|
Timeless tranquility in Luxembourg...
Want to spend time in a verdant land of rushing rivers, high hills
and crumbling castles? Want to wile away the hours in a land that
oozes an air of timeless tranquility? You can in Luxembourg.
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg takes up an
area of 2586 square kilometers and is home to 415,870 people. Wedged
between France, Germany and Belgium, it encompasses forested highlands
in the north (the Ardennes) and rolling farmland and world-class
vineyards in the south. The country’s capital, Luxembourg City, is in
the south of the country. Present-day Luxembourg exists thanks to Count
Sigefroid of Ardennes who raised a castle here in 963 AD. By the end of
the Middle Ages, Siegfroid’s city had Burgundians, Spanish, French,
Austrians and Prussians all fighting each other for control of it.
Besieged, destroyed and rebuilt more than twenty times in 400 years,
it became the strongest fortress in Europe, after Gibraltar. The
discovery of iron ore in 1850 ensured that Luxembourg would take its
place among Europe’s economic powers.
Today, Luxembourg’s per capita GDP is
one of the world’s highest and its people enjoy a consistently high
standard of living. The country boasts a range of spectacularly
verdant landscapes crisscrossed by rivers and dotted with fairy-tale
hamlets. Great skiing and hiking opportunities abound in the north
while the Moselle Valley, just east of Luxembourg City, is one of
Europe’s most idyllic wine producing regions. Enjoy some of the
valley’s fruity white wine accompanied by local specialities such
as liver dumplings with sauerkraut while taking in the air of tranquil
antiquity that oozes from this small state.
|
del.icio.us
Digg it
Yahoo MyWeb
Stumble It!
