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55-497: Windhof is located 15 km west of Luxembourg City at a strategic position for transport and communications on the N6 road from Luxembourg City to Arlon close to the busy European route E25 linking Luxembourg to Arlon and Brussels . It stands on the crossroads where the N6 intersects N13 to Koerich (north) and Dalhem (south). Windhof, at a height of 334 m, is the highest point in

110-615: A Luxembourg film production company had depicted a 40,000 m and 15 meter high backdrop built for the feature film Secret Passage with John Turturro on the Terre Rouge , a site of a former steelwork in Esch-sur Alzette. The filmset represents the contemporary Venice of the 16th century with a 600 meter long copy of the Grand Canal and 118 house facades. The "Venice-sur-Alzette" was built for around 5 million Euro and

165-659: A consequence, Luxembourg was annexed by the French Republic, becoming part of the département of Forêts , with Luxembourg City as its préfecture . Under the 1815 Treaty of Paris , which ended the Napoleonic Wars , Luxembourg City was placed under Prussian military control as a part of the German Confederation , although sovereignty passed to the House of Orange-Nassau , in personal union with

220-730: A network of 40 bus routes, operated by the municipal transport authority, Autobus de la Ville de Luxembourg (AVL), partly subcontracted to private bus companies. There is also a free bus service linking the Glacis to Luxembourg station , the "Joker Line" for seniors, and a "City night network". A "Park & Ride" scheme is operated by the city with five carparks connected to the bus network. In addition to AVL buses, CFL and RGTR operate regional buses to other locales in Luxembourg and nearby cities in Germany and France. Between 1875 and 1964,

275-538: A place of strategic military significance. The first fortifications were built as early as the 10th century. By the end of the 12th century, as the city expanded westward around the new St. Nicholas Church (today the Cathedral of Notre Dame ), new walls were built that included an area of 5 hectares (12 acres). In about 1340, under the reign of John the Blind , new fortifications were built that stood until 1867. In 1443,

330-513: A result of the steel crisis , the mines and many of the blast furnaces were shut down, the last one, in Esch-Belval, definitively halting its operations in 1997. The blast furnaces were replaced by an electric furnace that is fed with scrap metal rather than iron ore. Today the industrial wastelands on Belval left behind by the steel industry, are being redeveloped and converted into a new, modern town quarter. New cultural buildings such as

385-427: A settlement developed. As of 1 September 2024 , Luxembourg City has a population of 135,441 inhabitants, which is more than three times the population of the country's second most populous commune ( Esch-sur-Alzette ). The population consists of 160 nationalities. Foreigners represent 70.4% of the city's population, whilst Luxembourgers represent 29.6% of the population; the number of foreign-born residents in

440-515: A stronghold of the Democratic Party (DP), which is the second-largest party nationally. The Democratic Party is the largest party on the council, with ten councillors. The city's administration is headed by the mayor , who is the leader of the largest party on the communal council. After Xavier Bettel became Luxembourg's new prime minister on 4 December 2013, Lydie Polfer (DP) was sworn in as new mayor of Luxembourg on 17 December of

495-686: A system of proportional representation . Currently the mayor is Christian Weis, of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). The governing majority on the council consists of the CSV, the DP and The Greens. The Lankelz miniature railway operates on Sunday afternoons and public holidays from May to mid-October. Esch is home to the Esch Conservatory of Musi. The city has the longest shopping street in Luxembourg. In 2001,

550-626: Is a city in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country's second-most populous commune , with a population of 36,625 inhabitants, as of 2023 . It lies in the south-west of the country, on the border with France and in the valley of the Alzette , which flows through the city. The city is usually referred to as just Esch ; however, the full name distinguishes it from the village and commune of Esch-sur-Sûre which lies 45 kilometres (28 miles) further north. The country's capital, Luxembourg City ,

605-677: Is a new concert hall, the Philharmonie , as well as a conservatory with a large auditorium. Art galleries include the Villa Vauban , the Casino Luxembourg and Am Tunnel . The site is located mainly in Ville Haute (Uewerstad). The ING Europe Marathon has been contested annually in the capital since June 2006. It attracted 11,000 runners and over 100,000 spectators during the 2014 edition. The Luxembourg Open

