The question one asks when they enter Luxembourg is: Why am I here? Is it because of finance, the main source of Luxembourg’s GDP, is it for true tourism, visiting a country for its sights, or is it for a third reason? We were there because of that third reason: micronation hunting. Though not technically a micronation due to its higher population and wealth, Luxembourg is still a tiny place, a remnant of the Holy Roman Empire. Though you can’t traverse it by foot, it still has a small country charm to it. It also houses the Vianden Castle, which is perhaps the only place of note to a tourist. To spice things up, we went during a blues/jazz festival.
We began at Vianden Castle. We drove to a vantage point over a local town, which felt more like a medieval village. It had beautiful churches, and a jumble of rich and modern, and medieval and poor. What really was the highlight of the view was Vianden, which was a castle I liked more than Nueswatchenstein. Though it didn’t have much color, it’s stone on stone contrasted enough to create beauty, but the real wonder, the real view, was the architecture itself. The walls surrounding the castle had towers that extended what would otherwise be essentially a simple manor. Instead it was complex, a building with peaks and valleys. One detail can make a difference.
We then walked through Luxembourg City. Luxembourg city is a clean, rather empty city, though it feels rather comfortable and safe. You’d have to look hard to find a rough neighborhood in the richest nation on earth. One thing I didn’t understand was the sculpture hoisted above Grand Rue in the center of Luxembourg city. It looked as if someone had shot metal silly string over the street. After some further post-trip research, I’ve concluded that it was probably there due to the festival.
Afterwards, we continued our stroll through the city. We saw the main views, such as the Monument of Remembrance. I remember it as the gold statue on the big pole. The place with the best city view was definitely the Rue Munster Bridge. It crosses the Azlette River in the center of Luxembourg City, and it has a wonderful cinematic view of both the town of Luxembourg City, and the higher area of the city. We walked around that part of Luxembourg City, and then we left. There just isn’t too much to do in Luxembourg, but if you visit, remember to take a look at Vianden Castle, a sight that could be the best in the nation in bigger nations than Luxembourg.
Tips:
- If you’re interested in finance (i.e nobody), then Luxembourg might be a good place to work when you’re older.
