 | McLae´s guide to Luxembourg |  |
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Luxembourg Internet country code: .lu International telephone prefix: +352  Luxembourg is a landlocked country in Western Europe in between Belgium, France and Germany. It is the only Grand Duchy in the world and is the second-smallest of the European Union member states. Climate: Modified continental with mild winters, although January and February do get very cold. Since a few years the summer is hot in Luxembourg, with July and August at around 35 degrees celsius. It rains a LOT in Luxembourg, so bring an umbrella. Terrain: Mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the south. Languages: Luxembourgish (national language; "Letzebuergesch"; a strong German dialect: German speakers understand much of it, French won't, even though it contains many French words), German (administrative language), French (administrative language) Over one third of Luxembourg's overall population is made up of foreigners, and this figure rises to 50% in the city. Hence, knowing French is your best bet if you want to converse with most people, especially as people working in shops and bars usually come from France or Belgium and refuse to learn the local language. English is widely understood by such personnel as bus drivers, but many shop assistants will only respond if addressed in French. Educated Luxembourgers are fluent in all four of the above languages; it is the "frontaliers" (workers who live across one of the borders) who may not speak English. Every Luxembourgish person understands and speaks fluent German. Eating and Drinking: Luxembourg is a great place to have a drink. Due to the amount of expats who live in Luxembourg there is a wide variety of establishments. The English tend to, but by no means exclusively, congregate in the Britannia Pub, the Scots likewise in Ecosse and the Irish in The Pygmalion. There are also French, German, Spanish and of course Luxembourgish pubs and bars as well. In the evening you should aim for Urban [www.urban.lu], a refreshingly modern bar that has a wide mix of clientele. Although often overcrowded it is a great place to start a night out. Urban also has live music every Sunday evening and has sporting events shown on two massive plasma screens. There are two main night clubs in Luxembourg: Melusina and Pulp. Melusina has a large main room with a balcony. It also has another couple of rooms at the back of the club which are worth a look. Pulp has two main rooms one for cheese and house and the other is a mosh pit. Both are worth look in if only to experience the difference. History: The recorded history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg begins with the construction of Luxembourg Castle in 963. Around this fort, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a small, but important, state of great strategic value. In 1437, the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male heir to assume the throne. In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened over the years by its successive occupants, the Bourbons, Habsburgs, Hohenzollerns, and the French, among others. Even after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, when the Congress of Vienna gave formal independence to Luxembourg, the country was disputed between Prussia and the Netherlands. The Belgian revolution of 1830 - 1839 reduced Luxembourg's territory by more than half, as the predominantly francophone western part of the country was transferred to Belgium. Luxembourg's independence was reaffirmed in 1839, and again in 1867, after the Luxembourg crisis nearly led to war between Prussia and France. In the same year, 1839, Luxembourg joined the German Confederation. The King of the Netherlands remained Head of State as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, maintaining personal union between the two countries until 1890. At the death of William III, the Dutch throne passed to his daughter Wilhelmina, while Luxembourg (at that time restricted to male heirs; see Salic Law) passed to Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg Luxembourg was invaded and occupied by Germany during World War I, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms. It was again subject to German occupation in World War II, and was formally annexed into the Third Reich in 1942. During World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of neutrality, when it joined the Allies in fighting Germany. Its government, exiled to London set up a small group of volunteers, who participated in the Normandy invasion. It became a founding member of the United Nations in 1946, and of NATO in 1949. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and, in 1999, it joined the euro currency area. In 2005, a referendum on the EU treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was held in Luxembourg. |
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