Ep. 52 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg
A whole year of The Friday Take Five! Join us on another trip to Europe for the 52nd installment of the podcast, where we take on the small country of Luxembourg and the capital bearing its name. Fantastic history, castles, wine, food, and more - This episode is one you won’t want to miss!
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Transcription:
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Hello and Happy Friday! Today marks our 52nd episode and a year’s worth of episodes on the podcast. This podcast, is the Friday Take Five, which is the best five minute podcast for history and adventure lovers. I’m Mark Moran, your host, and I do my best to help you relive awesome travel memories, or give you the inspiration to book your next adventure. Every episode, we discover a new destination and a new story. With that, it’s time to jump in, to destination 52.
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Episode 52 brings us back to Europe for another adventure back in time. Today’s installment highlights the tiny country of Luxembourg, and its capital city with the same name. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet made it to this fantastic looking country, but it’s a location making its way higher and higher on my list.
Today the world’s richest country on a per capita basis, clocking in at a GDP per capita of 135K USD, Luxembourg has gone through a tumultuous journey to get there.
The precursor to Luxembourg city consisted of merely a small fort guarding an intersection of roads dating back to the era of the Romans. It was shortly after 960 AD that things started moving from fort to fortified lands when Siegfried I, close relative of Louis II of France and Emperor Otto the Great, was able to secure the lands of Luxembourg in a treaty and start on the construction of his castle, the name of which translates to small castle on the rock, which is how Luxembourg got its name.
Because of where it’s located in Europe, and because of its geography, the city has throughout the European story been a location of military strategic importance.
Though fortifications were built all around the city over hundreds of years, the city was captured time and time again. The city first fell to the Burgundians, then the Spanish, then the Austrians, then the Burgundians again, before falling to the French, Spanish again, Austrians, French again then the Prussians. But wait there’s more! All of that was prior to 1900.
In the 1800s, Luxembourg started to get a bit of a taste for independence and the country tried to assert itself a bit more to ultimately push for its independence. Napoleon of France was vanquished in 1815, and the French started to pull out of the Luxembourger land they had occupied. The congress of Vienna established Luxembourg as “independent” though it was folded into the German federation and under the thumbs of both Prussia, and the Netherlands.
Leaders of France, Netherlands, and Prussia almost brought the region to war as no one wanted to give up their influence over the area leading up to the mid 1860s. Diplomacy ultimately prevailed with the Second Treaty of London which ultimately affirmed the independence of Luxembourg and saw the reduction of military presence on the condition that the fortifications of the city would be removed.
The Luxembourgers were sick of the countries around them calling the shots, and it ultimately led to a rise in a national ideology of neutrality. Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn, translated to “we want to remain who we are”, became a motto for the city and for the country which prevails to this day.
But I said all of that happened before 1900 didn’t I? Sadly, the city would be occupied 2 more times by the Germans in the first and second world wars. Seemingly sick of neutrality and occupation after the second world war, at least somewhat, Luxembourg has since become a major leader in the conversation of international cooperation, being a founding member of the European Communities and of NATO.
Luxembourg has really been through it, but it’s come out as such a cool country. The capital city has 3 of the small country’s more than 100 castles. A short drive outside the city will bring you to a range of incredible wineries. And in case castles and wine aren’t enough for you, all around the country there are Michelin Star restaurants including the likes of Equilibrium and Les Jardins d'Anaïs in Luxembourg city itself.
Well, that’s all for this week y’all. I hope you enjoyed our 52nd adventure and are considering booking a trip to eat, drink, and tour, your way through another incredibly storied destination. Until next time… We’ll see ya when we see ya.
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Hey there! Thanks for listening to another episode of The Friday Take Five. If you haven’t already, be sure to give the show a 5 star rating on podcasting platforms, and share this episode with a friend. Have your own stories about Luxembourg City or feedback on the show? I’d love to hear it so follow me and DM me on socials @FridayTakeFive or email me at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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