This allows Luxembourg to be home to many cultures despite its small size.
Making up 16% of total population, Portuguese people are the most predominant foreign nationality; next in line are the French and the Italians. Most other foreigners are also European.
5. Parlez-vous Français? Or do you prefer English? Flags in front of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Wikimedia
Most Luxembourgish people are multilingual, speaking Luxembourgish, German, French, and English, as people schooled at Luxembourgish state schools are taught all four languages.
So as long as you speak one of those, you should be able to get by, though Luxembourgers will love you if you make the effort to learn their language, as only about 300,000 people speak it anymore.
Luxembourgish, French, and German are the three official languages of the country. Portuguese is also widely spoken because of the large number of Portuguese people living in the country.
6. World-class food Quetschentaart, one of Luxembourg’s specialties. Wikimedia
Luxembourg’s culture centers very much on eating and drinking, and the capital is the city with the most Michelin restaurants per capita in the world.
The local food is also worth the trip: Gromperekichelcher (crispy potato fritters), Rieslingspaschtéit (meat and wine pie), Judd mat Gaardebounen (the country’s national dish, which consists of pork and broad beans), Quetschentaart (plum tart) and Kachkéis (runny cheese) are all staples of Luxembourgish cuisine.
Furthermore, Luxembourg is free of many chains that line the high streets of most big cities.
Though a few chains such as McDonald’s and Pizza Hut have found their way to the country, Krispy Kreme, Chipotle, KFC, Taco Bell, and Five Guys are missing. And until January 1, 2016, the country will also remain Starbucks-free.
7. And if you like beer and wine … Different sparkling wines from Luxembourg Matt Lewis
Not counting the microbreweries, Luxembourg produces five beers: Mousel, Battin, Diekirch, Bofferding, and Simon, which are very popular throughout the country.
It also produces a lot of wine, considering the size of the country. With a few exceptions, most of the wine produced is white wine and sparkling wine, or crémant as it is called in Luxembourg, as well as some specialty wines.
Luxembourg also produces some liquors that are commonly found in Europe, like Mirabelle and Kirsch. The castle in Beaufort, a village to the northeast of the capital, produces a blackcurrant liquor that Luxembourgers are very fond of.
8. Driving, smoking, and drinking is cheaper An illustration picture taken in Paris shows cigarettes in their pack Thomson Reuters
Though the ban on smoking in bars, cafés, and clubs was implemented on January 1, 2014, taxes on cigarettes remain lower in Luxembourg than in most European nations.
As of March, the average prices for a pack of 20 cigarettes was $6.08, compared to $8.51 in France and $14.22 in the UK.
Lower taxes on alcohol and petrol also lead people from all over Europe to travel to Luxembourg to purchase those goods.
9. A true power center of Europe The European Court of Auditors. Wikimedia Commons
The small nation is, along with Brussels and Strasbourg, a power center of the European Union’s institutions.
The European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors, the Secretariat of the European Parliament, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, and the European Stability Mechanism are all located in the country.
The European Commission and the Secretariat of the European Parliament also have part of their buildings in the country, while the rest are located in Brussels.
The institutions, along with some big companies, make for an interesting mix of people from all over the world who come together in the tiny nation and ensure the grand duchy is known to at least a few people outside Europe.
10. Wages are good Euros. Wikimedia
Luxembourg is the second-richest country in the world when looking at per-capita gross domestic product, with an annual average of $79,593.91, and, though not spared by the recession, it is still one of the countries in Europe where pay is the highest.
This partly explains the large number of people from surrounding countries coming to work in Luxembourg on a daily basis but living outside the nation (more than 160,000 in 2013).
11. Easy to do business Tak, Wikimedia Commons
Though small, the country is home to many big companies.
Among the most notable ones are ArcelorMittal, Cargolux, and the RTL Group. In the financial sector some of the most notable institutions are the Banque et Caisse d’Épargne de l’État, ranked as the ninth-safest bank in the world, KBL European Private Bankers, and Kulczyk Investments.
Other big companies have their corporate headquarters for Europe in Luxembourg because of the tax breaks the country is known for.
12. The hiking is glorious Luxembourg landscape near Michelau, in the north of the country. Barbara Tasch
If all else failed to convince you, the beautiful landscapes of the Luxembourgish countryside will appeal to your inner hiker.
From the dense and hilly Ardennes forests in the north of the country to the Müllerthal region, commonly named Little Switzerland, further south, and everything in between, Luxembourg’s scenery will leave you wishing you had extended your stay.
Even the Pizza Hut is fancy: Business Insider
Source link : https://www.businessinsider.com/12-reasons-why-luxembourg-is-the-best-country-in-the-world-2015-9?amp
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Publish date : 2015-10-04 07:00:00
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