Girl on a Trail: Luxembourg – Vianden

Gosia — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 20:08:16 +0000

[huge_it_maps id=”1″] Luxembourg is the only grand duchy in the world. Grand duchy is a state which head is a monarch who bears the title of a great prince, who rules independently. Despite a rather small area, of just over 2500 sq. meters, there are numerous beautiful castles. Undoubtedly the most popular and the most beautiful is Vianden castle. It’s located in the north-eastern part of Luxembourg, close to the border with Germany. To get there you can take a train to the village Ettelbruck and then switch to bus 570 towards Vianden/ Breck. Vianden is located just 55 km away from the capital of Luxembourg and it takes less than an hour to travel here. Trains run every half hour (driving schedule you can find here). Luxembourg is definitely not a cheap country, food and accommodation costs are much higher than in other western European countries. However, I have to admit, that the low cost of travel tickets was a big surprise for me. Daily ticket for all public means of transport in Luxembourg costs ONLY 4 €. The second option is to buy Luxembourg Card, which guarantees free access to more than 60 tourist attractions and rides in Luxembourg. The card can be purchased for 1, 2 OR 3 days and it costs accordingly 13, 20 and 28 € (more info you can find here). The stop in Vianden cannot be overlooked, as the castle is clearly distinguished in the landscape of this small town. Located on a high hill and surrounded by fortifications and towers, it looks like from the Disney’s intro. To get to there, you can use chairlift, but I do not recommend this option for those with fear of heights. One-way ride costs 3,9 € while return ticket 5,3 € (details here). The station is located above the castle, so you can imagine that the view of the castle from the observation terrace is literally breathtaking. The second option is to climb the hill via lovely alley – Grand Rue, running along the city walls. To my mind, the best solution is to get to the top by the chairlift and walk back. However, the castle is not the only one attraction in Vianden. The town has specific atmosphere. Cobbled streets, perfect maintained gardens, small cafes and colorful houses move to old times. Vianden is an ideal place for a one-day trip from the capital of Luxembourg, especially given the low cost of journey. What’s more there’s another bonus of this trip – the amazing landscape of Ardennes and small, cosy towns along the way. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Luxembourg – the fabulous or financial Dutchy?

Gosia — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 19:59:45 +0000

It’s very hard to determine if Luxembourg is the fabulous or financial Dutchy. It’s one of the smallest and the wealthiest countries in the world. There’re more than 150 banks and numerous EU institutions and international corporations. What’s more, the unemployment rate and taxes are the lowest in EU, in one word – real idyll. According to European Statistical Office, the minimal wage there is twice bigger than average wage in Poland! It’s no wonder that, at least half of the residents of this country are immigrants. A lot of people from France, Belgium and Germany commute to work here, every day. It’s visible that there’s a specific official atmosphere. Luxembourg for us is a city with the spic and span streets, magnificent buildings and upscale restaurants where prices definitely spoil the appetite. However this city has also another side. Its picturesque location and a lot of greenery is amazing. The most interesting part is the Casemates du Bock – enormous fortifications surrounding the city. The fortress which is built on steep slopes is regarded as one of the biggest in Europe and it’s the best place to admire the beautiful landscape of Luxembourg. Inside it, you can visit tunnels which stretch along 15 miles (23 km). Interestingly, it’s only a remnant of the former fortress. At least 90% of it was pulled down under the terms of the Treaty of London in 1867. Nowadays we can see only a little part of the original structure, which demolition could have led to the destruction of other buildings in the city. Luxembourg citizens are proud of their independence which is refected in their motto: We want to remain what we are. One of the symbols of their independence is the statue of Gelle Fra (Golden Lady), which commemorates soldiers who were killed during WWI. Its construction was connected with protests in view of the quite revealing outfit of this figure. Therefore it was placed on the very high pillar to protect worshipers of the nearby Notre Dame Cathedral, from that sight. During WWII it was a symbol of the Luxembourg resistance against Nazis. It has been hidden in the unknown place for many years. It was founded in 1980 in the undergrounds of football stadium. The Grand Dutchy of Luxembourg has also the Grand Ducal Palace which resembles more elegant official building than residence of the duke. When we saw from the observation desk a castle which wasn’t mentioned in our guide, we decided to check it thinking that it must have been an oversight. How disappointed we were, when the castle turned out to be another bank. Comparing the Grand Ducal Palace we had no doubt who really reigned that little country. Regardless of official, sometimes stodgy atmosphere, Luxembourg City is an interesting place for a one-day trip. Remnants of the former fortress, located on a steep slopes, sinking in a sea of greenery look like from a fairytale which can charm every tourist. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Girl on a Trail: Luxembourg – Vianden

Luxembourg – the fabulous or financial Dutchy?