Luxembourg Old Town

Many people who visited the Old Town claimed that they had traveled back in time to witness a thousand year history in about two hours by walking through the Luxembourg’s oldest quarters. It must be true because in 1994, UNESCO designated the city a World Heritage Site.

The remains of centuries of fortifications by the best military engineers of the Burgundians, the French, the Spaniards, the Austrians, and the Germanic Confederation give Luxembourg an enigmatic allure. Its high position surrounded by deep gorges and rivers at the bottom enabled its military advantages and importance in its past.

During its high time in the history, there were three girdles of battlements. The inner most one was fortified by bastions. The outer most one was composed of an exterior wall hewn into the rock and the wall was reinforced by nine forts. The middle girdle had fifteen forts at most strategic places. It was one of the mightiest emplacements in the world and it was nicknamed “Gibraltar of the North.”

Today, one can take a leisurely walk around the remaining walls on the east side of town and forts. Or, one can take a relaxing drive and stop at many mesmerizing vista points encircling the Old Town. Some vista points have panoramic views of deep ambrosial Alzette and Pétrusse valleys and beautiful very tall arch bridges that connect the Old Town with the high points across the valleys. The Old Town skyline and the pastel-painted buildings draping the hill sides complete the view and make a postcard-perfect picture.

The eco features of this A4 that we experienced a lot during our Old Town exploration were the Start-Stop system and Energy Recovery System. A fast and smooth Start-Stop system shuts off the engine when the car is at standstill and the clutch is pressed. In less than a split of a second after I relaxed my left foot to release the clutch, the engine started again ready for my next command. The system worked so fast and so reliably, even in the hilly part of Luxembourg, as if it read my mind.

In the extreme cold weather temperature, the Start-Stop system remains inactive till the engine reaches the optimal operating temperature to reduce the unnecessary CO2 emission. The system lowers fuel consumption by 0.2 liter per 100 km and reduces the CO2 emission by 5 grams per kilometer.
The Energy Recovery System is actually invisible to the driver unless he reads the technical documentation of this car. Basically, it converts kinetic energy during deceleration into electrical energy. When the car accelerates again, the battery, that stores the recouped energy, gives the energy back to the engine relieving the alternator. The less the alternator is engaged, the less fuel the car consumes. The total combination of these eco features add up to a noticeable fuel saving and CO2 emission reduction.

Architecturally and culturally, Luxembourg Old Town is a mix of Romancing and Germanic Europe. While Kirchberg features contemporary architecture, the Old Town has the Romanesque and Gothic architectures with some cobble stone streets. Today, it is crowded by the best cafes, restaurants, and hip lounges, and bars. For shopaholics, pedestrian-friendly, cobblestone Grand Rue and rue Philippe II in the center Old Town offer a wide array of shopping experiences.

Luxembourgish cuisine reflects Luxembourg's position on the map. It is a fusion between the neighboring French and German cuisines, and, more recently it is complemented by Italian and Portuguese influences as well. What highlighted our dining experience in Luxembourg was the exceptional attention to detail in presentation and quality of the food. Every ingredient was mixed and cooked just right to create a culinary delight.

At a nondescript La Brasserie at the corner of Rue Marie-Adélaïde and Route d’Esch outside the Old Town, we had our Luxembourg dining experience. Fillets of broiled fish, baked mussels, sliced cherry tomatoes, and sautéed asparagus were placed over a bed of couscous spread on rectangular plate. Mango sauce with bacon bits was poured on the edge of the couscous. Who could think of such combination was mind boggling. But the result was spectacularly amazing.

Luxembourg Old Town

Many people who visited the Old Town claimed that they had traveled back in time to witness a thousand year history in about two hours by walking through the Luxembourg’s oldest quarters. It must be true because in 1994, UNESCO designated the city a World Heritage Site.

The remains of centuries of fortifications by the best military engineers of the Burgundians, the French, the Spaniards, the Austrians, and the Germanic Confederation give Luxembourg an enigmatic allure. Its high position surrounded by deep gorges and rivers at the bottom enabled its military advantages and importance in its past.

During its high time in the history, there were three girdles of battlements. The inner most one was fortified by bastions. The outer most one was composed of an exterior wall hewn into the rock and the wall was reinforced by nine forts. The middle girdle had fifteen forts at most strategic places. It was one of the mightiest emplacements in the world and it was nicknamed “Gibraltar of the North.”

Today, one can take a leisurely walk around the remaining walls on the east side of town and forts. Or, one can take a relaxing drive and stop at many mesmerizing vista points encircling the Old Town. Some vista points have panoramic views of deep ambrosial Alzette and Pétrusse valleys and beautiful very tall arch bridges that connect the Old Town with the high points across the valleys. The Old Town skyline and the pastel-painted buildings draping the hill sides complete the view and make a postcard-perfect picture.

The eco features of this A4 that we experienced a lot during our Old Town exploration were the Start-Stop system and Energy Recovery System. A fast and smooth Start-Stop system shuts off the engine when the car is at standstill and the clutch is pressed. In less than a split of a second after I relaxed my left foot to release the clutch, the engine started again ready for my next command. The system worked so fast and so reliably, even in the hilly part of Luxembourg, as if it read my mind.

In the extreme cold weather temperature, the Start-Stop system remains inactive till the engine reaches the optimal operating temperature to reduce the unnecessary CO2 emission. The system lowers fuel consumption by 0.2 liter per 100 km and reduces the CO2 emission by 5 grams per kilometer.
The Energy Recovery System is actually invisible to the driver unless he reads the technical documentation of this car. Basically, it converts kinetic energy during deceleration into electrical energy. When the car accelerates again, the battery, that stores the recouped energy, gives the energy back to the engine relieving the alternator. The less the alternator is engaged, the less fuel the car consumes. The total combination of these eco features add up to a noticeable fuel saving and CO2 emission reduction.

Architecturally and culturally, Luxembourg Old Town is a mix of Romancing and Germanic Europe. While Kirchberg features contemporary architecture, the Old Town has the Romanesque and Gothic architectures with some cobble stone streets. Today, it is crowded by the best cafes, restaurants, and hip lounges, and bars. For shopaholics, pedestrian-friendly, cobblestone Grand Rue and rue Philippe II in the center Old Town offer a wide array of shopping experiences.

Luxembourgish cuisine reflects Luxembourg's position on the map. It is a fusion between the neighboring French and German cuisines, and, more recently it is complemented by Italian and Portuguese influences as well. What highlighted our dining experience in Luxembourg was the exceptional attention to detail in presentation and quality of the food. Every ingredient was mixed and cooked just right to create a culinary delight.

At a nondescript La Brasserie at the corner of Rue Marie-Adélaïde and Route d’Esch outside the Old Town, we had our Luxembourg dining experience. Fillets of broiled fish, baked mussels, sliced cherry tomatoes, and sautéed asparagus were placed over a bed of couscous spread on rectangular plate. Mango sauce with bacon bits was poured on the edge of the couscous. Who could think of such combination was mind boggling. But the result was spectacularly amazing.