Luxembourg City

{{Short description|Capital and largest city of Luxembourg}}

{{Redirect|Luxembourg, Luxembourg|the 2022 film|Luxembourg, Luxembourg (film)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Use Oxford spelling|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Luxembourg

| native_name = {{plainlist|

  • {{native name|lb|Lëtzebuerg}}
  • {{native name|fr|Luxembourg}}
  • {{native name|de|Luxemburg}}

}}

| native_name_lang = lb

| settlement_type = Capital city and commune

| image_skyline = {{multiple image

| border = infobox

| perrow = 1/2/2/1

| total_width = 260

| align = center

| caption_align = center

| image1 = Ville-Haute vue du Fort Verlorenkost (cropped).jpg

| caption1 = View of the Ville Haute, including the Fortress of Luxembourg, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the City History Museum

| image2 = Luxembourg Grand Ducal Palace 01.jpg

| caption2 = Grand Ducal Palace

| image3 = Tram in Luxemburg 2023 3.jpg

| caption3 = Luxembourg tram

| image4 = Luxembourg, Place d'Armes (101).jpg

| caption4 = Place d'Armes

| image5 = Sunset at the SCHUEBERFOUER (Luxembourg City).jpg

| caption5 = Schueberfouer

| image6 = Fort Thüngen and Quartier européen Kirchberg, Luxembourgn2019-08.jpg

| caption6 = Kirchberg

}}

| image_shield = Blason_ville_lu_Luxembourg-ville.svg

| image_flag = File:Flag_of_Luxembourg_(city).svg

| image_blank_emblem = Luxembourg City (logo).svg

| blank_emblem_type = Brandmark

| shield_alt =

| shield_size = 100x80px

| image_map = Luxembourg ville map.svg

| mapsize = 200px

| map_caption = Map of Luxembourg with Luxembourg City highlighted in orange, and the canton in dark red

| pushpin_map = Luxembourg#Europe

| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Luxembourg##Location within Europe

| pushpin_relief = 1

| coordinates = {{coord|49|36|42|N|6|7|55|E|display=inline,title}}

| coor_pinpoint =

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Luxembourg

| subdivision_type1 = Canton

| subdivision_name1 = Luxembourg

| established_title =

| established_date =

| leader_party = DP

| leader_title = Mayor

| leader_name = Lydie Polfer

| unit_pref = Metric

| area_footnotes =

| area_total_km2 = {{Luxembourg commune area|LAU2=0304}}

| area_rank = {{Luxembourg commune area rank|LAU2=0304}} of 100

| elevation_footnotes =

| elevation_max_m = {{Luxembourg commune high|LAU2=0304}}

| elevation_max_rank = {{Luxembourg commune high rank|LAU2=0304}} of 100

| elevation_min_m = {{Luxembourg commune low|LAU2=0304}}

| elevation_min_rank = {{Luxembourg commune low rank|LAU2=0304}} of 100

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = {{wdib|P1082|fwd=ALL|noicon=y|list=p-1}}

| population_as_of = {{wdib|ps=1|P1082|qual=P585|qo=1|list=p-1|df=y}}

| population_rank = {{Luxembourg commune population rank|LAU2=0304}} of 100

| population_density_km2 = auto

| population_density_rank = {{Luxembourg commune density rank|LAU2=0304}} of 100

| timezone1 = CET

| utc_offset1 = +01:00

| timezone1_DST = CEST

| utc_offset1_DST = +02:00

| blank_name_sec1 = LAU 2

| blank_info_sec1 = LU0000304

| website = [http://www.vdl.lu vdl.lu]

