LAP OF LUX
Tiny country is a hidden jewel
THIS landlocked country at the heart of Europe’s is so tiny most of us would struggle to find it on a map.
But small is certainly beautiful when it comes to Luxembourg and this state, barely bigger than Dorset, has no plans or reason to change.
Its national motto says it all: “We want to remain what we are.”
And after a wander around the spectacular, UNESCO world heritage site capital, it is easy to see why.
Luxembourg also fares well in that other great measure of a nation’s worth – the Eurovision.
Like the UK it’s had its humiliations, a nul point in 1970. But also like the UK it has won five times.
Bordered by Belgium, France and Germany, Luxembourg is just a short flight away.
Yet, mysteriously, the country where most speak English, French and German, does not attract tourists like Paris, Venice or Amsterdam.
The pretty turrets and spires, charming streets and exceptionally well-preserved fortifications leads some visitors to compare Luxembourg City, the capital, to Disneyland. Likening the place to a theme park frustrated my guide but it seemed like a compliment to me. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and shows how aesthetically pleasing the city’s buildings are.
Luxembourgers are some of the richest people in the world and their high quality of life is easy to see.
Many live in Austrian-style houses with picturesque window shutters, roses growing around the door and top of the range cars parked outside. And the streets are sparkling clean.
We arrived in the capital and settled in to our lovely city centre hotel, the Hotel Simoncini, which has a huge focus on art.
The owner welcomed us and passionately told us about his pet project, the Gallery Simoncini. This pretty white, boutique hotel was charming with its clean, contemporary rooms and pleasing views of the beautiful streets.
Contemporary art fills the gallerystyle foyer and its 36 light-filled, streamlined rooms are white and have a retro-cool edge.
By Luxembourg City standards, the prices are low for a central location. But after a sadly brief stay we headed for the wine region bordering the famous Moselle river.
There we checked in to the
Mondorf Parc Hotel, a far larger, thermal spa hotel full of steam rooms and saunas. This was home for a couple of nights, although we only fleetingly used its facilities.
We headed to the vineyards, which stretched as far as the eye can see and tried a glass of sparkling Cremant, made with grapes grown in the valley we were in by the family-run C’ep Dor.
In Moselle you can enjoy, largely, white wines as well as Cremant, although a chilled pinot noir is also well loved. We tasted wine with cheese with master cheesemaker Pierre Avon at the Maison Viticole Schmit-fohl and enjoyed lunch in the caves at Lueck Thull.
Visits to the Distillerie Zenner for gin tasting and a wine cellar and landscape garden at Domaine Claude Bentz all added to the fleeting but fabulous trip.
Luxembourg also has colourful fruit and veg markets, quirky coffee shops and edgy, cool bars. It’s a two-hour plane ride away but its like another lovely world. FACTFILE: Hotel Simoncini from £110 a night, see hotelsimoncini. lu. Flybe flights, check flybe.com, from Manchester to Luxembourg start at £24.85 each way. For more info visit visitluxembourg.com.