About Luxembourg:
Officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Luxembourg is a landlocked country in Western Europe. The County of Luxembourg was established in the 11th century as a state within the Holy Roman Empire. Its ascension culminated in its monarch, Henry VII, becoming the Holy Roman Emperor in the 14th century. Luxembourg came under Habsburg rule in the 15th century, and was annexed by France in the 18th century. Luxembourg was partitioned three times, reducing its size. Having been restored in 1815 after the defeat of Napoleon, it regained independence in 1867 after the Luxembourg Crisis.
With an area of 989 square miles (2,586 square kilometers), Luxembourg is Europe’s seventh-smallest country. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south and west. In 2026, it had a population of 696,268, which makes it one of the least-populated countries in Europe, albeit with the highest population growth rate; foreign nationals account for almost half the population. Luxembourg is a representative democracy headed by a constitutional monarch, Grand Duke Guillaume V, making it the world’s only remaining sovereign grand duchy. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembourg City, is one of the four institutional seats of the European Union and hosts several EU institutions, notably the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest judicial authority in the EU.
As part of the Low Countries, Luxembourg has close historic, political, and cultural ties to Belgium and the Netherlands. Luxembourg’s culture, people, and languages are greatly influenced by France and Germany: Luxembourgish, a Germanic language, is the only recognised national language of the Luxembourgish people and of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg;
French is the sole language for legislation; and both languages along with German are used for administrative matters.
Luxembourg is a developed country with an advanced economy and one of the world’s highest PPP-adjusted GDPs per capita, per the IMF and World Bank. It also ranks highly in terms of life expectancy, human development, and human rights. The historic city of Luxembourg was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to the exceptional preservation of its vast fortifications and historic quarters. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, OECD, the United Nations, NATO, and the Benelux. It served on the United Nations Security Council for the first time in 2013 and 2014.
History
Catholic places of interest in Luxembourg:
The Christianization of Luxembourg is usually dated back to the end of the 7th century. The most famous figure in this context is Willibrord, a Northumbrian missionary saint, who together with other monks established the Abbey of Echternach in AD 698, and is celebrated annually in the dancing procession of Echternach. For a few centuries the abbey would become one of northern Europe’s most influential. The Codex Aureus of Echternach, an important surviving codex written entirely in gold ink, was produced here in the 11th century. The so-called Emperor’s Bible and the Golden Gospels of Henry III were also produced in Echternach at this time.
Charles IV, the 14th-century Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg[39]
When the Carolingian Empire was divided many times starting with the Treaty of Verdun in 843, today’s Luxembourgish territory became successively part of the Kingdom of Middle Francia (843–855), the Kingdom of Lotharingia (855–959) and finally of the Duchy of Lorraine (959–1059), which itself had become a state of the Holy Roman Empire.[40]
By the middle of the 13th century, the counts of Luxembourg had managed to gain considerable wealth and power and had expanded their territory from the river Meuse to the Moselle. By the time of the reign of Henry V the Blonde, Bitburg, La Roche-en-Ardenne, Durbuy, Arlon, Thionville, Marville, Longwy, and in 1264 the competing County of Vianden (and with it St Vith and Schleiden) had either been incorporated directly or become vassal states to the County of Luxembourg. The only major setback during their rise in power came in 1288, when Henry VI and his three brothers died at the Battle of Worringen while trying unsuccessfully to add the Duchy of Limburg to their realm. But despite the defeat, the Battle of Worringen helped the Counts of Luxembourg to achieve military glory, which they had previously lacked, as they had mostly enlarged their territory by means of inheritances, marriages and fiefdoms.
The ascension of the Counts of Luxembourg culminated when Henry VII became King of the Romans, King of Italy and finally, in 1312, Holy Roman Emperor.
Golden Age (1312–1443). With the ascension of Henry VII as Emperor, the dynasty of the House of Luxembourg not only began to rule the Holy Roman Empire, but rapidly began to exercise growing influence over other parts of Central Europe as well.
Henry’s son, John the Blind, in addition to being Count of Luxembourg, also became King of Bohemia. He remains a major figure in Luxembourgish history and folklore and is considered by many historians the epitome of chivalry in mediaeval times. He is also known for having founded the Schueberfouer in 1340 and for his heroic death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.[47][48] John the Blind is considered a national hero in Luxembourg.
