The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the official name of this country located in the center of Europe, has the highest GDP per person in the world according to the World Bank. What other secrets can we find out about this small nation with no exit to the sea? Join us to discover 50 curiosities of Luxembourg, the heart of Europe .
Luxembourg tried to stay neutral as Switzerland during the World Wars that ravaged Europe during the 20th century, however it failed and was invaded by Germany. After the Second World War, it abandoned its neutrality attempts and strongly opted for international cooperation.
50 Curiosities of Luxembourg
1. The country achieved independence in 1867 after the signing of the Treaty of London.
2. The Treaty of London signed in 1867 put an end to the struggles between several countries for the sovereignty of Luxembourg. Its location, absolutely strategic, was very coveted by other nations, not in vain is it known as "the heart of Europe".
3. The Ardennes is a region covered with dense forests that occupies part of Luxembourg, Belgium and France. The Germans, both in the First and Second World War, used it as a step to invade France since, believing it to be practically impenetrable, it was not well protected.
4. The Ardennes were already mentioned in "La chanson de Roland", the epic poem of the eleventh century. Emperor Charlemagne has a nightmare in which a leopard emerges from that area.
5. The Bock, the most touristic place in Luxembourg, is a promontory that offers a natural fortification that was used since the Middle Ages, over the centuries, as a defensive castle. The modern city of Luxembourg was built around it.
6. The Bock was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has more than 17 km. of underground tunnels carved into the rock and used as an air raid shelter during the two World Wars.
7. These underground tunnels are called "casemates" and were excavated in the rock for centuries under the Luxembourg fortress. In principle served as a refuge in the sieges and connected the different parts of the Bock, they came to have 23 km. In 1994, as part of the Bock, the casemates were declared World Heritage by UNESCO.
8. The country has a motto: "Mir wëlle bleiwe, war mir sin" which means "We want to remain what we are". It refers to the fact that they want to continue enjoying their independence as a country achieved after centuries of struggle.
9. Luxembourg has a population of approximately 590,000 inhabitants.
10. Its capital does not reach 120,000.
11. Luxembourg has the highest minimum wage in Europe and is close to 2,000 Euros per month.
12. One of the curiosities of Luxembourg is that almost half of the people who work there do not live in the country, but in neighboring France, Germany and Belgium, moving daily.
13. Luxembourg is the country in the world with the highest GDP per capita.
14. Luxembourg is known to be a tax haven and is certified by more than 150 banks in the country.
15. Due to the favorable fiscal conditions, many multinational companies such as Ikea, Pepsi, Amazon, etc., have their European headquarters in that country.
16. Another of the curiosities of Luxembourg is that it has the highest percentage of cars bought in the world: 647 cars per 1,000 people.
17. Just over half of Luxembourg's inhabitants are natives of the country. In him live people of more than 150 different nationalities and that its population surpasses by little the 550,000 inhabitants.
18. Luxembourg is a highly civic and participatory country. Its citizens, in the elections go out to vote in greater number than in any other country of the U.E. In the last elections, 91% voted.
19. Another of the curiosities of Luxembourg It refers to your flag. It is very similar to the Dutch because it has three horizontal stripes, one red, one white and one blue. Simply the blue color changes tone. This is because when the flag was created in the 19th century both countries had the same sovereign.
20. The capital of Luxembourg It is the City of Luxembourg and has just over 100,000 inhabitants. It is the headquarters of several organisms and agencies of the European Union.
21. In the capital of Luxembourg You can visit the neighborhood called "Grund". It is very picturesque and has houses built directly on the rock, vineyards, a bridge of the fifteenth century and many restaurants and pubs.
22. One of the main squares of the capital is Guillermo II, although everyone knows it as "Knuedler" which in Luxembourgish means "knot". It owes its popular name to the belt knots of the habit of the Franciscans who had a convent near the plaza.
23. The language of Luxembourg It is the Luxemburgish spoken among the natives and especially in the homes. It is a language of high German origin.
24. However, the population is generally trilingual. They use Luxembourgish in their homes and German and French, which are taught in primary and secondary schools respectively, for social, labor and economic relations. In addition many citizens also speak English that they use for business.
25. You can walk through the so-called "Most beautiful balcony in Europe". It is the "Chemin de la Corniche", a pedestrian promenade that is built on the Alzete Valley. You will have magnificent views of the city of Grund and the valley.
26. Despite being a very small country and not reaching 500,000 inhabitants, it has won the Eurovision Song Contest 5 times.
27. The Luxembourg food It is very influenced by the surrounding countries. The Bouneschlupp is the national dish of Luxembourg. It consists of a spice of green bean soup with potatoes, bacon and onion.
