Two distinct regions comprise the tiny Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, creating a landscape of scenic beauty. The forested Luxembourg Ardennes, in the north, is part of a range of hills gouged by narrow rivers like the Our and the Sûre. South of the Ardennes are the rich farmlands of the Bon Pays (Good Country), a rolling plateau traversed by narrow valleys, and by Luxembourg's stretch of the Moselle River, with its celebrated riverside vineyards and wineries. Both regions are liberally sprinkled with pretty villages, castles, and vacation retreats.
Luxembourg City, in the center of the Bon Pays, was for centuries a thorn in Europe's side. The "Gibraltar of the North" occupies a natural fortress, and the immensely powerful fortifications constructed around it by a parade of rulers made it a tough proposition to assault. These were dismantled in 1867. Today, parks cover ground once occupied by forts, and the city is an attractive mixture of historical interest and contemporary charm.
Note: For interest, more than for strictly required practical purposes, I have provided the names of towns in Luxembourg's own language, Lëtzebuergesch, as well as in the more familiar French. You'll often see place names in Lëtzebuergesch in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg), but you'll easily get by with just French.