In the 14th and early 15th centuries, three more members of the House of Luxembourg reigned as Holy Roman Emperors and Bohemian Kings: John’s descendants Charles IV, Sigismund (who also was King of Hungary and Croatia), and Wenceslaus IV. Charles IV created the long-lasting Golden Bull of 1356, a decree which fixed important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Empire. Luxembourg remained an independent fief (county) of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1354, Charles IV elevated it to the status of a duchy with his half-brother Wenceslaus I becoming the first Duke of Luxembourg. While his kin were occupied ruling and expanding their power within the Holy Roman Empire and elsewhere, Wenceslaus, annexed the County of Chiny in 1364, and with it, the territories of the new Duchy of Luxembourg reached its greatest extent.
During these 130 years, the House of Luxembourg was contending with the House of Habsburg for supremacy within the Holy Roman Empire and Central Europe. It all came to end in 1443, when the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male heir to assume the throne. Since Sigismund and Elizabeth of Görlitz were both heirless, all possessions of the Luxembourg Dynasty were redistributed among the European aristocracy. The Duchy of Luxembourg become a possession of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.
As the House of Luxembourg had become extinct and Luxembourg now became part of the Burgundian Netherlands, this would mark the start of nearly 400 years of foreign rule over Luxembourg.
In 1482, Philip the Handsome inherited all of what became then known as the Habsburg Netherlands, and with it the Duchy of Luxembourg. For nearly 320 years Luxembourg would remain a possession of the mighty House of Habsburg, at first under Austrian rule (1506–1556), then under Spanish rule (1556–1714), before going back again to Austrian rule (1714–1794). With having become a Habsburg possession, the Duchy of Luxembourg became, like many countries in Europe at the time, heavily involved in the many conflicts for dominance of Europe between the Habsburg-held countries and the Kingdom of France.
In 1542, the King of France, François I, invaded Luxembourg twice, but the Habsburgs under Charles V managed to reconquer the Duchy each time.
Luxembourg became part of the Spanish Netherlands in 1556, and when France and Spain went to war in 1635 it resulted in the Treaty of the Pyrenees, in which the first partition of Luxembourg was decided. Under the Treaty, Spain ceded the Luxembourgish fortresses of Stenay, Thionville, and Montmédy, and the surrounding territory to France, effectively reducing the size of Luxembourg for the first time in centuries.
In context of the Nine Years’ War in 1684, France invaded Luxembourg again, conquering and occupying the Duchy until 1697 when it was returned to the Spanish to garner support for the Bourbon cause during the prelude to the War of the Spanish Succession. When the war broke out in 1701 Luxembourg and the Spanish Netherlands were administered by the pro-French faction under the governor Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and sided with the Bourbons. The duchy was subsequently occupied by the pro-Austrian allied forces during the conflict and was awarded to Austria at its conclusion in 1714.
As the Duchy of Luxembourg repeatedly passed back and forth from Spanish and Austrian to French rule, each of the conquering nations contributed to strengthening and expanding the Fortress that the Castle of Luxembourg had become over the years. One example of this includes French military engineer Marquis de Vauban who advanced the fortifications around and on the heights of the city.
During the War of the First Coalition, Revolutionary France invaded the Austrian Netherlands, and with it, Luxembourg. In the years 1793 and 1794 most of the Duchy was conquered relatively quickly and the French Revolutionary Army committed many atrocities and pillages against the Luxembourgish civilian population and abbeys, the most infamous being the massacres of Differdange and Dudelange, as well as the destruction of the abbeys of Clairefontaine, Echternach and Orval. However the Fortress of Luxembourg resisted for nearly 7 months before the Austrian forces holding it surrendered. Luxembourg’s long defence led Lazare Carnot to call Luxembourg “the best fortress in the world, except Gibraltar”, giving rise to the city’s nickname the Gibraltar of the North.
Luxembourg was annexed by France, becoming the département des forêts (department of forests), and the incorporation of the former Duchy as a département into France was formalised at the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797.
Catholic places of interest in Luxembourg:
Catholic places of interest in Luxembourg center on historic churches, pilgrimage sites, and abbeys reflecting the country’s long Catholic tradition (still the majority religion). Key highlights include the national cathedral, sites linked to St. Willibrord (patron of Luxembourg), Marian shrines, and active monastic communities.