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660-585: Is a tennis tournament held since 1991 in the capital. The tournament runs from 13 to 21 October. BGL BNP Paribas , one of the more famous sponsors in the world of tennis, was the contracted title sponsor of the tournament until 2014. The Stade de Luxembourg , situated in Gasperich , southern Luxembourg City, is the country's national stadium and largest sports venue in the country with a capacity of 9,386 for sporting events, including football and rugby union, and 15,000 for concerts. The largest indoor venue in

715-611: Is also famed for its wide selection of restaurants and cuisines, including four Michelin starred establishments. The city of Luxembourg is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications , on account of the historical importance of its fortifications. In addition to its two main theatres, the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and the Théâtre des Capucins , there

770-475: Is cloudy about two-thirds of the year. Under the Luxembourgish constitution , local government is centred on the city's communal council . Consisting of twenty-seven members (fixed since 1964), each elected every six years on the second Sunday of October and taking office on 1 January of the next year, the council is the largest of all communal councils in Luxembourg. The city is nowadays considered

825-574: Is little recent residential development apart from a few houses on the western side. There are two restaurants in the centre of the village, a pizzeria and a Portuguese establishment. Windhof is connected to Luxembourg by regular bus service. In 2010 a number of local companies founded Ecoparc Windhof, with the purpose to promote the zone. In addition the Ecoparc Windhof has joined an ambitious European research program interreg with Luxembourgish and international partners in order to implement

880-524: Is roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) to the north-east. Esch was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2022, alongside Kaunas and Novi Sad . The town was mentioned for the first time in 12 April 1128 in a message for Pope Honorius II . For a long time Esch was a small farming village in the valley of the Uelzecht river. This changed when important amounts of iron ore were found in

935-423: Is served by the only international airport in the country: Luxembourg Airport (codes: IATA : LUX, ICAO : ELLX). Accessibility to the airport, situated in the commune of Sandweiler , 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from the city centre, is provided via the municipal bus network, with a tram connection due to be completed by early 2024. The airport is the principal hub for Luxembourg's flag carrier , Luxair , and one of

990-627: Is situated in the heart of Europe in the Gold Triangle between Frankfurt , Paris , and Amsterdam . It is therefore connected to several motorways and international routes. Public transport in Luxembourg City has been free since 2020, including rail, bus and tram. Luxembourg City is served by five rail stations operated by the state rail company, the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL), including

1045-551: Is the capital city of Luxembourg and the country's most populous commune . Standing at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxembourg, the city lies at the heart of Western Europe , situated 213 km (132 mi) by road from Brussels and 209 km (130 mi) from Cologne . The city contains Luxembourg Castle , established by the Franks in the Early Middle Ages , around which

1100-551: The A6 motorway or European route E25 it links Luxembourg to Brussels and beyond creating excellent facilities for Windhof. Windhof has now become a rapidly developing, increasingly prosperous centre of business activity. Over 100 small to medium-sized companies employing over 500 people have now been established there in a range of service sectors including information technology and telecommunications , construction , management consulting , warehousing and waste management . There

1155-579: The Bock Fiels ("rock"), mentioned for the first time in the aforementioned exchange treaty. In 987, Archbishop Egbert of Trier consecrated five altars in the Church of the Redemption (today St. Michael's Church). At a Roman road intersection near the church, a marketplace appeared around which the city developed. The city, because of its location and natural geography, has through history been

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1210-693: The Burgundians under Philip the Good conquered Luxembourg. Luxembourg became part of the Burgundian, and later Spanish and Austrian empires (See Spanish Netherlands and Spanish Road ) and under those Habsburg administrations Luxembourg Castle was repeatedly strengthened so that by the 16th century, Luxembourg itself was one of the strongest fortifications in Europe. Subsequently, the Burgundians,

1265-566: The Kirchberg quarter, in the northeast of the city. Despite the city's small size, it has several notable museums: the recently renovated National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the Luxembourg City History Museum , the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudam) and National Museum of Natural History (NMHN). Luxembourg was the first city to be named European Capital of Culture twice. The first time

