Luxembourg - Bulwarks, Banks, Bastions (45/151)

Luxembourg - Bulwarks, Banks, Bastions (45/151)

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is known to most Europeans as an international banking centre and as the seat of EU authorities. Luxembourg is also often equated with its eponymous capital city. Yet Luxembourg is a territorial state with an area of 2,586 square km - the smallest in the EU after Malta - with 450,000 inhabitants. The over thousand-year-old city of Luxembourg with its imposing fortresses is, however, not the oldest centre in the duchy. Traces of history are also to be found, for example, in Echternach, an ancient Roman settlement, better known, however, for its curious "Spring Procession" on the Tuesday after Whitsun. In fact, there is a much to be discovered in this small state. In the mainly agricultural north, for example, the Ardennes city of Vianden with its mighty, reconstructed medieval fortress. The densely forested Luxembourg Ardennes, once a region of emigrants due to their poverty, are now the home of ecologically-conscious farmers, who know how to combine the cultivation of tradition with profitability and efficiency. In contrast, in the south of Luxembourg, characterised by heavy industry, branches of industry are being transformed into museums or nature reserves. Meanwhile, at the Mosel the fertile, sun-cosseted vineyards are resplendent like a large Mediterranean garden on the banks of the idly meandering river. Yet the most typical aspect of Luxembourg may still be the original character of its people: "If the Luxembourgers sense that the moment has come to think, they eat or drink something or drive their car," claims Roger Manderscheid, the Duchy's best-known author.