Cultural sightseeing in Luxemburg

Despite the fact that Luxembourg is a small country, there are many historical monuments and historical sites on its territory. Travelers will have lots of opportunities to get acquainted with the history of this dwarfish state, learn how several centuries ago the French-speaking population was taken to Belgium or how the country managed to gain independence. Most of the museums are concentrated in the capital of the country – Luxembourg. However, you can meet architectural monuments and historical sites in other regions too. You can travel around the country by car. Small distances between cities allow tourists to move freely. The largest and most ancient museum in Luxembourg is the National Museum of History and Art. It was opened in 1869 and is located in the historical part of the city. The museum serves as a powerful tool for preserving the cultural heritage of Luxembourg. It contains collections of the Grand Duchy Institute, which were transferred to the museum after its opening. In the exhibition are also items donated to the museum. The first room contains important archaeological artifacts and allows you to look at the history of Luxembourg in the prehistoric period. In other halls are stored works of art and paintings, collections dedicated to individual monarchs of the country and its history. Modern art occupies a separate room and is also widely presented to the public eye.

In Luxembourg you can visit one more fascinating museum - the Museum of trams and buses of the city of Luxembourg. Its collection began back in the 60s of the 20th century, but for the general public the museum opened its doors only in 1991. For the opening, the historical models of buses and trams were specially made, fully conforming to their originals. In total, the museum's collection has four historic tramcars, two old buses, and a car tower for network maintenance. In addition to the original models, tourists can get acquainted with the impressive collection of miniatures in a scale of 1: 8. Among the exhibits of the museum is not only transport, but also miniature figures of workers, travel tickets, thousands of photographs and documents.

The most important architectural monument of Luxembourg is Notre-Dame Cathedral. It belongs to the Catholic Church and is one of the symbols and adornments of the city. The cathedral was founded in the early 17th century and originally belonged to the Jesuits. Its architecture can be attributed to the late Gothic style with elements of the Renaissance architecture. Inside the cathedral is decorated with choirs of incredible beauty, executed in Moorish style. The main shrine of the cathedral is the miraculous image of the Mother of God, which the cathedral received back in the 18th century. The Mother of God is a comforter of mourners, the protector and patroness of the city. The image is still in the walls of the temple. In addition to it, there are several sculptures in the cathedral; the tomb of the Grand Dukes, decorated with bronze lions, the tomb of King John the Blind. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The Palace of the Grand Duke is also a landmark of Luxembourg. It was founded as a town hall and the ducal family moved into it only in the end of the 19th century. During the German invasion, the palace housed a tavern and concert ground. Therefore, after the war, the building especially its interiors had to be reconstructed. Another symbol of Luxembourg is the bridge of Adolf - the Duke of the country, who with his own hands laid the stone foundation of this bridge in 1900. More than 100 years after the construction, the bridge remains the largest stone bridge in Europe. Its height exceeds 150 meters. It connects the old and new parts of the city of Luxembourg.

In the city of Esch-sur-Alzette is located the Museum of Resistance of Luxembourg, dedicated to the period of invasion during the Second World War. On the first floor of the museum, there is a collection dedicated to the genocide of the Jewish population, household items from concentration camps. Also in the museum, there is a large collection of paintings of those times devoted to life and survival during the war. Since 2009, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions on various topics. In the city of Echternach, there is a fascinating Prehistoric Museum, where interesting artifacts from all over the world are stored. In particular, tourists will be able to look at spears, arrows and tips, objects of everyday life of cavemen of Europe, Asia, America, and Africa.