Luxembourg: Big surprises i n small packages

MANILA, Philippines — Luxembourg is not usually included in the itinerary of a European tour. However, on a recent river cruise, embarkation was at Luxembourg, so we decided to spend a day of exploration before we sailed.

Officially known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, not to be confused with its capital City of Luxembourg, it is a landlocked country right in the heart of Europe bordered by Belgium, Germany and France. Comprising only 2,586 square kilometers, it one of the smaller states in the continent, just roughly the size of Davao City.

The nation’s recorded history reportedly began in the year 963, when Count Siegfried I acquired a fortified rocky area and built a stronghold where a community started to flourish.

Due to its strategic location, the City of Luxembourg soon became one of Europe’s greatest fortified states, being constantly reinforced and progressively rebuilt, and yet the territory was conquered by several regimes, to include the Holy Roman Emperors, the Houses of the Burgundys and the Habsburgs, the French and Spanish kings and even the Prussians.

The Grand Ducal Palace, the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Our tour started at the center of town at the Grand Ducal Palace, an impressive renaissance building. We sadly could not fully appreciate its grandeur, for its façade was blocked by scaffoldings, with equipment and workers doing maintenance and possibly minor repair work.

We found it heartwarming, though, that the palace had no fence, unlike other heavily secured royal residences around the world.

Token representatives of the Luxembourg Army made their presence felt by ceremoniously conducting a simpler changing of the guard ritual. It may be just a platoon or even less, but the pure essence and what the tradition stands for lives on.

This is the official seat of the present head of state, Grand Duke Henri, and the formal venue for the exercise of state ceremonies and events. It likewise serves as the family’s residence.

A curious little sculpture atop the entrance of a home.

Together with his Cuban-born wife, the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and their five children, they are mainstays in popular glossy magazines worldwide.

The Old Quarters and Fortifications of Luxembourg City absolutely took my breath away, as from our vantage point – with nothing above us but the sky – unfolded a picturesque and panoramic unobstructed view of the expanse: tall bulwarks, sturdy bastions, stone bridges, battlement gates, old houses and curious isolated sculptures.

With the contrast of magnolia trees bursting with pink flowers amidst all the grey grandeur, the vista seemed more like a vision than reality, a piece of stunning painting more than a photograph.

Dubbed as The Gibraltar of the North, what remains today has flawlessly blended into the natural environment, eventually hailed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Magnificent organ at Notre Dame Cathedral.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg, otherwise known as the Notre Dame Cathedral, is of Gothic architecture, embellished with several Renaissance elements. This place of worship is the honorable depository of valuable Flemish tapestries of pastoral scenes and a celebration of a holy feast. By the 18th century, it received the miraculous image of Maria Consolatrix Afflictorum, now the nation’s patron saint.

The cathedral’s graveyard houses the National Monument to the Resistance and to the Deportation, which pays homage and commemorates the many struggles of the marginalized, culminating in a bronze tribute, “The Political Prisoner,” that depicts a handcuffed revolutionary, by famed Luxembourgish sculptor Lucien Wercollier.

Our next destination was Saint Michael’s Church, the oldest religious site, sadly destroyed but rebuilt several times, with each iteration adopting slices of the movements in the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architectural styles.

Dolls and a tea set on display at a local shop.

Large stained glass windows of biblical scenes surrounded the halls, leading up to religious images of note such as a statue of St. Michael the Archangel and the sculpture of Madonna and Child.

To cap off the day, we headed to the Place d’Armes in the old town. Originally a parade ground for the defense troops, the square is an open pedestrian zone, flanked by cafés, bars and restaurants, all with extended old fashioned terraces with unhindered view of the central kiosk, where bands and musicians perform in concerts.

Among select art installations was a sign warning strollers not to feed the pigeons. We were pulled back to reality which added some authenticity to the area – that although it appeared picture perfect, there were still rules to abide by.

A very artsy destination, hole in the wall mom and pop shops and trendy accessories and craft stores line the streets in town, displaying the output of their labor-intensive, time-consuming effort: curiosities and home decor, even select delicacies such as smaller than mouth-size pastries from heirloom recipes.

A South American vendor with his collection of handmade souvenirs.

We spotted a sole South American enterprising side street vendor, retailing various handmade novelties infused with the arts and culture of his forbearers, such as bracelets with embroidered tags, ancestral necklaces, knitted beanies, dreamcatchers and stuffed cuddly dolls.

Luxembourg is one of the six founding members of the European Economic Community, known today as the European Union (EU). Size is insignificant to influence, as the homeland with its politically important commune of Schengen is the territory of the momentous Schengen Agreement, which continues to abolish borders among European countries and has likewise made traveling easy for other nationalities due to the powerful Schengen Visa.

On our way to the seaport, we passed rows of establishments which brandished the dukedom’s flag alongside the EU standard. Only then did we realize that the city is the seat of power of the European Judicial Authority and, together with Brussels in Belgium and Strasbourg in France, is accorded as one of the official capitals of the European Union.