Today we finally enter the city of Luxembourg, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a constitutional monarchy. One of the financial and political leaders of the European Union, it is a progressive, modern city where almost everyone is at least trilingual: French, German, Luxembourgish and/or English. In some financial and estate/business planning circles, the country had been of significance to Americans as a tax haven though recently it has been promoted from a black to grey to white list of having complied with international tax standards.  Can you say Liechtenstein?

 

To me, it is a big city trapped in the body of a charming small town.

 

Along the bridges over the River Alzette you can see modern highrises blended into a skyline of remains of a once medieval, fortress village:

 

It is a leafy, photogenic capital with a modern vibe even if you are surrounded by structures dating back to the Feudal Age, at once vibrant and quiet in its neutral fortitude. A real contrast of future and past, yet effortlessly harmonious. I like this kind of yin and yang a lot. But by the time I’m here for these pictures, I’m pooped and am just haphazardly following a walking tour suggested by a brochure I pick up at the train station:

 

So in lieu of informative commentary in today’s photo tour, I’ll just let the pictures unfold as the sights come across me on my path. There’s some good background info about the city here.  Let’s now begin with me at the top of the Chemin de la Corniche, which is a pedestrian promenade affectionately known as Europe’s most beautiful balcony,

 

as I make my way through the Old Town, the squares, ramparts, and Kirchberg Plateau…

 

In this next series of pictures you can see the remains of the magnificent fortress walls embracing this entire historic center:

 

One more photo before I leave you today–we’ll pick up with more pictures from the streets of this capital tomorrow…

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