| module = {{infobox mapframe|zoom=5}}

| footnotes = Click on the map for a fullscreen view

| official_name = Stad Lëtzebuerg

}}

Luxembourg ({{langx|lb|Lëtzebuerg}}; {{langx|fr|Luxembourg}}; {{langx|de|Luxemburg}}),{{refn|group=pron|{{IPA|lb|ˈlətsəbuəɕ|lang|Lb-Lëtzebuerg.ogg}}
{{IPA|fr|lyksɑ̃buʁ|lang|fr-Luxembourg.wav}}
{{IPA|de|ˈlʊksm̩bʊʁk|lang|de-Luxemburg.ogg}}}} also known as Luxembourg City ({{langx|lb|Stad Lëtzebuerg|link=no}} or {{lang|lb|d'Stad}}; {{langx|fr|Ville de Luxembourg|link=no}}; {{langx|de|Stadt Luxemburg|link=no}} or {{lang|de|Luxemburg-Stadt}}),{{refn|group=pron|{{IPA|lb|ʃtaːt ˈlətsəbuəɕ|lang|Lb-Stad Lëtzebuerg.ogg}} or {{IPA|lb|tʃtaːt|}}
{{IPA|fr|vil də lyksɑ̃buʁ|lang}}
{{IPA|de|ʃtat ˈlʊksm̩bʊʁk|lang}} or {{IPA|de|ˈlʊksm̩bʊʁk ˌʃtat|}}}} 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 {{convert|213|km|abbr=on}} by road from Brussels and {{convert|209|km|abbr=on}} from Cologne.{{cite web|url=http://www.wcrl.ars.usda.gov/cec/java/lat-long.htm |title=Great Circle Distances between Cities |access-date=23 July 2006 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050326092620/http://www.wcrl.ars.usda.gov/cec/java/lat-long.htm |archive-date=26 March 2005 |url-status=dead }} The city contains Luxembourg Castle, established by the Franks in the Early Middle Ages, around which a settlement developed.

{{As of|2024|December|31}}, Luxembourg City has a population of 136,208 inhabitants,{{cite web |title=La ville en chiffres |url=https://www.vdl.lu/fr/la-ville/en-bref/la-ville-en-chiffres |website=vdl.lu |access-date=14 January 2025 |archive-date=14 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114165952/https://www.vdl.lu/fr/la-ville/en-bref/la-ville-en-chiffres |url-status=live }} 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 the city rises steadily each year.{{Cite web|url=http://www.luxembourg.public.lu/en/actualites/2016/02/24-population/index.html|title=The capital of Luxembourg counts 110,499 becoming the most populated city in the country inhabitants|website=www.luxembourg.public.lu|language=en|access-date=2019-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003220736/http://luxembourg.public.lu/en/actualites/2016/02/24-population/index.html|archive-date=3 October 2019|url-status=dead}}

In 2024, Luxembourg was ranked by the IMF as having the highest GDP per capita in the world at $140,310 (PPP),{{cite web|date=January 2024|title=Luxembourg|url=https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD|access-date=13 February 2024|publisher=International Monetary Fund|archive-date=11 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111084550/https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Quality of living city ranking|url=https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/insights/quality-of-living-rankings|access-date=22 January 2022|archive-date=18 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418074611/https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/Insights/quality-of-living-rankings|url-status=live}}

Luxembourg is one of the de facto capitals of 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.{{cite web |title=The European institutions in Luxembourg |url=https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/international-openness/eu-institutions.html |website=luxembourg.public.lu |access-date=5 August 2021 |language=en}} The Council of the European Union meets in the city for three months annually.

History

{{For timeline}}

{{See also|Fortress of Luxembourg}}

File:LASB K Hellwig 1053.jpg

File:Luxembourg City Night Wikimedia Commons.jpg

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 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 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 {{convert|5|ha|acre|abbr=off}}. In about 1340, under the reign of John the Blind, new fortifications were built that stood until 1867.

In 1443, 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, the Spanish, the French, the Spanish again, the Austrians, the French again, and the Prussians conquered Luxembourg.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

In the 17th century, the first casemates were built; initially, Spain built {{convert|23|km|mi|abbr=on}} of tunnels, starting in 1644.{{cite web|url = http://www.lcto.lu/html_en/sites_attractions/attractions/the_fortress.html|title = The Fortress|access-date = 23 July 2006|publisher = Luxembourg City Tourism Office|archive-date = 7 April 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220407112431/http://www.lcto.lu/html_en/sites_attractions/attractions/the_fortress.html|url-status = live}} 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, the city was occupied by France twice: once, briefly, in 1792–93, and, later, after a seven-month siege.Kreins (2003), p. 64 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'.{{Cite web |date=18 May 2025 |title=History of Luxembourg City: The fascinating story of a fortress city |url=https://www.luxembourg-city.com/en/about-luxembourg-city/presentation/history#:~:text=For%20a%20period%20of%20almost,%22Gibraltar%20of%20the%20North%22. |url-status=live |access-date=18 May 2025 |website=Luxembourg: My City}}

