"Complicated Language Affairs" Top 5 Page for this destination Vianden Favorite Tip by RhineRoll

Favorite thing: Coming to Luxembourg, you might be puzzled by what you read on the signs and what you are hearing when the people are speaking -- Luxembourg has actually three official languages. The everyday language of the people in the streets is called Lëtzebuergesch and is in fact a German dialect -- the Luxembourgers will maintain of course that it is a language of its own --- well you know -- same problem as Scots and English -- in the end, this is a political question as there is no clear point in linguistics that determines whether it is still a dialect or already another language . French is the language of the courts and the administration -- even though the kids in school learn High German through their school books before they learn French...

In practice, you will come across all three languages especially near the German border where people might do business mostly with German speakers. Roadsigns are in French and Letzebuergesch. There are also a lot of Portugese and Italian immigrants living and working in Luxembourg, so you might come across these tounges as well... and English... and Dutch... and whatever else!!!