A Weekend in Luxembourg

Over the weekend I was able to visit the country of Luxembourg. While Paris has been amazing so far, it was exciting to go and visit another part of Europe. It was very interesting to me how, even though France and Luxembourg are so close, they are so vastly different. While in Luxembourg, I got to go visit a museum that showed over a thousand years of Luxembourg’s history. It was amazing to see how this country grew from a small outpost village into its own country. Its history is far different than that of Paris, especially in the history of its buildings. 

In the city of Luxembourg, there are a ton of old ruins that still remain and can be explored by the public. Old stone castles that have been standing for over a thousand years can be spotted on various street corners right next to modern buildings such as a convenience store built 3 years ago. Luxembourg doesn’t seem to have quite as strict building laws or as homogeneous facades as in Paris, but they still maintain their historic buildings whether they become a city hall or a cafe. They are repurposed and reused to serve a new modern purpose to keep the buildings from falling into disarray. Luxembourg also is far more understated and simple. When I first saw the city, it’s what I imagined most European towns to look like. Most buildings are made of stucco and have ornate woodwork surrounding a stained glass window which is a vastly different feel of the ornate limestone structures that cover Paris. Most of the roof lines in Luxembourg are either front or side facing gables which is different from the mansard and flat top rooflines that are throughout most of Paris. While both cities are vastly different in size and construction, they both possess a uniqueness and history that I’ve only ever seen in Europe.