The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, otherwise known simply as Luxembourg is a landlocked country located in the centre of Western Europe. It is one of the smallest countries of the continent being only approximately 80 kilometres long and 55 kilometres wide, and is home to a small population of roughly 450,000!! Bordered by France to the south, Belgium to the west and Germany to the east, the country lies at the cultural divide of the Romance (Latin speaking languages) and the Germanic countries of Europe. Its position and size has caused the culture and language of the nation to be heavily influenced by its neighbours, creating a multifaceted country with three official languages, French, German and Luxembourgish. Luxembourg is a forward looking nation having been a party to the creation of the Benelux economic union, joining with Belgium and the Netherlands for greater strength economic stability. Later Luxembourg became a founding member of the E.U, and is also a member of the United Nations and NATO.
Luxembourg can trace its history back to 963 A.D. when a simple castle was built by Siegfried, Count of Ardennes, on a hill known as the ‘Bock’. Gradually a town developed around the castle which today is the old town, with its cobbled streets and imposing walls, and has grown to be home to approximately 80,000 people making it the capital and largest city in the country.
The capital is known as Luxembourg City and lies in the central-southern area of the country which is formed by a large rolling sandstone plateau known as the Gutland that covers the southern two thirds of the nation. This plateau is covered in rich farmlands with picturesque villages and is crossed by narrow valleys including a stretch of the Moselle River with its famous vineyards and wineries that produce the famous white wines, and is home to the Valley of the Seven Castles and Little Switzerland, an area of craggy terrain and thick forests with a myriad of small streams!! The northern third of the country is sparsely populated and is known as the Oesling, it is part of the forested Ardennes, a range of hills gouged by narrow scenic river valleys and containing the highest point in the country being the hill of Kneiff at 560 metres.
The landscape of Luxembourg is comprised of appealing rural farmlands and forests, consisting of rolling hills dotted with quiet hamlets and villages, crisscrossed with rivers and home to rustic buildings and medieval castles which add charm to this already charming small country.
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