Where oh Where Wednesday: Luxembourg

The Benelux is a combination of three countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. All three countries together would be hard to find on a globe if you didn’t know where they were to be found (Northern Europe, between Great Britain, France and Germany). And yet these three countries economically were the foundation of the European Economic Union. The capitol city of Luxembourg is also one of the four institutional seats of the European Union (together with Brussels, Frankfurt and Strasbourg). 

Luxembourg is officially a Grand Duchy with connections to the Netherlands and produced several emperors of the Holy Roman Empire in the 14th century. This tiny country (less than 1000 square miles) with a population of fewer than 700,000 still carries its weight. They were a founding member of NATO and one of six founding members of the European Economic Community (which became the European Union). Luxembourgish politicians were founders of the EU, father of the Euro and presidents of the European Commission. 

Luxembourg was a stalwart of the steel industry until the decline of this industry in the 1970’s. It then became a global financial and banking hub. Since the 21st century the country has focused on developing into a knowledge economy, including a national space program. They were also considered a tax haven and were placed on a grey list of countries with questionable banking arrangements. 

Its central location, stable economy and low taxes make it a favorite for the telecommunications industry as well as students traveling in Europe. Back when I lived in the Netherlands, young people (under 26) could buy an Interrail pass to travel the rail lines throughout Europe. But you were not allowed to use the rail in the country you purchased the card. So everyone purchased the card in Luxembourg and could travel everywhere else. 

In Luxembourg the citizens speak Luxembourgish which is partially intelligible by those who speak High German, but it also includes at least 5000 words of French origin. As a Dutch speaker, I often wonder when I hear a Luxembourg tv station whether I am hearing Dutch, German or French. Yes. That is what I am hearing. 

Luxembourg is a beautiful place to visit, easy to reach (only about 1.5 hours from our house) and varied in every way. You can go hiking in the mountains, see cultural activities in places like Echternach or discover history in Luxembourg city. When we first moved to Belgium we even enjoyed visiting the Chi Chi’s which could only be found there (and it was the only place to find Tex-Mex and Mexican food).