Luxembourg: Tiny nation, big impact
Hailed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Quarters and Fortifications of Luxembourg City is encircled by a fortress
Luxembourg is relatively small in size, but it is a country rather significant in stature.
Badly battered by the two World Wars, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was proudly rebuilt from the rubble. In time, it strategically became a member of the crucial North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Eventually, it was one of six founding members of the European Economic Community — known today as the European Union (EU).
Situated right in the heart of Europe, it is one of the most minute territories in the continent. Its critical location — at the crossroads of several influential states — has made it a vital center of regional and international politics. In fact, the City of Luxembourg, alongside Brussels and Strasbourg, are official capitals of the EU.
Propped up by border neighbors Belgium, France and Germany, whose influences are evident in history and heritage, modern-day architecture and arts, lifestyle and cuisine — Luxembourg is a delightful treat for all visitors. Hailed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Quarters and Fortifications of Luxembourg City is encircled by a fortress. It was a strategic position to capture, as it served as the gateway for many. This area has seen many a leader over the course of countless rulers and regimes.
But let’s not forget its fantastic vantage point where we spotted fortified bastions and stone bridges, castles and churches, rivers and water systems — peppered with greens and blossoms — which have all seen considerable wear and tear.
We certainly had no doubt we were in a living, breathing open-air museum.
As we strolled toward the walled city, we had a sneak peek inside antiquated homes and their time-worn rooms, but with their innate regal energies intact. Marble sculptures and bas relief busts at specific intervals lined the streets, with fragrant potted blooms in flowerboxes on windowsills. We certainly had no doubt we were in a living, breathing open-air museum.
We then made our way to the Palace of the Grand Dukes, the residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
It is the venue of government functions for state visits and foreign dignitaries. We were pleased to see that despite the rather conservative military delegation, they still practiced the ritual most anticipated by all tourists, the Changing of the Guard.
At the oldest religious spot in the city,
St. Michael’s Church — built in the year 987 — we were awed by the endless collection of relics, including structures, reliefs and art pieces influenced by Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque movements. Comparatively tiny in size, the stained-glass windows led us to the meticulously-sculpted statues of the Madonna and Child and St. Michael the Archangel.
We soon found ourselves at the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, a sterling specimen of Gothic and Renaissance architectures. In this house of prayer with three towers, we silently prayed before the image of Maria Consolatrix Afflictorum, the nation’s patron saint, said to be attributed to miracles.
We finally zeroed in on the National Monument to the Resistance and to the Deportation, a heartfelt dedication and a constant reminder on the struggles of the marginalized. The standout was The Political Prisoner, a bronze sculpture of a handcuffed man. We likewise paid respects at the Monument of Remembrance, a war memorial dedicated to the Armed Forces in the two World Wars and the Korean War.
The day culminated at the Place d’Armes, a square at the center of town filled with boutique shops and mom-and-pop stalls, specialty restaurants and cozy cafes. Resting our tired feet, we sipped our cups of coffee and tea with freshly-baked pastries, as we leisurely watched the world pass by. How we wish we could have stayed longer. But we needed to rush to the port to catch our boat for the Rhine and Moselle river cruise — where we will unpack just once and journey through multiple nations in style. But that’s for another time, another story!