28. Another of the typical specialties of the country are plum liquors, both yellow and purple.
29. If you want to try the most typical Luxembourg food you can order "thuringer" which are small sausages, "gromper keeschelche" which are some potato pancakes, "quetsche tort" or plum tart, "kach keis" a very melted cheese soft and "Judd mat Gardebounen" which is pork, usually of the neck, with beans.
30. The religion of Luxembourg It is mostly the Roman Catholic (87% of the population) although the country is secularized and has no national religion.
31. Luxembourg was the first country in the European Union in which its top political leader, in this case Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, married a person of the same sex in 2015. The previous year had approved the reform of the Law that was supported by 83% of the population.
32. If you travel to Luxembourg you will use the Euro.
33. The Euro coins of Luxembourg can be recognized by the portrait of Grand Duke Henry I of Luxembourg, married to the Cuban Maria Teresa Mestre.
34. The ducal family lives in the "Grand Ducal Palace" of the city of Luxembourg and is guarded by a Guard Service of the Castle which is one of the main tourist attractions in the country.
35. The most important party in the country is another of the curiosities of Luxembourg . The king's birthday is celebrated, which in the case of Duke Henry I is on April 16. The holiday should always be the birthday of the sovereign, but since the reign of the Grand Duchess Charlotte, whose birthday was in January, do not hesitate to move the date to June for good weather during the celebrations.
36. The Dukes of Luxembourg are usually buried in a crypt located in the Notre Dame Cathedral which is the largest and most impressive church that you can visit in the city of Luxembourg.
37. Do not be fooled by the "Casino de Luxembourg" you will not be able to play as this historic building is actually an enclosure that serves as a museum and exhibition hall of contemporary art.
38. Another of the curiosities of Luxembourg is that it is the country in Europe where the largest amount of alcoholic beverages per capita in Europe is sold. This does not mean that its citizens are big drinkers, but that many customers are from neighboring countries that buy it there.
39. According to the United Nations, Luxembourg is the country in the world where you are less likely to be shot. It is one of the safest places on the planet.
40. As we said earlier, if you ask in Luxembourg what to see , the first thing is to approach the Bock that contains centuries of history of the country. You can visit a part of the underground tunnels.
41. One of the curiosities of Luxembourg that you can also explore is the Vianden Castle which is considered one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe. To visit it is to take a trip in time.
42. The carnivals of Luxembourg are a famous event. The preparations begin in November with the election of the "King of Carnival".
43. One of the events that attracts the most tourists in Luxembourg is the Echternach Dancing Procession. It is a religious procession that takes place on Pentecost Tuesday in the city of Echternach. The dancers advance through the streets to the abbey where the tomb of Saint Willibrord is located.
44. The Luxembourg Night Marathon has a great public attendance and is designed for everyone. It is celebrated at the end of May and the participant can choose the distance that goes from traveling 1 km. at 4'2 km., 21 km. or the 42 km. of the full career.
45. If you keep asking yourself in Luxembourg what to see , you have a region called Mullerthas that is known as the Little Switzerland .
46. In the heart of Little Switzerland there is a curious waterfall called Schiessentumpel divided into three and very visited by locals and tourists.
47. The national bird is the wren, a small bird that shines on its head a golden plume for which it is known as "the king of birds".
48. Besides the wren, they also have a national animal: the lion, which is the "king of animals".
49. Although it is a small country, one of the curiosities of Luxembourg is that it has nothing more and nothing less than seven national parks!
50. Finally, although the Luxembourgers look like very practical people, they also leave a place for fantasy and legend. They have a cave called Hohllay Cave or Cueva Hueca in which there are some strange marks that they say are the work of the elves. Actually they are signals left by an old mining operation.
Other curiosities of Europe | By countries
If you have been surprised by the previous data from Luxembourg, we encourage you to continue researching curiosities of Europe , discovering the following lists of curious data of their countries. Enjoy exploring your most unexpected face!
- Curiosities of Spain
- Fun Facts of England
- Curiosities of Scotland
- Curiosities of Ireland
- Curiosities of Germany
- Curiosities of Switzerland
- Curious facts of France
- Curiosities of Italy
- Curiosities of Greece
- Curiosities of Austria
- Iceland Curiosities
- Curiosities of Norway
- Curiosities of Denmark
- Curiosities of Belgium
Luxembourg based its prosperity on steel production, but as this type of industry declined it had to reinvent itself and diversify, becoming a large administrative center that manages the most important investments in Europe. We hope you have been interested in these curiosities of Luxembourg , one of the smallest countries in Europe and the world. Do you know any other curiosity? Share it with us! This way we can expand the curiosities of this magnificent country.
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