Top 15 Facts About Luxembourg

Here are the top 15 Facts about Luxembourg:

1. Luxembourg has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times

With both seven victories, Ireland and Sweden are the most successful countries in the international song competition. Luxembourg is in shared third place with France, the Netherlands, and the UK, each having five wins on their books.The Grand Duchy scored first place in 1961, 1965, 1972, 1973, and 1983, and has hosted the contest four times.After being relegated from participating in 1994, Luxembourg withdrew from the competition until 2023. Good news for Eurovision fans, however; the country is set to return in 2024, which will take place in Malmö, Sweden.

2. The Grand Duke’s official birthday is on 23 June

Also known as National Day, The Grand Duke’s official birthday is celebrated on 23 June. However, interestingly, neither the current Grand Duke nor any ruler in the history of the Grand Duchy was ever born that day. The date actually goes back to Grand Duchess Charlotte’s birthday (1919–1964) on 23 January. In 1962, the practical decision was made to move the public holiday to June and enjoy the warmer weather. 

3. The country’s official motto is mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn

Meaning ‘we want to remain what we are,’ the motto refers to the country’s tumultuous history and the wish to remain independent (now and in the future). One of the more interesting facts about Luxembourg is that it was passed back and forth between various European powers – from France to the Spanish to the Austrians and back to the French. Orver the centuries, three partitions of Luxembourg have reduced the territory from 10,700 km2 (4,100 sq mi) to the present-day area of 2,586 km2 (998 sq mi). The lost regions are now part of modern-day Belgium, France, and Germany.

4.Luxembourg is one of the safest countries in the world

Crime rates in Luxembourg are impressively low. In 2019, it was even named the safest country in the world for expats. One of the most telling facts about Luxembourg’s safety is that the police force has around 2,800 officers working for them, while there are just three jails in the entire Grand Duchy.

5. The capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the 16th to the 19th century, Luxembourg was one of Europe’s greatest fortified sites, constantly reinforced as it passed through the hands of the Holy Roman Emperors, the House of Burgundy, the Hapsburgs, various French and Spanish kings, and, eventually, the Prussians.These have all left archeological and cultural marks in the various gates, bastions, and forts. The historical part of Luxembourg City has also kept its original layout and public buildings.

6. There are over 70 castles in the Grand Duchy

Some estimate that the country has more than 130 châteaus – though many of those should actually be classified as large residences or manor houses rather than castles. Plus, several are in various states of repair.Still, plenty of them are in good shape, and the official number of castles given by the government is over 70.

7. The national dish of Luxembourg is pork and beans

The national dish – and perhaps the most traditional – of Luxembourg is Judd mat Gaardebounen, a savory dish of smoked (or cured) pork with broad beans in a creamy sauce. The pork is soaked in water overnight, then boiled and skimmed, and cooked with vegetables and spices. It is served with beans and boiled potatoes and is considered to be the Luxembourg.

8. Luxembourg once boasted the world’s largest wine list

Restaurant Chiggeri was once the proud holder of the Guinness World Record for the most varieties of wine commercially available in a single restaurant. In 2008, the award-winning establishment in Luxembourg City offered a staggering 1,746 selections. The record has since been usurped by the Grand Lisboa in Macau, China. The casino hotel is home to Asia’s most extensive wine collection and has a wine list with 16,800 different labels.

9. Luxembourg gets its name from an ancient fortress

The official founding date of Luxembourg is 963 CE, with the construction of Luxembourg Castle by Count Siegfried I of the Ardennes. However, before that, the area was already known as Lucilinburhuc (‘little fortress’). While there isn’t much archeological evidence, its strategic position means there was likely an ancient fortress before that, dating back to Roman times. The etymology of Lucilinburhuc can possibly be traced back from Old High German Lucilinburhuc to Proto-Germanic *lūtilaz and *burgz.

10. There’s a giant network of underground tunnels underneath Luxembourg City

Cut out of the solid rock, the Bock and Pétrusse casemates were used as part of the city’s defenses. The underground vault and tunnel system dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries and contains an area of over 17 kilometers.Luxembourg was granted full independence and neutrality by the 1867 Treaty of London. After the casemates lost their military use, they were repurposed in various ways. For example, over the centuries, they have functioned as a shooting range, mushroom farm, market and concert hall, and champagne vault. The casemates were also air-raid shelters during both world wars.

11. The country became one of the leading exponents of international cooperation after World War II

Despite its neutrality, Luxembourg was occupied by German forces during World War I and II. Perhaps realizing its small stature, exiled representatives of the country formed the Benelux Customs Union together with Belgium and the Netherlands in 1944. This alliance later transformed into the current politico-economic Benelux Union (French: Union Benelux, German: Benelux-Union, Luxembourgish: Benelux-Unioun).Luxembourg was also a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 (which became the EU in 1993) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1959.

12. The Schengen Agreements were signed in Luxembourg

The two agreements, which allow EU citizens to travel visa-free across certain borders, were signed in 1985 and 1990 in the tiny village of Schengen. Located in Luxembourg’s wine-growing Moselle region, this town borders France and Germany and is a symbol of free movement.

13. Luxembourg City has been listed twice as the European Capital of Culture

The tradition of naming an EU city as the Capital of Culture started in 1985. Since then, Luxembourg City has been featured twice (in 1995 and 2007), the only city to ever have done so. During the year it is a Capital of Culture, the city will organize cultural events with a strong pan-European flavor. This often results in significant cultural, social, and economic benefits, as well as urban regeneration and international visibility. Multiple cities can be European Capitals of Culture at once.

14. Luxembourg’s former Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was the first EU leader to enter into a same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Luxembourg since 1 January 2015, after a 2013 poll found that 83% of citizens supported it. As such, Xavier Bettel married his partner, Belgian architect Gauthier Destenay, in May 2015. The politician, who served as Prime Minister from 2013 to 2023, was the third openly gay head of government worldwide, following Iceland’s Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.

15. Over a third of the country is covered in trees

In 2010, Luxembourg had 38.9 kilo hectares of natural forest, which meant over 40% of its territory was denoted as forest area. By 2022, however, it had lost around 85 hectares of natural forest, leaving a little over a third of Luxembourg as forest areas.The most treed-up province of Luxembourg is Diekirch.