1320-610: The Place d'Armes , the Adolphe Bridge and the city hall. The city is home to the RTL Group . The Second World War Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is located within the city limits of Luxembourg at Hamm . This cemetery is the final resting place of 5,076 American military dead, including General George S. Patton . There is also a memorial to 371 Americans whose remains were never recovered or identified. Luxembourg

1375-731: The Route d'Arlon was built in 1790, slightly to the north of the Roman road. It was here that the first houses appeared in Windhof. American troops, liberating Luxembourg in September 1944, proceeded through Windhof towards Arlon along this road which became known as the Voie de la Liberté . In the 1970s, the Autoroute d'Arlon with an exit just 1 km to the south of Windhof was built. Designated

1430-583: The UNESCO sites), while there are also large tracts of farmland within the city limits. Luxembourg City is subdivided into twenty-four quarters (French: quartiers ), which cover the commune in its entirety. The quarters generally correspond to the major neighbourhoods and suburbs of Luxembourg City, although a few of the historic districts, such as Bonnevoie , are divided between two quarters. Luxembourg City has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ), with moderate precipitation, cold to cool winters and warm summers. It

1485-604: The United Kingdom of the Netherlands . After the Luxembourg Crisis , the 1867 Treaty of London required Luxembourg to dismantle the fortifications in Luxembourg City. Their demolition took sixteen years, cost 1.5 million gold francs , and required the destruction of over 24 km (15 mi) of underground defences and 4 hectares (9.9 acres) of casemates , batteries , barracks , etc. Furthermore,

1540-538: The C2C Cradle-to-cradle design methodology in a development zone. 49°38′N 5°57′E  /  49.633°N 5.950°E  / 49.633; 5.950 Luxembourg City Luxembourg ( Luxembourgish : Lëtzebuerg ; French : Luxembourg ; German : Luxemburg ), also known as Luxembourg City (Luxembourgish: Stad Lëtzebuerg or d'Stad ; French: Ville de Luxembourg ; German: Stadt Luxemburg or Luxemburg-Stadt ),

1595-987: The Chamber of Deputies, the city is located in the Centre constituency. Luxembourg City is the seat of several institutions, agencies and bodies of the European Union , including the Court of Justice of the European Union , the European Commission , the secretariat of the European Parliament , the European Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank . The majority of these institutions are located in

1650-585: The EU meets in the city for the months of April, June and October annually. Luxembourg City lies on the southern part of the Luxembourg plateau , a large Early Jurassic sandstone formation that forms the heart of the Gutland , a low-lying and flat area that covers the southern two-thirds of the country. The city centre occupies a picturesque site on a salient, perched high on precipitous cliffs that drop into

1705-883: The European Union (alongside Brussels , Frankfurt and Strasbourg ), as it is the seat of several institutions , agencies and bodies , including the Court of Justice of the European Union , the European Court of Auditors , the Secretariat of the European Parliament , the European Public Prosecutor's Office , the European Investment Bank , the European Investment Fund , the European Stability Mechanism , Eurostat , as well as other European Commission departments and services. The Council of

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1760-700: The European Union meets in the city for three months annually. In the Roman era, a fortified tower guarded the crossing of two Roman roads that met at the site of Luxembourg city. Through an exchange treaty with the abbey of Saint Maximin in Trier in 963, Siegfried I of the Ardennes , a close relative of King Louis II of France and Emperor Otto the Great , acquired the feudal lands of Luxembourg. Siegfried built his castle, named Lucilinburhuc ("small castle"), on

1815-527: The Prussian garrison was to be withdrawn. When, in 1890, Grand Duke William III died without any male heirs, the Grand Duchy passed out of Dutch hands, and into an independent line under Grand Duke Adolphe . Thus, Luxembourg, which had hitherto been independent in theory only, became a truly independent country, and Luxembourg City regained some of the importance that it had lost in 1867 by becoming

