Luxembourg is a country and city of hills and valleys, brutal on the thighs but easy on the eyes. Perhaps too big to be called quaint, its charming Christmas Market is an excellent place to get into a festive, holiday mood.
As I’ve written about probably too many times, I love Christmas Markets. The food, music, games, drinks, and festive feelings of these markets are the only things that get me through the chilly northern European winters. Luxembourg’s was my first market actually on Christmas. The city shuts down a bit on the actual holiday as locals have family dinners and gatherings. For stranded expatriates the Christmas season can be a bit difficult, but the markets offer plenty of Gluhwein to help you forget your loneliness.
Luxembourg’s market boasted many festively lit decorations and rides. The most prominent was the Luxembourger Pyramide, a showcase in multilingual naming convenience. I was unable to determine its exact function, but it is pretty.
Luxembourg is a low-mountain country of hills and ravines. The capital city of the same name offers excellent views down valleys and thankfully, an elevator back up. From here you get great views of Luxembourg’s colorful architecture as well.
Because of its political and physical geography, Luxembourg has been a consistent fixture in European history. A particularly good spot to see history and geography blend is from the Old Quarters and Fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 10th century.
Lastly, in addition to the ones that geographically spilled over from France and Germany, Luxembourg has its own language, a fellow member of the West Germanic family, creatively named Luxembourgish. All year you can wish people a merry Christmas in a language fewer than 400,000 people know.
Schéi Chrëschtdeeg!
