Luxembourg City

 

Luxembourg is a small country wedged between Belgium, Germany, and France.

Luxembourg Cathedral was built in the 1600s.

Some of the Grand Dukes and Duchesses are buried within.

The National Art and History Museum of Luxembourg is worth a visit. It is dug a few floors into the ground into the old ruins of the city.

A pre-historic creature I wouldn't want to run into.

Deep in the sandstone of Luxembourg

Celtic fibulae from Titelberg

A Roman mask

A Roman military marker

Nice mosaic!

Merovingian fibulae

More Merovingian goods

The Wild Man, Luxembourg's unfortunate choice of a mascot

The Patron Saints of the guilds of Luxembourg

A reliquary for pieces of the True Cross from the 1200s.

"Bacchus and a Follower"

Again, not all 1200s art is created equal.

Luxembourg City is known as the Gibraltar of the North due to its highly defensible terrain.

The Luxembourg family was one of the three most powerful families in the early Holy Roman Empire, along with the Hapsburgs and Wittlesbachs. 

When the family line died out, Luxembourg became part of Burgundy, then Hapsburg lands, then France, then the Dutch, and finally became independent in 1890. 

In 1866 Luxembourg destroyed most of its defenses to prevent a war over it by France and Germany. It remains an imposing sight today, despite this.