Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

INTRODUCING BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG 15

Both countries are small.

The Kingdom of Belgium,

with its capital at Brussels,

has a population of some 10.

million. More than 90 per cent of

the citizens live in urban centres,

leaving relatively uninhabited

the large areas of farmland

in the north as well as the wilder

Ardennes in the south. The Ardennes

spill over into the Grand Duchy of

Luxembourg. This tiny yet independ-

ent country is a quarter of the size

of Belgium, and has a population of

just 480,000. Its capital, Luxembourg

City, has about 76,000 inhabitants.

The histories of both countries are

closely linked. They are both fairly

young nations, in that they became

fully independent only in the

1830s. For centuries before

this, they were ruled by a

succession of foreign powers:

Romans, Franks, French, Spanish,

Burgundians, Austrians and the

Dutch. They have been

fought over ceaselessly, and

suffered particularly in the 20th cen-

tury during the two World Wars.

This bruising history at the hands

of their neighbours made Belgium

and Luxembourg avid supporters of

the European Union (EU) from the

start. Today, both Brussels and

Luxembourg City play host to many

of the EU’s major institutions. Along

with Strasbourg in France, they are

effectively capitals of the EU.

Belgian lace fan

Revellers at the costumed Ommegang festival in Brussels’s Grand Place

Remnants of medieval walls surrounding the Old Town of Luxembourg City

A PORTRAIT OF

BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG

T

ied together by a shared and complex history, Belgium and

Luxembourg are two of the most prosperous countries in

western Europe. This is manifest in their rich cultural tradi-

tions, the fine art and architecture of the towns, the high quality of

cuisine and the genuine warmth with which visitors are welcomed.