The first mention of the original village dates back to the 12th century. Most of the monuments in this city, as well as throughout Luxembourg, were bombed during the war.

The village is now a popular summer resort with a swimming pool, camping and a youth hostel. You can follow any of the numerous trails which lead you through the forests of the Mullerthal valley.

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Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland is located in the canton of Echternach, which covers 7% of the whole area of Luxembourg. This part of Luxembourg is very popular, especially for campers sliding down from nearby Belgium, Germany, France and Holland. The area is also very popular among European bikers who come to “ventilate” here and take proper outdoor atmosphere.

Suer River forms here a natural border between Luxembourg and Germany. Widely popular activity is renting a canoe and rafting. Along the river you can easily find a number of well-equipped campsites. However, in the summer months, some of them can be quite busy. So it is better to make a reservation in advance.

You can walk through the sandstone forest labyrinth or visit the oldest Luxembourg’s city Echternach. Visitors can come out to the highest peak of this undoubtedly interesting canton, situated near the town of Beaufort and reaching an altitude of 414m.

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Vianden castle has been owned by the family of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg until 1977 when it was donated to the state. Since then it has undergone extensive exterior and interior refurbishment. For its scenic beauty it is often visited by huge number of tourists, but also by Hollywood filmmakers. Vianden castle has a beautiful view to the medieval town of Vianden, which was, in the past, very fond of French writer Victor Hugo. Local museum and a copy of a bust by Roden remind writer’s visits on the river Our.

Vianden is the birthplace of King John the Blind (John of Luxembourg). In 1310 he became Count of Luxembourg and after the marriage to Elisabeth of Bohemia (Czech: Eliška Přemyslovna) he became King of Bohemia. John of Luxembourg is today a popular historical figure in Luxembourg and weighed very much like his son Charles IV. in the Czech Republic.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Roger Wollstadt

Vianden castle is accessible through the whole year.

02.01 – 28.02 10.00 – 16.00
01.03 – 31.03 10.00 – 17.00
01.04 – 30.09 10.00 – 18.00
01.10 – 31.10 10.00 – 17.00
01.11 – 31.12 10.00 – 16.00

Basic admission fee is €7,50 (2010). There is also interesting culture programme that includes exhibition, jazz concert etc…

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Population
Original Luxemburgers make up about one third of the population. There are more than 180 thousand foreigners living here, mainly Portuguese, Italians, Frenchmen, Belgians and Germans. Over 7,500 residents are officials of the European Union. Most of the population is Catholic, however there are small Protestant and Jewish communities. The country has 100% literacy.

Economy
The country has well developed industry and service sector. An important source of funds is tourism. Industry is focused on the processing of metals and chemicals, which are major export items. Among the trading partners of Luxembourg are the surrounding states of European Union. The country is also doing well in the banking sector which is mainly due to political stability and liberal laws.

History and culture
History of Luxembourg started to count at the time when Lützelburg castle was built. It happened around the year 963. Then, around the castle, began to develop a medieval city that became the center of a small estate. Between 1659 to 1839 the territory of Luxembourg was several times reduced. Luxembourg gained independence in the 19th century. After World War II Luxembourg stood at the birth of NATO and the European Community (in 1993 renamed to the European Union).

Cuisine
Luxembourg cuisine is similar to Belgian, but you’ll find also a German influences – e.g. dumplings with cabbage, etc. Luxembourg National dish is “Judd mat gaardebounen” – it’s smoked pork served with cabbage or beans.

Other specialties include:

Ferkelsrippchen-grilled ribs
Liewekniddelen mat sauerkratu – liver balls with cabbage
Traipen – black pudding
Kuddelfleck – boiled tripe (intestine)
Kachkeis – cooked cheese

The most popular coffee in Luxembourg is “café au lathes” – coffee with boiled milk, as well as cappuccino and espresso.

Tips for trips

• The city of Luxembourg (its beautiful historical center and the walls on the slopes of the River Alzette
• Ardennes
• Moselle valley
• Müllerthal

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Currently, Germany is trying to build a positive image in the world and attract such as many tourists to the country as possible. Most visitors are coming from Europe, USA and Asia. The most visited sites are North Rhine – Westphalia, Bavaria with the Alps, and Baden – Wuerttemberg. Beautiful vibrant cities, architectural treasures, nightlife, traditional customs and festivals. All of these (and much more) can be found in Germany.

In Germany you will find many restaurants offering from traditional dishes to international cuisine. It can be said that you can find restaurant where you get something good to eat, almost at every corner of Germany. You can have a dinner in a luxury restaurant, or in the modest Gasthof with a regular daily menu or just in the pub where you can taste a simple regional food together with the beer. If you are satisfied with service, it is customary to leave a tip of 5-10 percent of the price. Menus are usually visible at the entrance to the restaurant, so you can decide in advance to go there or not. Sometimes the restaurants have also an outdoor garden. Some restaurants serve lunch and dinner menus with several courses for one price. In German restaurants are separate rooms for smokers. If you just need something small to eat, you can go to bistros, pizzerias, cafes and fast foods.

The traditional German beverage is a beer. There is a plethora of brands and types of beer, but the most popular are Pilsner, wheat beer Weizenbier, Kölsch and Altbier. Germans sometimes mix the beer with lemonade and make it like the Alster or Radler. Berlin specialty is bright and light beer Berliner Weiße. Germany is also famous for its wine-growing areas along major rivers, which produces a unique Riesling or Silvaner. The popularity of wine in Germany is rising dramatically.

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