1870-723: The Spanish, the French, the Spanish again, the Austrians, the French again, and the Prussians conquered Luxembourg. In the 17th century, the first casemates were built; initially, Spain built 23 km (14 mi) of tunnels, starting in 1644. These were then enlarged under French rule by Marshal Vauban , and augmented again under Austrian rule in the 1730s and 1740s. During the French Revolutionary Wars ,

1925-464: The Third Reich by informally attaching the country administratively to a neighbouring German province. Under the occupation, the capital city's streets all received new, German names, which was announced on 4 October 1940. The Avenue de la Liberté for example, a major road leading to the railway station, was renamed "Adolf-Hitlerstraße". Luxembourg City was liberated on 10 September 1944. The city

1980-408: The area in the 1850s. With the development of the mines and the steel industry the town's population multiplied tenfold in a couple of decades. In 1911 the steel- and iron-producing company ARBED was founded. The development of the steel industry, especially in the south of the country, provided Luxembourg with sustained economic growth during the second half of the 19th century. In the 1970s, as

2035-602: The capital of a fully independent state. Despite Luxembourg's best efforts to remain neutral in the First World War, it was occupied by Germany on 2 August 1914. On 30 August, Helmuth von Moltke moved his headquarters to Luxembourg City, closer to his armies in France in preparation for a swift victory. However, the victory never came, and Luxembourg would play host to the German high command for another four years. At

2090-587: The cinema Kinepolis Belval in the Belval Plaza shopping mall and the Rockhal , Luxembourg's biggest concert hall have been made. The area around the old blast furnaces will host different structures of the University of Luxembourg , many research centres and the national archives. Esch is governed by its communal council, consisting of 19 councillors. Communal elections take place every 6 years, under

2145-472: The city rises steadily each year. In 2024, Luxembourg was ranked by the IMF as having the highest GDP per capita in the world at $ 140,310 (PPP), with the city having developed into a banking and administrative centre. In the 2019 Mercer worldwide survey of 231 cities, Luxembourg was placed first for personal safety, while it was ranked 18th for quality of living. Luxembourg is one of the de facto capitals of

2200-405: The city was covered by an extensive tram network. In December 2017, trams were reintroduced to the capital, with the phased opening of a new line, which currently runs between Kirchberg and Gasperich , via the city centre. An extension to Luxembourg Airport is expected to be operational by March 2025. Future lines to extend the network are currently in the planning stages. Luxembourg City

2255-434: The city was occupied by France twice: once, briefly, in 1792–93, and, later, after a seven-month siege . Luxembourg held out for so long under the French siege that French politician and military engineer Lazare Carnot called Luxembourg "the best fortress in the world, except Gibraltar", giving rise to the city's nickname: the ' Gibraltar of the North '. Nonetheless, the Austrian garrison eventually surrendered, and as

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2310-429: The country is d'Coque , Kirchberg , north-eastern Luxembourg City, which has a capacity of 8,300. The arena is used for basketball , handball , gymnastics , and volleyball , including the final of the 2007 Women's European Volleyball Championship . D'Coque also includes an Olympic-size swimming pool . The two football clubs of the city of Luxembourg; Racing FC Union Luxembourg and F.C. Luxembourg City , play in

2365-406: The country's highest league, the BGL Ligue , and second-tier, Division of Honour , respectively. The Stade de Luxembourg hosts the Luxembourg national football team . Places of interest include the Gothic Revival Cathedral of Notre Dame , the fortifications, Am Tunnel (an art gallery underground), the Grand Ducal Palace , the Gëlle Fra war memorial , the casemates , the Neimënster Abbey ,

2420-605: The end of the occupation, Luxembourg City was the scene of an attempted communist revolution; on 9 November 1918, communists declared a socialist republic , but it lasted only a few hours. In 1921, the city limits were greatly expanded. The communes of Eich , Hamm , Hollerich , and Rollingergrund were incorporated into Luxembourg City, making the city the largest commune in the country (a position that it would hold until 1978). In 1940, Germany occupied Luxembourg again . The Nazis were not prepared to allow Luxembourgers self-government, and gradually integrated Luxembourg into

