“Ennuyeux, monotone, peu raffiné et provincial.” Or, to put it another way “boring, monotonous, unsophisticated and provincial.” Search deep into the soul of some folk in Luxembourg and those are their fears about the way their country is perceived. Which is surprising, really, as we have always found Luxembourg to be one of the most engaging countries in Europe. From the Sûre to the Our, from the Alzette to the Moselle, Luxembourg boasts some of Europe’s most beautiful wooded valleys and small towns. The setting of communities like Echternach or Clervaux is utterly beautiful. And the capital too is blessed with striking topography. Indeed the city of Luxembourg is one of Europe’s most attractive capital cities. Boring and monotonous it is not. Great food and decent wines too, easy to reach and easy to get around.

Quite what has prompted Luxembourg’s fit of existential angst we cannot say, but the authorities in the Grand Duchy are now on the offensive, with a new series of short films designed to sell Luxembourg to the world. You can find out more here.

The self-image of communities and even whole countries is always deserving of study. We never would have thought that Luxembourg feared it was boring and monotonous. To us, it seems vibrant, varied, chic and charming.

Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner
editors / hidden europe