Nonetheless, the Austrian garrison eventually surrendered, and as 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 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 {{convert|24|km|0|abbr=on}} of underground defences and {{convert|4|ha|acre|abbr=off}} of casemates, batteries, barracks, etc.{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/699.pdf|title=World Heritage List – Luxembourg|date=1 October 1993|publisher=UNESCO|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040530150054/https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/699.pdf|archive-date=30 May 2004|access-date=19 July 2006}} Furthermore, the Prussian garrison was to be withdrawn.{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/1867.html Treaty of London, 1867] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061222005545/http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/1867.html |date=22 December 2006 }}, Article IV. GWPDA. Retrieved 19 July 2006.

File:HS20 Al Bréck.JPG, also known as the viaduct or old bridge, overlooking the Pétrusse river valley. It opened in 1861.]]

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 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 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.{{Cite web |title=Luxembourg's history : Mutiny in the Grand Duchy |url=https://today.rtl.lu/luxembourg-insider/history/a/1690130.html |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=today.rtl.lu |language=en |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408095443/https://today.rtl.lu/luxembourg-insider/history/a/1690130.html |url-status=live }}

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 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.{{Cite journal|url = http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_71-2002_30-32.pdf|title = Die Straßenbezeichnungen der Stadt Luxemburg unter deutscher Besatzung (1940–1944)|last = May|first = Guy|date = 2002|journal = Ons Stad|issue = 71|language = de|pages = 30–32|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304211708/http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_71-2002_30-32.pdf|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status = dead}} 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.Thewes (2003), p. 121 The city 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 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.{{cite web|url = http://www.ena.lu/europe/european-union/parliament-alcide-gasperi-building-luxembourg.htm|title = Alcide De Gasperi Building|access-date = 23 July 2006|date = 16 June 2006|publisher = Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe|archive-date = 27 September 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215940/http://www.ena.lu/europe/european-union/parliament-alcide-gasperi-building-luxembourg.htm|url-status = dead}} 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 the EU meets in the city for the months of April, June and October annually.

Geography

=Topography=

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 the narrow valleys of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, whose confluence is in Luxembourg City. The {{convert|70|m|ft|abbr=on}} 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 the two gorges.

The commune of Luxembourg City covers an area of over {{convert|51|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, 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 km2; large areas of Luxembourg City are maintained as parks, forested areas, or sites of important heritage (particularly the UNESCO sites), while there are also large tracts of farmland within the city limits.

=Quarters of Luxembourg City=

{{Main|Quarters of Luxembourg City}}

Luxembourg City is subdivided into twenty-four quarters ({{langx|fr|quartiers|link=no}}), 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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

=Climate=

Luxembourg City has an oceanic climate (Cfb), with moderate precipitation, cold to cool winters and warm summers. It is cloudy about two-thirds of the year.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

{{Weather box|location = Luxembourg City (1991–2020, extremes 1947–present)

