Top 10 Facts about Alzette Valley

A View of the Valley along Alzette river in Luxembourg City. Photo By Yoo Chung .Wikipedia.

Top 10 Facts About Alzette Valley

It is  reffered as The Petros Grand Canyon, or as the Luxembourg Grand Canyon, is the natural boundary between the old and new urban areas of Luxembourg City. Because of the 100-meter width and 60-meter depth of the Petros Grand Canyon.

Its is found in the second city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country’s second-most populous commune, with a population of 35,040 inhabitants. It lies in the south-west of the country, on the border with France and in the valley of the Alzette. The city is usually referred to as just Esch.

Below are some interesting facts about the valley.

1.Found in the World Smallest Country

It’s in northwestern Europe, bordered by Belgium on northwest, France on the south, and Germany on the northeast and east.

 Luxembourg has come under the control of many states and ruling houses in its long history, but it has been a separate, if not always autonomous, political unit since the 10th century.

The ancient Saxon name is Lucilinburhuc,  symbolizes its strategic position for major military route linking Germanic and Frankish territories.

2.Found in One of Luxembourg Four Geographical and Cultural Regions

The Alzette Valley is found at Oesling ,the northernmost one third portion and eastern part of the Ardennes forest if the country.

The Ardennes mountain range and Moselle and Meuse River basins form the Ardennes forest.

The Oesling’s forested hills and valleys support the ruins of numerous castles, which are a major attraction for the region’s many tourists.

The mid-country Moselle, river valley, and hillsides are covered with Riesling vineyards in terraces.

It receives a substantial amount of sunshine, which has earned the area the name “Little Riviera.

Besides vineyards, the fertile soils of the Moselle and lower Sûre valleys also support rich pasturelands. Luxembourg’s former iron mines are located in the extreme southwest, along the duchy’s border with France.

The Gutland, “Good Land” is in the south and has a more-varied topography with an average elevation of 800 feet.

 This is where the more metropolitan areas are such as Luxembourg capital city and around 85 percent of the population lives.

3.Its Regarded as a Military Stronghold in History

The Only Remaining Grand Duchy Ruled by a Grand Duke and its Parliament in the World

Luxembourgish Guard of Honor during National Day, Grand Duke Day. Photo by Disquatufais. Wikimedia.

Luxembourg is a Grand Duchy ruled by a Grand Duke and its Parliament.

The grand duchy is a constitutional monarchy with hereditary succession.

The executive power authority lies with the grand duke, who appoints the prime minister.

Their monarch’s birthday is the most important and largest single celebration annually.

It is celebrated on late Grand Duchess Charlotte’s birthday in the month of January, it was changed in 1962 to the month of June to gain good weather for the event. The current Grand Duke is Henri.

The grand duchy was an original member of the Benelux Economic Union in 1944. It linked the economic life with that of the Netherlands and of Belgium, which subsequently form the core of the European Economic Community (EEC), which ultimately succeeded by the European Union.

4.Its a UNESCO Heritage Site 

The Valley and in extension the city of Luxembourg is a protected heritage sites by the United Nation (UNESCO) .

5.Hosts Europe Headquarters for Major Technology Companies 

In 1929, the government began to encourage larger corporations to register in Luxembourg by reducing taxes The liberal tax climate produced by the new policy led many industrial and financial corporations to maintain offices, often as their European headquarters, in Luxembourg city.

Major technology companies are headquartered here they include; Skype, PayPal, Amazon, Rovie Corporation and Rakuten 

Luxembourg City is also one of the capitals of the European Union (EU) and, a home to the European Court of Justice

6.Host the Great Alzette River

The Alzette is a river has  a length of 73 kilometers in France and Luxembourg. It is a right tributary of the Sauer, and ultimately to the Rhine Measuring 100-meter in width and 60-meter depth.

7.Its holds Ancestry Sites of  Steel and Iron Production in Luxembourg

The production and export of iron and steel have long played major roles in Luxembourg’s economy. Steel production was originally based on exploitation of the iron ore deposits extending from Lorraine into the southwestern corner of the grand duchy.

This ore has a high phosphorus content, however, and it was not until the introduction of the basic Bessemer process in 1879 that the ore could be used for making steel.

Thereafter, Luxembourg’s metallurgical industries grew and flourished.

In 1970s, the worldwide demand for steel slumped, causing the steel industry’s portion of Luxembourg’s gross domestic product to fall.

To prevent the fall, government merged the only remaining steel industry with Spanish company Aceralia and the French company Usinor to form Arcelor.

They subsequently joined Mittal to create ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company at the time of its formation in 2006.

8.Its Population is Tri-lingual 

Luxembourg has been one of the historic crossroads of Europe, and myriad peoples have left their bloodlines as well as their cultural imprints on the grand duchy.

The national language, Luxembourgish, is taught in nursery school and spoken at home and among natives. In fact, the major symbol of social class divisions is which language is understood and spoken in the home. German is the first new language taught at school and French and English are taught in secondary school. All three are spoken in public and French, German and English used doing business.

Majority of Luxembourg’s native citizens are Roman Catholic, with a small number of Protestants mainly Lutherans, Jews, and Muslims.

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel married Gauthier Destenay, he was the first leader of a country in the EU to marry someone of the same sex in 2015.

9.Eateries in the Valley offer the Bouneschlupp; Luxembourg’s National Dish

A plate of Bouneschlupp. Luxembourg National Dish. Photo By SITCK. Wikipedia.

Bouneschlupp is a medley of green bean soup with potatoes, bacon and onions. Plum brandies from yellow and purple plums are another specialty of the country.

However, the cuisine is heavily influenced by French and German cuisine, with more recent influences from their Italian and Portuguese immigrants.

Special dishes are eaten on Sunday afternoons, religious and national holidays

10. Has one of the Best Scenery 

Standing on any bridge on the Grand Canyon, you can see the lush towering trees growing on the two walls of the valley. There are many kinds of trees and they grow in different directions. It shows the unrestrained natural beauty of Petros Grand Canyon.

On the side of Constitution Square next to the Petros Grand Canyon, there are ancient stone steps leading to the canyon.

Walking along the stone steps to the bottom of the canyon, the looming stream in the shade of lush trees will appear in front of you.