Tucked away between Belgium, France and Germany, Luxembourg is the world’s only remaining Grand Duchy and a tiny one at that, measuring a little over just 50 miles long and 32 miles wide. Despite its small size it is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan countries - with the highest percentage of foreigners in the EU - and has a very diverse landscape.
 Luxembourg is attractive with mile after mile of rolling hills, forests, and vineyards in the central and southern parts of the country and sizeable sandstone rock formations, forests and valleys in the north.
The Grand Duchy has had a somewhat turbulent history which stretches back over 1,000 years and is today at centre of the European Union, being one of its founding members. Several important EU institutions are based in the capital, Luxembourg-Ville (Luxembourg City).
 Luxembourg City is the country’s largest and busiest centre and the main attraction for most visitors. It is split into two parts, with the UNESCO World Heritage old town complete with turrets, fortress towers, and tight-knit cobblestone alleys, and the modern downtown Plâteau du Kirchberg. There are some fascinating attractions between both parts including world class museums, some good shopping, cosmopolitan dining and plenty of nightlife.
 The Luxembourg Ardennes in the north of the country is Luxembourg’s second main attraction. It is one of stunning scenery and many people come up here to enjoy the outdoors, with skiing in the sinter and hiking and fishing in the summer months. The popular towns of Clervaux, Vianden and Wiltz have good hotels and tourist facilities.
Luxembourg is also lucky enough to have part of the Moselle Valley within its territory, which snakes its way through the southeast of the country. Fruity wines are the name of the game here and tourists can tour the many wineries, which will include tasting. Naturally, boating recreation is also very popular in the Moselle Valley region.
 Other major tourist destinations include the medieval towns of Müllerthal and Echternach, to the northeast of the capital city. The main reason people come here is again for the outdoors, and particularly the walking, cycling and rock climbing, while the towns in themselves are great to spend a few days in.
Luxembourgers are a fairly laid back and enjoy tourists owing to the multicultural make-up of the place and the importance of tourism on the whole. Although you can get by speaking English the whole time, you will have far better reception if you can at least speak a modicum of French.
The most important thing about getting accommodation in Luxembourg is to book ahead of time as far as possible. This is particularly so in the capital city where most places are mid-range and up.
Luxembourg is straightforward to get to. It has an international airport and is well fed by motorway and rail by neighbouring France, Germany and Belgium. Flights come in direct from all over Europe and via major centres, such as London, from long haul destinations.
History
 Luxembourg goes back over a thousand years to the date 963 AD, when the founder of the Luxembourg Dynasty, Count Siegfried, built a castle where the present day capital city stands. A town and fortress grew up around the castle which became known as the 'Gibraltar of the North' and was linked to prominent positions around the city by a massive network of tunnels.
 The Spanish, French and Austrians all took hold of Luxembourg for a time before the Treaty of Vienna in 1839 saw its status elevated to that of Grand Duchy under William I of Orange-Nassau, King of the Netherlands. The Treaty of London on 11th May, 1867, saw Luxembourg’s independence reasserted.
In addition, Luxembourg was declared neutral, which was upheld right up until it joined the European Union in 1948. The Grand Duke and a cabinet of 12 ministers have administrative powers in Luxembourg while governmental powers are dealt with by parliament.
 The Germans occupied Luxembourg during both world wars, despite its neutrality, with the famous Battle of the Bulge being mostly fought on Luxembourg land. As a result of the raping of its territory during the world wars, Luxembourg happily joined Europe and became a founding member of the EU.
Luxembourg is at the centre of Europe and many EU institutions are based in Luxembourg City, including the Commission of the European Community, the General Secretariat of the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank. It is a constitutional monarchy, with Grand Duke Henri as the chief of state. Additionally, the Schengen Agreement was signed by most of continental Europe in the small village at the border of France and Germany in 1995, effectively dropping the borders of member countries.
 The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the most multicultural in the world owing to its need to collaborate with its neighbours for the sake of economy, as well as the high standard of living. Many migrants flocked to Luxembourg from southern Europe and there is a sizeable Italian community in the country who are well integrated. The profusion of European institutions in Luxembourg-Ville also adds to the international flavour.
Weather
Being a small, landlocked country not far from the sea, Luxembourg doesn’t suffer from any extremes in climate and the only main difference is the cool wet forested hills in the north against the warmer drier temperatures of the southeast. Localized showers can happen at any time of the year in any part of the country.
 May to October is the best time to visit Luxembourg and particularly in July and August where daily averages reach 24°C. Late spring and early autumn can often see the best of the weather in Luxembourg, however, with bright colours in springtime and September, and October in particular seeing bright blue skies and a so-called ‘Indian Summer’.
 Wintertime in Luxembourg isn’t too bad as it’s not that far from the ocean to cause drastic drops in temperature and most days between November and February won’t even go below freezing. Snow falls in the hills usually in December and January, opening up the few ski fields.
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