"999 Square Miles of History" a Luxembourg Travel Page by James63

Once known as the "Gibraltar of the North" for its formidable fortress capital city, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - the world's last grand duchy - is a fascinating combination of history and Old World charm. The country is chock-a-block with castles set against the backdrop of high rolling hills and, particulary in the north, dense forests such as the Ardennes, site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge.

Besides offering the visitor more history per square inch than any country of comparable size, Luxembourg is also a country of charming towms with little central squares surrounded by cafes and restaurants serving "French food in German portions."

The capital city, also called Luxembourg, is a unique blend of the new and the old, offering much to do in the way of shopping and cultural events in a compact easily walked size. Yet, it lacks much of the congestion and noise that afflicts other European capitals, instead providing pedestrian malls and narrow streets that take you back in time to the Middle Ages.

Luxembourg is definitely worth the visit, especially if you are visiting its two slightly overrated sister countries - Belgium and Netherlands.