|metric first = y

|single line = y

|Jan record high C = 13.9

|Feb record high C = 19.8

|Mar record high C = 23.5

|Apr record high C = 27.9

|May record high C = 31.6

|Jun record high C = 35.4

|Jul record high C = 39.0

|Aug record high C = 37.9

|Sep record high C = 31.5

|Oct record high C = 26.0

|Nov record high C = 19.8

|Dec record high C = 14.7

|year record high C = 39.0

|Jan avg record high C = 10.7

|Feb avg record high C = 12.2

|Mar avg record high C = 17.4

|Apr avg record high C = 22.9

|May avg record high C = 26.6

|Jun avg record high C = 30.1

|Jul avg record high C = 31.9

|Aug avg record high C = 31.5

|Sep avg record high C = 25.6

|Oct avg record high C = 20.9

|Nov avg record high C = 14.6

|Dec avg record high C = 10.8

|year avg record high C = 33.5

|Jan high C = 3.8

|Feb high C = 5.2

|Mar high C = 9.8

|Apr high C = 14.4

|May high C = 18.4

|Jun high C = 21.7

|Jul high C = 23.9

|Aug high C = 23.5

|Sep high C = 19.0

|Oct high C = 13.5

|Nov high C = 7.7

|Dec high C = 4.5

|year high C = 13.8

|Jan mean C = 1.4

|Feb mean C = 2.2

|Mar mean C = 5.7

|Apr mean C = 9.6

|May mean C = 13.5

|Jun mean C = 16.7

|Jul mean C = 18.7

|Aug mean C = 18.4

|Sep mean C = 14.3

|Oct mean C = 9.9

|Nov mean C = 5.2

|Dec mean C = 2.3

|year mean C = 9.8

|Jan low C = -1.0

|Feb low C = -0.7

|Mar low C = 2.0

|Apr low C = 5.1

|May low C = 8.7

|Jun low C = 11.8

|Jul low C = 13.8

|Aug low C = 13.6

|Sep low C = 10.3

|Oct low C = 6.6

|Nov low C = 2.8

|Dec low C = 0.0

|year low C = 6.1

|Jan avg record low C = -8.0

|Feb avg record low C = -7.5

|Mar avg record low C = -4.2

|Apr avg record low C = -1.1

|May avg record low C = 2.8

|Jun avg record low C = 6.0

|Jul avg record low C = 9.1

|Aug avg record low C = 8.3

|Sep avg record low C = 5.5

|Oct avg record low C = 0.7

|Nov avg record low C = -2.9

|Dec avg record low C = -6.5

|year avg record low C = -10.4

|Jan record low C = -17.8

|Feb record low C = -20.2

|Mar record low C = -14.4

|Apr record low C = -6.9

|May record low C = -2.1

|Jun record low C = 0.9

|Jul record low C = 4.5

|Aug record low C = 4.3

|Sep record low C = -0.7

|Oct record low C = -4.6

|Nov record low C = -11.1

|Dec record low C = -15.3

|year record low C = -20.2

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 72.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 59.0

|Mar precipitation mm = 57.0

|Apr precipitation mm = 49.0

|May precipitation mm = 71.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 75.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 71.5

|Aug precipitation mm = 71.9

|Sep precipitation mm = 66.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 76.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 72.1

|Dec precipitation mm = 89.4

|year precipitation mm = 831.5

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 17.3

|Feb precipitation days = 15.4

|Mar precipitation days = 14.8

|Apr precipitation days = 12.7

|May precipitation days = 14.0

|Jun precipitation days = 13.3

|Jul precipitation days = 13.7

|Aug precipitation days = 13.2

|Sep precipitation days = 12.2

|Oct precipitation days = 15.2

|Nov precipitation days = 17.5

|Dec precipitation days = 18.1

|year precipitation days = 177.4

|Jan snow days = 7.5

|Feb snow days = 7.6

|Mar snow days = 3.6

|Apr snow days = 1.5

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.1

|Nov snow days = 2.3

|Dec snow days = 6.8

|year snow days = 29.4

|Jan humidity = 88

|Feb humidity = 83

|Mar humidity = 74

|Apr humidity = 67

|May humidity = 68

|Jun humidity = 68

|Jul humidity = 67

|Aug humidity = 68

|Sep humidity = 75

|Oct humidity = 84

|Nov humidity = 89

|Dec humidity = 90

|year humidity = 77

|Jan sun = 52.0

|Feb sun = 79.5

|Mar sun = 137.1

|Apr sun = 197.5

|May sun = 226.3

|Jun sun = 241.2

|Jul sun = 257.6

|Aug sun = 237.1

|Sep sun = 174.9

|Oct sun = 106.7

|Nov sun = 51.1

|Dec sun = 41.9

|year sun = 1802.9

|Jan percentsun = 18.8

|Feb percentsun = 29.4

|Mar percentsun = 34.0

|Apr percentsun = 44.1

|May percentsun = 44.8

|Jun percentsun = 46.7

|Jul percentsun = 51.0

|Aug percentsun = 51.7

|Sep percentsun = 42.7

|Oct percentsun = 31.8

|Nov percentsun = 19.8

|Dec percentsun = 16.1

|year percentsun = 35.9

|source 1 = Meteolux (percent sunshine 1981–2010){{cite web

| url = https://www.meteolux.lu/fr/filedownload/467/annuaire_climatologique_2021.pdf/type/pdf

| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20220106213150/https://www.meteolux.lu/fr/filedownload/467/annuaire_climatologique_2021.pdf/type/pdf

| archive-date = 6 January 2022

| title = Annuaire climatologique 2021

| publisher = Meteolux

| language = fr

| access-date = 6 January 2022}}{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170125025724/http://www.meteolux.lu/IMG/pdf/resume_des_moyennes_tricennales_1981_a_2010.pdf

| archive-date = 25 January 2017

| url = http://www.meteolux.lu/IMG/pdf/resume_des_moyennes_tricennales_1981_a_2010.pdf| title = Données Climatologiques

| publisher = Meteolux

| access-date = 25 October 2016}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.meteolux.lu/fr/climat/normales-et-extremes/?lang=fr

| title = Normales et extrêmes

| publisher = Administration de l’Aéroport de Luxembourg

| language = fr

| access-date = 6 January 2022

| archive-date = 6 January 2022

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220106213414/https://www.meteolux.lu/fr/climat/normales-et-extremes/?lang=fr

| url-status = live

}}

|source 2 = Infoclimat{{cite web

| url = https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/annee/1991/luxembourg/valeurs/06590.html

| title = Climatologie de l'année à Luxembourg

| publisher = Infoclimat

| language = fr

| access-date = 19 October 2023

| archive-date = 22 November 2023

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231122053203/https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/annee/1991/luxembourg/valeurs/06590.html

| url-status = live

}}

}}

Demographics

{{Historical populations|1821|15091|1851|21754|1871|26303|1880|30205|1890|32767|1900|39488|1910|45169|1922|46530|1930|53837|1947|61996|1960|71653|1970|76159|1981|78912|1991|75833|2001|76688|2011|95058|2021|128097|cols=2|align=none|footnote=Source: Le Portail des Statistiques du Luxembourg}}

File:VdL agepyramid sex 2022.jpg

File:VdL_agepyramid_nat.jpg

Government

=Local government=

{{See also|Luxembourg communal council|List of mayors of Luxembourg City}}

File:Luxemb City Hotel de ville 01.jpg is the heart of the communal administration, and hosts the offices of both the communal council and the mayor.]]

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,{{cite web|url=https://www.vdl.lu/la-ville/vie-politique/organisation-et-fonctionnement-des-organes-politiques|title=Organisation et fonctionnement des organes politiques|website=Ville de Luxembourg|language=fr|access-date=31 October 2017|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107024013/https://www.vdl.lu/la-ville/vie-politique/organisation-et-fonctionnement-des-organes-politiques|url-status=live}} the council is the largest of all communal councils in Luxembourg. The city is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Party (DP),{{cite news|first=Josée |last=Hansen |title=Cliff-hanger |url=http://www.land.lu/html/dossiers/dossier_communales/ville_luxembourg.html |newspaper=Lëtzebuerger Land |date=8 October 1999 |access-date=21 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816163954/http://www.land.lu/html/dossiers/dossier_communales/ville_luxembourg.html |archive-date=16 August 2007 |language=fr |url-status=dead }} which has provided its mayor without interruption since 1969 and is the second-largest party nationally. The Democratic Party is the largest party on the council, with ten councillors.{{cite web|url=https://www.vdl.lu/en/city/political-life/municipal-council/members|title=Members of the Municipal Council|publisher=Ville de Luxembourg|language=en|access-date=21 January 2022|archive-date=21 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121092845/https://www.vdl.lu/en/city/political-life/municipal-council/members|url-status=live}}

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), who had already been in office from 1982 to 1999, was sworn in as new mayor of Luxembourg on 17 December of the same year. Since the last elections the mayor leads the cabinet, the College of Aldermen, in which the DP forms a coalition with the CSV. Unlike other cities in Luxembourg, which are limited to four aldermen at most, Luxembourg is given special dispensation to have six aldermen on its College.{{cite web|url=http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/textescoordonnes/compilation/code_administratif/VOL_8/ORGANISATION/TXT_ORGANIQ.pdf|title=Organisation des communes – Textes Organiques|year=2007|work=Code administratif Luxembourgeois|publisher=Service central de législation|language=fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926125130/http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/textescoordonnes/compilation/code_administratif/VOL_8/ORGANISATION/TXT_ORGANIQ.pdf|archive-date=26 September 2007|access-date=21 September 2007}}

=National government=

File:Kirchberg Luxembourg.jpg

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 the Chamber of Deputies, the city is located in the Centre constituency.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

=European institutions=

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 the Kirchberg quarter, in the northeast of the city.{{Cite web|title=Kirchberg Plateau in Luxembourg City|url=https://www.luxembourg-city.com/en/things-to-do/kirchberg-district|access-date=2021-03-13|website=www.luxembourg-city.com|archive-date=28 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228133244/https://www.luxembourg-city.com/en/things-to-do/kirchberg-district|url-status=live}}

Culture

{{Main|Culture of Luxembourg}}

File:Casino Luxembourg rue Notre-Dame 01.jpg is used for exhibitions of local art.]]

File:Luxemburg Grand Theatre 2.jpg]]

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 was in 1995. In 2007, along with the Romanian city of Sibiu, the European Capital of Culture{{cite web |url=http://www.mcesr.public.lu/presse/annee_culturelle_2007/portail_luxembourg_2007/Rapport_final_anglais.pdf |title=Luxembourg and Greater Region, European Capital of Culture 2007 |access-date=30 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503184358/http://www.mcesr.public.lu/presse/annee_culturelle_2007/portail_luxembourg_2007/Rapport_final_anglais.pdf |archive-date=3 May 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} 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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Luxembourg City is also famed for its wide selection of restaurants and cuisines, including four Michelin starred establishments.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lequotidien.lu/le-pays/29391.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123195826/http://www.lequotidien.lu/le-pays/29391.html|url-status=dead|title="Guide Michelin 2012: Le Luxembourg perd des étoiles"|archivedate=23 November 2011}}

{{Clear}}

= UNESCO World Heritage Site =

{{main|Old City of Luxembourg}}

File:LUX – Kanton Luxemburg — Gemeinde Luxembourg — Oberstadt — Chemin de la Corniche (Bronzetafel UNESCO-Welterbestätte) 2024-01-27 Mattes.jpg

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.{{cite web |url=http://shanghai.mae.lu/en/The-Grandy-Duchy-of-Luxembourg/Culture |title=Culture in Luxembourg |access-date=30 October 2011 |archive-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722155017/http://shanghai.mae.lu/en/The-Grandy-Duchy-of-Luxembourg/Culture |url-status=dead }} In addition to its two main theatres, the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and the Théâtre des Capucins, there 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.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110228093931/http://www.vdl.lu/Art+et+Culture.html "Art et Culture"], Ville de Luxembourg. {{in lang|fr}} Retrieved 30 October 2011.

The site is located mainly in Ville Haute (Uewerstad).

=Sport=

File:Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg vs Azebaidjan 2021-09-01 (103).jpg

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 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.{{cite web |title=Stade de Luxembourg (Stade National) – StadiumDB.com |url=http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/lux/stade_de_luxembourg |website=stadiumdb.com |access-date=29 August 2021 |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010153128/http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/lux/stade_de_luxembourg |url-status=live }} The largest indoor venue in 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.{{cite web |title=Infrastructure |url=https://www.coque.lu/en/qui-sommes-nous/infrastructure |website=www.coque.lu |access-date=29 August 2021 |language=en |date=22 February 2019 |archive-date=1 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001185332/https://www.coque.lu/en/qui-sommes-nous/infrastructure |url-status=live }}

The two football clubs of the city of Luxembourg; Racing FC Union Luxembourg and F.C. Luxembourg City, play in 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

File:Luxembourg City Eurotrip (133169443).jpeg

File:Luxembourg American Cemetery.jpg

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, 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.

Transport

=Highways=

Luxembourg 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.{{Cite web |title=Detailed Clear Large Road Map of Luxembourg - Ezilon Maps |url=https://www.ezilon.com/maps/europe/luxembourg-road-maps.html |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=www.ezilon.com}}

File:Luxembourg City railway station 2022-12 ---6.jpg]]

=Public transport=

Public transport in Luxembourg City has been free since 2020, including rail, bus and tram.{{Cite web |title=Public transport |url=http://luxembourg.public.lu/en/living/mobility/public-transport.html |access-date=2022-05-23 |website=luxembourg.public.lu |language=en}}

==Rail==

Luxembourg City is served by five rail stations operated by the state rail company, the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL), including 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.{{Cite web |title=A guide to French Railway's TGV high-speed trains |url=https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/tgv.htm |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=www.seat61.com |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323150220/https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/tgv.htm |url-status=live }}

==Bus==

Luxembourg City has a network of 40{{cite web|url=https://www.vdl.lu/fr/se-deplacer/en-bus|title=En bus|work=vdl.lu}} 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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

==Tram==

File:Tram in Luxemburg stad in 2021 9.jpg

Between 1875 and 1964, 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, completed in March 2025, which runs between Luxembourg Airport and Gasperich, via the city centre.{{cite news |last1=Lemaire |first1=Christophe |title=Tram takes first passengers to Luxembourg Airport |url=https://www.luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/tram-takes-first-passengers-to-luxembourg-airport/46740272.html |access-date=3 March 2025 |work=Luxembourg Times |date=2 March 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Bauldry |first1=Jess |title=Tram returns to city after 50 years |url=https://delano.lu/article/delano_tram-returns-city-after-50-years |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=delano.lu |date=12 July 2017 |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221130118/https://delano.lu/article/delano_tram-returns-city-after-50-years |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Fick |first1=Maurice |title=New section opening on Sunday: Tram passengers to expect 'several new exciting changes': Luxtram director |url=https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2211653.html |access-date=24 August 2024 |work=today.rtl.lu |date=7 July 2024 |language=en}} The network is expected to have 4 lines by 2035, with future lines currently in the planning stages.{{cite news |last1=Carette |first1=Julien |title=Tram network to grow to four lines by 2035 |url=https://delano.lu/article/tram-network-to-grow-to-four-l |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=delano.lu |date=2 May 2022 |language=en |archive-date=15 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215084911/https://delano.lu/article/tram-network-to-grow-to-four-l |url-status=live }}

=Air=

Luxembourg City 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, {{convert|6|km|1|abbr=off}} from the city centre, is provided via the municipal bus network, with a tram connection due to be completed on 2 March 2025.{{Cite web|title=Tram network to reach Findel airport by 2024|url=https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1876328.html/|access-date=2022-07-12|website=RTL Today|language=en-US|archive-date=17 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817062355/http://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1876328.html|url-status=live}} The airport is the principal hub for Luxembourg's flag carrier, Luxair, and one of the world's largest cargo airlines, Cargolux.{{Cite web|title=Luxembourg Airport {{!}} My Journey Starts Here|url=https://www.lux-airport.lu/|access-date=2020-12-29|website=Luxembourg Airport|language=en-US|archive-date=30 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230130703/https://www.lux-airport.lu/|url-status=live}}

International relations

Luxembourg is a member of the QuattroPole union of cities, along with Trier, Saarbrücken, and Metz (neighbouring countries: Germany and France).{{Cite web |title=Futurium {{!}} Border Focal Point Network - QuattroPole: a cross-border network in the heart of Europe |url=https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/border-focal-point-network/good-practices/quattropole-cross-border-network-heart-europe?language=it |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=futurium.ec.europa.eu |language=it |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620130210/https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/border-focal-point-network/good-practices/quattropole-cross-border-network-heart-europe?language=it |url-status=live }}

=Twin towns – Sister cities=

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Luxembourg}}

Luxembourg is twinned with:

