Luxembourg - old and new

The saying chalk and cheese could not be anymore appropriate here to describe the city.

The old Luxembourg is how I imagined it completely; quaint, crumbling landmarks and a strong sense of history. I was not disappointed! Held up by the iconic wall, the new Luxembourg towers over the old with very little of the new mixed in with the old (only subtle hints here and there).

The old city.

Spending time in the ‘new’ Luxembourg felt like being in a completely different city. Every direction you looked there was either a crane, a building site or some new shiny glassed monster. There is no denying that these are truly works of art, all competing with each other for the attention of passers-by but for me the old Luxembourg had more character. Wandering at the foot of the wall there was a strong sense of stature and an overwhelming importance to the city – breathtaking. It was as if the wall was still serving its primary function…to protect. As the new Luxembourg sprawled uncontrollably above, the old was being concealed and guarded below.

Both old and new parts serve the city in very different ways. The balance between history and the advance in technology complimented each other perfectly. With no sign of halting, I just hope that the new Luxembourg does not appear more in the old. At the moment the old and new separation, in my opinion, works very well – both parts of the city have a very different feeling to them but each hold their character without either spoiling the other.