Living in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is located in the Western part of Europe and surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany. It covers 2,586 square kilometers and has a population of half a million people.

People of Luxembourg

Luxembourg City is the political and cultural centre of Luxembourg. This capital city of over 85,000 residents, nearly 60% of whom hail from abroad, is characterized by a surprising contrast between the old city, with its thousand-year-old fortifications, winding alleyways and picturesque homes, and the upper city, a true cosmopolitan centre perched on a rocky plateau. The old city and its fortifications were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

A city hosting many European Institutions

Luxembourg is also one of the European Union’s capitals. Together with the EIB, a number of other EU institutions are headquartered on the Kirchberg plateau, including the European Court of Justice, Court of First Instance, Court of Auditors of the European Communities, Secretariat-General of the European Parliament, Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union and several departments of the European Commission.

Cultural heritage

Luxembourg has a strong cultural heritage from its rich history and the diverse flows of invasion and immigration. As part of this heritage are three officially recognized languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish. In addition, the two largest and well integrated immigrant communities, Portuguese and Italian, have brought their respective languages.
This mixture of nationalities and culture is reflected into in its museums, restaurants, the arts and major events.

Transportation

Being at the heart of Europe with great travelling connections, Luxembourg is a major touristic hub. From Luxembourg airport, you can fly to more than 50 European cities. The airport, located 15 minutes from Luxembourg City, currently offers eight flights a day to London and three each to Frankfurt and Paris. Luxembourg also offers excellent road and train transport. The national railway network is highly efficient and provides trouble-free connections to the major European railway routes. It is easy to travel to Paris, Frankfurt and Brussels.

Standard of Living

Luxembourg enjoys one of the highest standards of living not only in Europe but among all developed countries.
In addition, the cost of goods in Luxembourg largely corresponds to prices in neighbouring countries (France, Germany, Belgium), while income per resident is much higher. As a result, the purchasing power per resident is one of the world’s highest.

Sports and entertainment

Luxembourg offers numerous sports opportunities for tourists and residents, whether outdoors or in its many sports facilities.
The country has a large number of top-quality golf courses, including the Golf Club Grand-Ducal, Kikuoka Country Club, Golf de Clervaux, Golf and Country Club Christnach, Golf de Luxembourg and Golf Club Gaichel.
Cyclists can take advantage of a wide variety of bicycle paths, which total 900 km in length.
Luxembourg City offers several possibilities to spend the evening, you can choose from pubs, restaurants or listen to classical music in one of the various concert halls.

Luxembourg, city of Museums

Luxembourg City boasts a large number of museums with a wide variety of collections. The National Art and History Museum offers archaeological and art collections, decorative arts, and folk art and traditions. The National Museum of Natural History gives visitors greater insight into humans and their environment, science, natural history and the miracles of our planet. The Luxembourg City History Museum houses permanent collections and temporary exhibitions illustrating the capital’s more than one thousand years of history. The Luxembourg Casino holds contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year, with a focus on the diversity and complexity of current trends. The Grand-Duc Jean Modern Art Museum has an innovative offering open to all genres of contemporary art.

Educational and schooling

Newcomers to Luxembourg essentially have two options when it comes to education, either to enrol their child in a state or private school or to enrol them in an international school. The majority of children attend state schools. Only a small number of schools provide a linguistic and/or pedagogical alternative.
Education is carried out in the three official languages: Luxembourgish, French and German. Education is compulsory for all children aged between 4 and 16. Younger children may attend nursery schools. No child can be refused education for reasons of race, sex, language, religion or legal status of the parents. For additional information please visit:
http://luxembourg.angloinfo.com/countries/luxembourg/schooling.asp

Higher Education at Luxembourg University

Luxembourg University www.uni.lu was created in 2003 and is comprised of three faculties. Among its most recognised degree programmes are its Master in Business and Finance awarded by the Luxembourg School of Finance (LSF), part of the Finance Department of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance.
General information about the country and its way of life is available under the following links:

• The portal of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (http://www.luxembourg.public.lu/fr/)
• Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (http://www.cc.lu/)
• American Chamber of Commerce (http://www.amcham.lu/ )