are often not as good as those within the same price categories in nearby Germany. Hence most visitors choose to visit Luxembourg on a day-trip basis only, arriving by car, bus or train early in the morning and leave for their next destination as soon as the shops close.
In spite of the abundance of wealth and signs of prosperity within the city centre, I personally find Luxembourg a very boring and monotonous place to live in. There are very few exciting places to hang out in the night, no lively cultural scene to enjoy, and no interesting shops to venture into. Maybe it is a good place for investment and a tax paradise, but for those who are expecting a unique mixture of Germanic and Gallic culture in the heart of Europe, Luxembourg might prove to be a bit of a disappointment. It's a bit harsh to say this, but for an ordinary visitor, the best thing at Luxembourg is probably the delicious crossiants and wonderful salads available at one of the bakeries alongside the main street leading out from the train station to the city centre.
Copyrights@2011. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
The moment you step out of Luxembourg's main train station, you know you are in a French sphere of influence. The style of buildings in downtown Luxembourg are fairly typical of cities in Northern France, albeit with slightly less greyness.
Luxembourg is a popular place with package tour groups thanks to its location connecting Belgium and Germany with parts of northern France. Tourists from Asia and Russia, who are on a pre-arranged 2-week package-tour of western Europe by bus, stopped at Luxembourg for a few hours to have lunch, do some sightseeings and visit the various so-called Duty Free shops in the city centres stocked with souvenirs,cosmetics and designer bags afterwards, before continuing their tour of Europe northwards or westwards to Belgium or France.
The city centre of Luxembourg Ville consists of a pedestrian shopping zone, the financial districts with tall glass-metal office tower blocks and high-rise business centres, a government administrative quarters with several museums and galleries, and a very well-preserved Medieval Old Town.
One of the main draws of Luxembourg as a tourist destination is its medieval quarters and military fortifications. Inscripted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, the Medieval Quarters of Luxembourg City are located in a deep valley surrounded by gorges and a series of integrated honeycomb underground military fortifications built into the rock cliffs. A prime example of a fortified medievalcity, Luxembourg City's Old Quarters are accessible from the city centre situated on the top of the hills by a series of winding staircases and narrow cliff-side roads.
One of the best vantage points for a wonderful view of the picturesque Old Quarters is from the road bridge that connects the government administrative districts with the main throughfare which leads to the train station.
Given Luxembourg's strategic location at the crossroads of Germany, France and Belgium, Luxembourg City has long been contested by the major powers since the Roman times. The Roman Empire, the Burgundians, the French and the Germans all came and went, and left their marks on this tiny little duchy. Although most of the street signs in the city centre are in French, most locals speak Lëtzebuergesch, a High-German language used primarily in south-eastern parts of Belgium, parts of Lorraine, and along the Moselle Valley.
Nowadays the atmosphere of downtown Luxembourg is very similar to the towns and cities in Alsace and Lorraine, displaying a unique mix of Germanic tidiness with a slightly French touch. Although I must say in the case of Luxembourg, the elements of Germanic influences far outweigh the French ones.
There are several beautiful churches and cathedrals in the city centre, most famous of which is the Cathedral of Notre Dame:
Most tourists visit Luxembourg on a day-trip, stop just for a few hours, as Luxembourg is often treated as only an intermediate stop on the usually hectic schedule of bus package tours. After a short tour by foot around the old city and a photo stop outside the entrance to the Palace of the Grand Duke as well as Luxembourg's Chamber of Representatives, the tour groups return to the bus and leave the city centre to its inhabitants.
Prices in Luxembourg are fairly high, even by European standards. An ordinary 3-course lunch menu at one of the local restaurants inside the city centre will cost at least 25 euros and upwards. Hotel accommodation are not very cheap either, and standards are often not as good as those within the same price categories in nearby Germany. Hence most visitors choose to visit Luxembourg on a day-trip basis only, arriving by car, bus or train early in the morning and leave for their next destination as soon as the shops close.
In spite of the abundance of wealth and signs of prosperity within the city centre, I personally find Luxembourg a very boring and monotonous place to live in. There are very few exciting places to hang out in the night, no lively cultural scene to enjoy, and no interesting shops to venture into. Maybe it is a good place for investment and a tax paradise, but for those who are expecting a unique mixture of Germanic and Gallic culture in the heart of Europe, Luxembourg might prove to be a bit of a disappointment. It's a bit harsh to say this, but for an ordinary visitor, the best thing at Luxembourg is probably the delicious crossiants and wonderful salads available at one of the bakeries alongside the main street leading out from the train station to the city centre.
Copyrights@2011. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment