Luxembourg Country & Tourist Information

Location
Western Europe.

Area
2586 sq km (999 sq miles).

Population
465,000 (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
179 per sq km.

Capital
Luxembourg-Ville.
Population: 82,000 (2005).

Government
Constitutional monarchy. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union and the only Grand Duchy in the world.
Head of State: Grand Duke Henri since 2000.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker since 1995.
Recent history: Jean-Claude Juncker, of the conservative Christian Social Party, has been Prime Minister since 1995 when his predecessor, Jacques Santer, became President of the European Commission. His party had originally formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party. Following the June 2004 general elections, he formed a coalition with the Socialist Workers Party.

Language
Lëtzeburgesch, a German-Moselle-Frankish dialect, became the officially recognized national language in 1984. French and German are generally used for administrative and commercial purposes. Many Luxembourgers also speak English.

Religion
Around 88 per cent Roman Catholic, with Protestant, Anglican, Jewish and Muslim minorities.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Telephone
Country code: 352 (no area codes). International phones have a yellow sign showing a telephone dial with a receiver in the center.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is excellent.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Luxembourg City.

Media
Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences, including those in France, Germany and the UK thanks to the Luxembourg-based media group RTL. Today, RTL’s television and radio stations remain key players in media markets across Europe. The country is also home to Europe’s largest satellite operator, Societé Européenne des Satellites (SES), which operates the Astra satellite fleet. Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the constitution.


Post
Post to other European destinations takes two to four days.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1330-1700. The Luxembourg-Ville main office (opposite the railway station) is open Mon-Fri 0600-1900, Sat 0600-1200. Smaller offices may open for only a few hours.

Press
• There are several daily newspapers including the Lëtzebuerger Journal, Luxemburger Wort, Tageblatt/Zeitung fir Letzebuerg and Zeitung vum Lëtzeburger Vollek.
• 352 is a weekly publication in English.

Radio
• RTL Radio Letzebuerg is RTL’s domestic network.
• Den Neien Radio is a commercial network.
• Radio ARA broadcasts a variety of music and some English-language programs.
• EldoRadio broadcasts pop music.
• Honnert,7 (100.7) is a public, cultural station.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
19 Feb* Carnival.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
17 May Ascension.
28 May Whit Monday.
23 Jun National Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
3 Sep* Luxembourg City Kermesse.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec St Stephen’s Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
Feb** Carnival.* 
24 Mar Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
11 May Ascension. 
12 May Whit Monday.
23 Jun National Day.
15 Aug Assumption. 
1 Sep Luxembourg City Kermesse.*
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec St Stephen’s Day.

Note
(a) *Applies to the City of Luxembourg only. (b) Official public holidays falling on a Sunday may be deferred to the following Monday, for a maximum of two holidays. Exact details should be confirmed with the National Tourist Office or the Embassy (see General Info).
**TBC

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the UK
27 Wilton Crescent, London SW1X 8SD, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 6961.
E-mail: embassy@luxembourg.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1145 (visa section; applications) Collections 1145-1200.

Luxembourg National Tourist Office in the UK
122 Regent Street, London W1B 5SA, UK
Tel: (020) 7434 2800.
Website: www.luxembourg.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700.

Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the USA
2200 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 265 4171/2.
Website: www.luxembourg-usa.org

Luxembourg National Tourist Office in the USA
The Luxembourg House,17 Beekman Place, New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: (212) 935 8888.
Website: www.visitluxembourg.com


Next Page »

Related Luxembourg Content