2475-440: The narrow valleys of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, whose confluence is in Luxembourg City. The 70 m (230 ft) deep gorges cut by the rivers are spanned by many bridges and viaducts , including the Adolphe Bridge , the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge , and the Passerelle . Although Luxembourg City is not particularly large, its layout is complex, as the city is set on several levels, straddling hills and dropping into

2530-457: The other European institutions; although Luxembourg City was no longer the seat of the ECSC, it hosted some part-sessions of the European Parliament until 1981. Luxembourg remains the seat of the European Parliament's secretariat, as well as the Court of Justice of the European Union , the European Court of Auditors , and the European Investment Bank . Several departments of the European Commission are also based in Luxembourg. The Council of

2585-560: The principal station and terminus of all rail lines in the Grand Duchy, Luxembourg station . Stations in Luxembourg City are served by domestic rail services operated by CFL, as well as international rail services, operated by CFL, and German , Belgian , and French service providers. Additionally, Luxembourg station is connected to the French LGV Est network, providing high-speed services on to Paris and Strasbourg . Services to Basel and Zürich in Switzerland are available via two daily scheduled international trains. Luxembourg City has

2640-486: The same year. Since the last elections the mayor leads the cabinet, the collège échevinal , in which the DP forms a coalition with CSV . Unlike other cities in Luxembourg, which are limited to four échevins at most, Luxembourg is given special dispensation to have six échevins on its collège échevinal . Luxembourg City is the seat for the Luxembourg Government. The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg lives at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg . For national elections to

2695-448: The two gorges. The commune of Luxembourg City covers an area of over 51 km (20 sq mi), or 2% of the Grand Duchy's total area. This makes the city the fourth-largest commune in Luxembourg, and by far the largest urban area . Luxembourg City is not particularly densely populated, at about 1,700 people per km ; large areas of Luxembourg City are maintained as parks, forested areas, or sites of important heritage (particularly

2750-521: The vicinity. The history of Windhof dates back to Roman times owing to its location on the Kiem or Roman road from Trier to Reims . Some years ago, a Roman milestone was found on the Kiem between Capellen and Windhof. The road was probably constructed in the 1st century BC but it became particularly important in the 3rd and 4th centuries when Trier developed as an imperial residence. A map from 1778 refers to today's Windhof as Koericher Heyde The main road from Luxembourg to Arlon, now N6 or

2805-488: The world's largest cargo airlines, Cargolux . Luxembourg is a member of the QuattroPole union of cities, along with Trier , Saarbrücken , and Metz (neighbouring countries: Germany and France). Luxembourg is twinned with: Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette ( French: [ɛʃ syʁ alzɛt] ; Luxembourgish : Esch-Uelzecht [ˌæʒ ˈuəltsəɕt] ; German : Esch an der Alzette [ˈɛʃ ʔan deːɐ̯ ʔalˈzɛt] or Esch an der Alzig )

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2860-485: Was in 1995. In 2007, along with the Romanian city of Sibiu , the European Capital of Culture was to be a cross-border area consisting of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland in Germany, the Walloon Region and the German-speaking part of Belgium, and the Lorraine area in France . The event was an attempt to promote mobility and the exchange of ideas, crossing borders in all areas, physical, psychological, artistic and emotional. Luxembourg City

2915-431: Was one of the largest open-air film sets in European film history. Between 2001 and 2007 many film productions used the gigantic filmset. Among others the feature films The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino and The Girl with the Pearl Earring with Scarlett Johansson were shot in Esch. In the summer of 2007, the filmset was torn down because the weather was affecting the buildings. The city of Esch-sur-Alzette

2970-407: Was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2022, alongside Kaunas and Novi Sad . Esch is connected by the bus lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 15, and 17 of the communal public transport company T.I.C.E ( transports intercommunales du canton Esch/Alzette , intercommunal transportation of the canton Esch/Alzette), their maintenance depot and headquarter is situated in Esch, and Esch also

3025-411: Was under long-range bombardment by the German V-3 cannon in December 1944 and January 1945. After the war, Luxembourg ended its neutrality, and became a founding member of several inter-governmental and supra-governmental institutions. In 1952, the city became the headquarters of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community . In 1967, the High Authority was merged with the commissions of

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