The grand duchy of Luxembourg (Photo Essay)

As one of the smallest sovereign nations in Europe it sure has a big heart and is known by the motto: “Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn”” which translates as “We want to remain what we are”.

Well, if that is what the city wants, then that is likely what it will achieve, at least if mass tourism could be blamed for the change. When visited in November 2013 the city of Luxembourg was pretty much void of any significant number of tourists. While in Paris I told a fellow traveller that I was heading to Luxembourg he reacted in a manner I came across several times:  “Huh, what do you want to do in Luxembourg?!”. Well, off I went toLuxembourg.

Within two hours from Paris my train arrived at the Luxembourg main station from where it was a short bus ride to the new town which is located in the area above the old town.  From the 16th century until 1867,  when much of its walls were dismantled, Luxembourg was one of Europe’s greatest fortified sites.

With a long and rich history, the beautiful old city is one of the greatest gems in Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Go spend a few days in Luxembourg. It may just warmly embrace you as it did to me – and left me with lasting memories!

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ville Haute (“High City”) of the old city of LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View from the Ville Haute (“High City”) to the Ville Basse (“Low City”) and the Grund in the River Alzette gorge, LUXEMBOURG

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Additional Photos: Globerovers blog of Luxembourg