Knuedler, Luxembourg

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The history of the Place Guillaume II dates back to the mid 13th century when it was the site of the church and the monastery of the Franciscan order.

Place Guillaume II is also known as "Knuedler" which is derived from the knot in the belt of the Franciscan friars.

The square is nowadays dominated by a bronze equestrian statue of Guillaume II and the town hall.

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The Place Guillaume II is situated right in the heart of Luxembourg's busy city centre.

I couldn't understand why this beautiful square is named Knuedler. There is a statue of Guillame II and town hall, too. So the name should be connected to them or so. No, Knuedler as the tourist guide says is derived from the Letyeburgish word "knued" what means the knot of Franciscan's belt. The history is connected to this via Franciscan monastery and church situated on this square. When French intruders came in 1797 Franciscans couldn't sleep well and after some time French forced them to move out and the square was reorganised. Got the statue of William II the king of Netherlands and nowadays there are great cultural events, streetanimation or just musicians playing, children play in nearby playground, on Saturdays there are markets of fresh vegetables and fruits or other markets as well.

The square is named after the Grand Duke and King of Netherlands William II. It was established in thirteenth century and after that it has seen all the colours of the history. It also hosts market over the weekends. When I was there was a big open air market held and it was good place to see local items.

Have a walk around the Knuedler. This is quite an old place in town. Market is held here for centuries. Come and enjoy the flair of our medival city. Take a rest in one of the tiny cafes around the place and try the local beer.

Most of the sights in Luxembourg City are along the southern rim of the old town, where you will also find fantastic views and nice parks. The old town is based around two large pedestrian squares, Place d'Armes and Place Guillaume. Remember those cows I was talking about earlier. They're really quite funny. If you try to take a picture of a monument for church, you're bound to get one in the frame. I've seen them in a few cities I've visited, I think they go between towns during art festivals and things like that. Never the less, if they are still in the city, you're going to run into one of them sooner or later.

Close to the Old Town Hall is Williams Square. Since the middle of the 13th century, this square, named after William II, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, has accommodated the church and the monastery of the order of St. Francis. In common parlance the square is also called 'Knuedler' - derived from the Luxembourgish word 'Knued' denoting the knot in the belt of the Franciscan friars. In 1797 the French seized the monastery with all its grounds and disposed of it part by part. In the following centuries the whole cluster of edifices was pulled down and the square redesigned.