Luxembourg - simply luxuriant

I can still remember the first time I visited this small but very progressive country; it was in the fall of 1999 and the thought of me visiting it again on the spring of 2012 made me really excited. 

They say that there’s nothing much to see in Luxembourg and that you can see the entire city in a day. I strongly disagree to this belief because Luxembourg has so much to offer. It has interesting castles in its countryside like the one we visited in the Ardennes called the Bourscheid castle, one of the seven castles in the Valley. It was just a tough luck that the castle was closed for renovation during our visit, but the trip there was all worth it. The rolling hills that are dotted with lush green forests and villages offer a panoramic view of a typical European village that one can expect in fairy tale movies. And since it was closed, we found ourselves wanting to explore its perimeter and observe its beauty from the outside. The castle was built on a slope of a hill overlooking the Moselle River.  However, the parking area on country road leading to the castle offers the best view of this remarkable structure from a distance.

Moving southwards, the roads led us to the capital city, Luxembourg, which is pretty much like other old cities in Europe consisting of old and new sites. Luxembourg has a tumultuous history as shown in the remnants of its past – the ruins of what used to be city of Luxembourg. 

The old city is situated in a deep valley and can be appreciated from the walls surrounding it. I can’t tell which area is the best because each one has its own character and bids a different story to tell. The aesthetically designed and built bridges connecting one cliff to another add to the panoramic view of the city. From the walls, the buildings together with the streets and other structures located on the valley look like miniature village. Frankly, one day will definitely not be enough to explore the old city in the valley. Outside the wall, the upper town provides an equally exciting trip through its narrow streets and alleys.