Monuments, Luxembourg

The thing to do in Luxembourg is to walk around and explore. The old city is delightfully charming with nice shops, street terraces and lovely old buildings.
For example start off at the Place 'd Armes.
This square was built as excercise space for the Guards Regiment that were housed here from 1685.

This duchess reigned from 1919 to 1964 and was one of the best loved and admired leaders of the country. She stands, surrounded by government buildings and the Our Lady cathedral. The memorial has inscribed 'Mir hun lech gaër' which means: we love you. It is a tribute from the Luxemburger people to the Grand Duchess.

Grande-Duchesse Charlotte
It is also a name of a kind of rose. She was one of the famous members of Grand Ducal family. She was born in 1896 and remained the leader of Luxembourg from 1919 to 1964, when she stepped down in the favour of her son Jean. She died in 1985.

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The Place de la Constitution sits atop the Petrusse Casemates above the Petrusse River Valley providing spectacular panoramic views. At the heart of the square itself is the Gella Fra (Golden Lady) Memorial pictured here, which is a monument to the Luxembourgers who died in World War I.
The monument is literally a golden lady perched on top of a stone obelisk. It was torn down by the Nazis in 1940, but was fully restored to its original appearance in 1984 and today represents the resilience and freedom of the people of Luxembourg.

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I rather liked this statue...elegant lines for (presumably) an elegant woman.

Grand Duchess Charlotte (1896-1985) became Head of State in Luxembourg in 1919, when her older sister abdicated (there was a referendum and almost 78% of Luxembourg citizens voted to retain the Grand Ducal monarchy). She remained Head of State through the Second World War...which she spent in exile in London..until she abdicated in 1964, so her son (Prince Jean) could take over. She's buried in the cathedral, in the ducal crypt.

The statue is by a French sculptor, one Jean Cardot and erected in Place de Clairfontaine in 1990, near both the cathedral and the Hotel de Ville.

Worth a look....

On this tile is written down the story of the visits of Goethe, who had a very little room on the 3rd floor with only one small window looking down at a small court yard and in front of the window a blind wall. As Goethe said, the little piece of heaven he could see, was more then enough for him to be happy with the peace and quiet of his room.

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I've found out what the Hammelsmarsch is...it's an annual parade of male sheep led by their herders wearing traditional work shirts, leading citizens to the annual Schueberfouer Autumn fairs. Nowadays there is also a band, who play a tune called 'Hämmelsmarsch" (by Michel Lentz).

This rather fun statue, by Luxembourg sculptor Wil Lofi, is a bronze. It shows a man with a tuba, a man with an accordion and man with a drum, two children under an umbrella...and several sheep.

I thought it was lovely, even though it was not functioning as a fountain when I visited (turned off for winter).

You'll find it at the eastern end of Grande Rue.

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Michele Rodange was a Luxembourg writer and poet, born in Waldbillig, whose most famous work is 'Renert the Fox' (1872).

I rather liked this memorial fountain in his name...especially the fox on the top. There's a bronze portrait plaque as well as a useful 'eau potable' (drinking water) sign.

I bet most visitors to Luxembourg city walk don't even notice it, but you'll find the fountain on the cathedral side of Place Guillaume ll.

This is a memorial dedicated to fallen troops from World War I. You will notice that there seem to be far more monuments for WWI than WWII. It's as if they really believed that WWI was the "war to end all wars", and by the end of WWII, they knew better (too bad).

The American Cemetery in Luxembourg is a beautiful site, and an important location for Americans. Not only is it the final resting place for thousands of brave American heroes, it is also the burial site of General George Patton, one of the US's top generals of WW II.