  • {{Flag icon|FRA}} Metz, France
  • {{Flag icon|RUS}} Tambov Oblast, Russia
  • {{Flag icon|CZE}} Prague, Czech Republic{{cite web|title=Partnerská města HMP|url=http://zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu/jnp/cz/partnerska_mesta/index.html|website=zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu|publisher=Prague|language=cs|access-date=2019-08-20|archive-date=25 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625205859/http://zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu/jnp/cz/partnerska_mesta/index.html|url-status=dead}}

See also

Notes

{{reflist|30em|group=pron}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Refbegin|30em}}

  • {{cite book|first=Jean-Marie|last=Kreins|year=2003|title=Histoire du Luxembourg|edition=3rd|publisher=Presses Universitaires de France|location=Paris|isbn=978-2-13-053852-3|language=fr}}
  • {{cite book|last=Thewes|first=Guy|title=Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848|url=http://www.gouvernement.lu/publications/download/gouvernements_1848_2.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040204120952/http://www.gouvernement.lu/publications/download/gouvernements_1848_2.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-02-04|access-date=6 July 2006|edition=Édition limitée|date=July 2003|publisher=Service Information et Presse|location=Luxembourg City|isbn=2-87999-118-8|language=fr}}

{{Refend}}

Bibliography

{{See also|Timeline of Luxembourg City#Bibliography}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book |last=Makos |first=Adam |author-link1=Adam Makos |date=2019 |title=Spearhead |edition=1st |location=New York |publisher=Ballantine Books |pages=48 |isbn=9780804176729 |lccn=2018039460 |ol=27342118M}}
  • {{Cite journal |last=Philippart |first=Robert L. |date=2021 |title=La ville intègre sa périphérie |url=https://onsstad.vdl.lu/fileadmin/ausgaben/123/Ons-Stad_123_2021_18-23.pdf |journal=ons stad |language=fr |issue=123 |pages=18–23}}
  • {{Cite journal |last1=Thewes |first1=Guy |last2=Wagener |first2=Danièle |date=1995 |title=La Ville de Luxembourg en 1795 |url=https://onsstad.vdl.lu/fileadmin/uploads/media/ons_stad_49-1995_4-7.pdf |journal=ons stad |language=fr |issue=49 |pages=4–7 |access-date=11 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709093926/http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_49-1995_4-7.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2017 |url-status=live}}
  • {{Cite journal |last=Thewes |first=Guy |date=2002 |title=Nationalsozialistische Architektur in Luxemburg |url=https://onsstad.vdl.lu/fileadmin/uploads/media/ons_stad_71-2002_25-29.pdf |journal=ons stad |language=de |issue=71 |pages=25–29 |access-date=11 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214131528/http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_71-2002_25-29.pdf |archive-date=14 February 2019 |url-status=live}}
  • {{Cite journal |last=Thewes |first=Guy |date=2004 |title=L'évacuation des déchets de la vie urbaine sous l'Ancien Régime |url=https://onsstad.vdl.lu/fileadmin/uploads/media/ons_stad_75-2004_30-33.pdf |journal=ons stad |language=fr |issue=75 |pages=30–33 |access-date=11 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706201708/http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_75-2004_30-33.pdf |archive-date=6 July 2017 |url-status=live}}
  • {{Cite journal |last=Thewes |first=Guy |date=2012 |title=Le "grand renfermement" – La ville à l'âge de la forteresse |url=https://onsstad.vdl.lu/fileadmin/uploads/media/ons_stad_99-2012_10-13.pdf?csrt=8022649195951373032 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911025401/http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_99-2012_10-13.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=2016-09-11 |journal=ons stad |language=fr |issue=99 |pages=10–13}}
  • {{Cite journal|last=Thewes|first=Guy|date=2013|title=Luxembourg, ville dangereuse sous l'Ancien Régime? – Police et sécurité au XVIIIe siècle|url=https://onsstad.vdl.lu/fileadmin/uploads/media/ons_stad_104-2013_58-61.pdf|journal=ons stad|language=fr|issue=104|pages=58–61|access-date=11 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702213530/http://onsstad.vdl.lu/uploads/media/ons_stad_104-2013_58-61.pdf|archive-date=2 July 2017|url-status=live}}