Our October 4-day weekend was spent traveling to Belgium and Luxembourg. The trip started out a little rough, being delayed several hours at Marco Polo (I have a love/hate relationship with RyanAir as our tickets were only 38 Euro per person round trip!). Once we arrived in Brussels we picked up our rental car and headed straight to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The drive was really simple and the Belgium radio stations are the best we have found in Europe to date.
Out of all of the Europe Union, Luxembourg is the least populated country, with only 450,000 people. Surprisingly, it also has the highest minimum salary in Europe and the 2nd highest in the world! It also has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe, at 3.3%.
The Architecture of Luxembourg City is beautiful! Around the railway station one can find buildings designed in Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The downtown ( 'the Grund') is composed of many different architectural styles, such as Moorish, Baroque, etc... and it was interesting to see how the city integrated modern construction into such a traditional setting.
There is also a fantastic area outside of the downtown called Kirchberg. It is filled with modern sculptures and contemporary architecture. It is composed of buildings like the Philharmonie Luxembourg and the Museum of Modern Art designed by I.M. Pei.
Unfortunately, due to the US government shutdown, we were unable to see the American Military Cemetery, which looks beautiful in the pictures that I have seen. I think the hotel clerk felt slightly embarrassed to have to tell us that the cemetery would be closed for this reason.
Also, if anyone is considering traveling to Luxembourg City, I would recommend staying at the Park Inn by Radisson. It is a quick walk to 'the Grund' and was really comfortable and nice. I would also recommend a trip to Ennert de Steiler before you leave.
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