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Luxembourg City
Notre-Dame Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame): The country’s only cathedral and one of its most visited monuments. Originally a Jesuit church (foundation stone laid 1613; consecrated 1621), it became a cathedral in 1870. It mixes late Gothic architecture with Renaissance elements and later expansions (1935–1938). Highlights include the statue of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted (Consolatrix Afflictorum; patroness of the city since 1666 and the Grand Duchy since 1678), stained-glass windows, alabaster decorations, and the crypt containing tombs of Grand Ducal family members and John the Blind (King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg). It is the focal point of the annual Octave (Oktav) pilgrimage (third to fifth Sundays after Easter), Luxembourg’s largest religious event, drawing tens of thousands.
Saint Michael’s Church (Église Saint-Michel): The oldest surviving place of worship in the city (site dating to a 987 castle chapel of the Counts of Luxembourg). Rebuilt multiple times; current form largely from 1688, blending Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque elements. It features a notable organ.
Chapelle Saint-Quirin (Quirinus Chapel / Gräinskapell): A small Gothic pilgrimage chapel partly hewn into the rock in the Pétrusse Valley (façade from 1355 by the Teutonic Knights; later additions). The site has ancient roots as a pagan shrine (with a spring once believed to have healing properties, especially for eyes), later an early Christian sanctuary, consecrated to St. Quirinus from the 11th century. Services have been held here since the 13th century.
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Other city sites: St. John’s Church (Église Saint-Jean-du-Grund; associated with the former Neumünster Abbey, with Baroque elements and a venerated Madonna); remnants/former abbey buildings of Neumünster (now a cultural center).
Outside the Capital
Echternach is Luxembourg’s oldest city and hosts the famous Dancing Procession (Hopping Procession) on Whit Tuesday in honor of the saint. The complex has European Heritage Label recognition.
Basilica of Saint Willibrord (Willibrordusbasilika), Echternach: Papal minor basilica and former abbey church of the Benedictine Abbey founded by St. Willibrord (Anglo-Saxon missionary, “Apostle of the Frisians,” and patron of Luxembourg) around 698. The current structure has roots in the 11th century (Romanesque with later Gothic elements); heavily damaged in WWII and rebuilt in neo-Romanesque style (reopened 1953). The crypt (Carolingian/Merovingian elements) holds the saint’s relics in a white marble sarcophagus.
Abbey of St. Maurice and St. Maurus (Abbaye Saint-Maurice et Saint-Maur), Clervaux: Active Benedictine monastery (Solesmes Congregation) in neo-Romanesque style, built 1909–1910 (monks from a French abbey). Visitors can attend daily morning Mass (around 10:00, featuring Gregorian chant) and view a crypt exhibition on monastic life; the shop sells books and products. Guided visits of the church and crypt are offered periodically (e.g., first Monday of the month).
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima (“Op Baessent”), Wiltz: Important modern pilgrimage site inaugurated in 1952, stemming from a WWII vow (Battle of the Bulge, January 1945) by locals for survival. It features a Way of the Cross. The major annual pilgrimage occurs on Ascension Thursday, attracting large numbers (especially the Portuguese community, often ~20,000).
Other notable or local sites include various parish churches (e.g., Trinitarian Church in Vianden, a fine Gothic example), rural chapels and wayside shrines (such as those in ancient trees or grottos), and elements of pilgrimage routes like the Camino de Santiago passing through Luxembourg (linking sites such as Echternach and the cathedral).
Many sites are freely accessible during opening hours (often daytime, with variations for services); check current times as they can change for Masses or events. The Octave in Luxembourg City and the Echternach procession or Wiltz pilgrimage are particularly vibrant times to visit for living Catholic tradition. Official tourism and Archdiocese resources (cathol.lu, visitluxembourg.com) provide maps, hours, and event details.
Traveling to Luxembourg:
By plane:The best—and essentially only—airport to fly into for visiting Luxembourg is Luxembourg-Findel International Airport (LUX), located about 3.7 miles (6 km) east of Luxembourg City.
By train:The main train station in Luxembourg is Luxembourg Gare(Gare de Luxembourg / Gare Lëtzebuerg), located at 11 Place de la Gare, L‑1616 Luxembourg, and raLuxembourg railway station is the country’s primary rail hub, serving domestic CFL lines and international routes to France, Belgium, and Germany. It is situated about 1/2 mile (2 km) south of Luxembourg City’s center.
By car or bus