Luxembourg Trip May 2011

The trip to Luxembourg was via KLM with a 4 hour transit in Amsterdam. From there, we took a KLM Fokker 70 (twin jet) plan to Luxembourg airport.

Luxembourg airport terminal is very quiet. Nothing much in terms of shopping as well as people. Also, it does not have a bank or a money changer inside the terminal building. As you see from the picture above, even the car park outside the terminal was empty even though it was a Tuesday 10 am in the morning. The only people there were the taxi drivers. Here, the taxis are Mercs! We took an E-class Merc (Diesel). Interestingly, most Mercs here are manual.

The hotel that I stayed in is the Sofitel which is situated in the exhibition district of Luxembourg. Just outside the hotel you can see the Philharmonic Hall as shown in the picture below.

Public transport was very easy and waiting time was within 5 minutes per bus. Only thing is the cost. Oh yes, before I forget, if you are on a shoestring budget, do not go on the taxis. It is the most expensive in Europe. Take the bus. For Euro1.50 you get to use the bus for 2 hours. For Euro4.00, you get a one day pass. The buses are also not crowded.

The picture below is the town centre. Devoid pf people!

The cycling culture is very much alive here in Luxembourg. They have created a bike rental system where you can pick up a bike in one spot and leave it at other pickup points in the city. Below is a typical pickup point for bike rentals. Each bike is magnetically locked to the post set on the ground. A credit card will be needed to disengage the lock and then you can use the bike.

Another scene of the very quiet city center.

I used to study in UK and I never once visited this place when I was there. In fact, I don't eve recall any tours that have Luxembourg has a destination. Although there are a number of ancient buildings and castle, overall, it is a small place. Below is a picture of the old quarter of the city.

The one unique feature of this city is the deep valley running across it. I believe this valley was caused by glaciers a long time ago as there is only a small stream running on the bottom of the valley.

Summer is a time of reborn. There is greenery everywhere!

I was happy that the weather when I was there was nice and shiny. Temperature was a nice 20 degrees Celsius in midday and around 12 degrees Celsius at night.

 

The town is full of cafes. It was nice to sit down for a cup of coffee and see people walking on by. One thing that you must remember if you ever get the chance to be here is the dessert. They make the best desserts ever!

As Luxembourg is a financial centre, every old building has been converted into the headquarters of a financial institution. Below is one of them.

Very lonely street!

You only start to see people at the main plaza where there are a lot of cafes.

Historically, Luxembourg is officially called the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi). A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is ruled by a grand duke. It is the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita according to the IMF. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish Road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.

War has been its main activity for many centuries and you can see that from the types of ancient ruins and buildings in the country. Below is a famous fort or castle defending the city.

The fort overlooks the whole city and has a very good defensive line.

Below is the bust of Charles IV, the 14th century Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg.

Trench lines.