LUXEMBOURG

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LUXEMBOURG:CITY & COUNTRY?Do you have a concise idea of what the Luxembourgish language sounds like? How inspiring a journey through the capital and its citadel - listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site - can be? How astonishing the view is at night from the walls of the Corniche, the ‘most beautiful balcony in Europe’?...

Walking through the city of Luxembourg, you will notice that people from all over the world make up our multicultural and cosmopolitan population. Most of us speak Luxembourgish, French, German and English, as well as other languages.

One thing we are known for is our passion for fi ne wine and fabulous food! We have excellent wines from along the Moselle and Léa Linster, the fi rst and only woman to have won the famous cooking award, the Bocuse d’Or, is from Luxembourg!

It remains to say that Luxembourg is petite and cosy, with no place being far from anywhere else.

If this has piqued your curiosity, turn the pages and keep reading to get to know more about the only Grand Duchy in the world!

There is more to Luxembourg than banks and suits. The country has some of the slickest modern art and has twice been ‘European Capital of Culture’. What makes it unique? Well, it’s the city of contrasts – a place where cultural heritage meets modern lifestyle.One example is our fairytale-like, cavernous Casemates balance the cutting-edge design of the sustainable building of the European Investment Bank in ‘Kirchberg’. After work, you might feel like having a ‘Crémant’ wine on the site of an ancient brewery that is now the popular nightlife spot, ‘Rives de Clausen’. On the other hand, if you are interested in arts and architecture, explore ‘Mudam’, our museum showing contemporary art, designed by the world-famous architect, I.M. Pei.

LIFE &STYLE

CULTURELuxembourgers have a passion for music. We listen to classical music at the ‘Philharmonie’ and go to the ‘Rockhal’, where artists from Rihanna to Deep Purple feel at home. Likewise, we love the Blues & Jazz Rally which takes place throughout the city in July.

TRADITIONSWe welcome Spring with the ‘Buurgbrennen’, we celebrate the GrandDuke’s birthday on 23 June, we buy ‘Péckvillecher’ - traditional terracotta birds - at the annual Easter markets and jump together at the folk-dancing procession in Echternach.

SPORTSYou must have heard of the famous Schleck brothers - they truly spur on our passion for cycling, as Luxembourg has become a fi ve-time winner of the Tour de France. We also run in the ING Europe-Marathon or water-ski on the Moselle river in summer.

FOODLuxembourg is a real mecca for all gourmet tastes with the highest number of Michelin-star restaurants per sq. km. We eat ‘Kniddelen’ (small dumplings), ‘Kachkéis’ (cooked cheese) and bake ‘Boxemännecher’ for St Nicholas Day.

ON THE WEBwww.statermuseeen.lu MUSEUMS OF THE CITY LUXEMBOURG

www.plurio.netwww.goodidea.lu SHOPPING & LIFE

www.culture.lu ARTS & CULTURE

www.visitluxembourg.com VISITING & CULTURE

www.luxembourg.lu GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT LUXEMBOURG

COME &SEENothing feels better than enjoying some 360° panoramic views. Admire our lovingly preserved natural landscapes and discover the famous Land of the Red Earth in the South, refl ecting the very heart of the industrial era. Take a walk to the North, along the Moselle River or through the rocky outcrops of the Mullerthal Region, our so-called ‘Little Switzerland’ with its mossy valleys and impressive forests. Or enjoy the splendid fi reworks, shoulder to shoulder with our ‘Gëlle Fra’ (Golden Lady) on the eve of our national day... One single country with a thousand and one facets... This is the place where you can stimulate your senses – all year long.

DISCOVERWhy not plunge into our underground galleries, the Casemates, carved into the city’s rocks? Are you interested in history? The Wenzel Circular Walk shows you 1,000 years in 100 minutes.

INSIDERS’ TIPMeet us at the Rock-a-Field open-air festival, a national must, have a coffee with us in the old town or a lovely lunch on the terrace of the marvellous ‘Knuedler’.

VISACitizens of EU Member States do not require a visa to enter Luxembourg. Are you a national of a non-EU country? Then check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website to see if your country is on the Schengen visa list.

ON THE WEBwww.mae.lu MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

www.gouvernement.lu LUXEMBOURG GOVERNMENT

www.lux-airport.lu BOOK YOUR FLIGHT

www.resto.lu DIVE INTO LUXEMBOURG’S CULINARY PARADISE

www.visitluxembourg.com

WORK &LIVEPeople love Luxembourg’s quality of life.Our capital has even been ranked as the safest city in the world by Mercer. Almost 42% of all Luxembourg residents come from abroad and close to 40% of our workforce is made up of cross-border commuters. In Luxembourg, you will most probably have the opportunity to work in a multicultural team and thus benefi t from an extremely diversifi ed and high-knowledge working environment. Employees with global players in Luxembourg, such as RTL, Amazon and SES, are all delighted with our international business culture.

PERMITSThere is easy access to authorities and you will see that our procedures for a highly skilled workforce are quick and comprehensive, so don’t worry about red tape!

BENEFITSWe have low social security charges regarding health and pension insurance, as well as competitive personal income tax rates. On top, hospitals are state-of-the-art and medical services are excellent.

WORK & PARENTAL LEAVEThe Grand Duchy applies a guaranteed minimum salary to its employees and allows for a parental leave of six months.

TIME OFFEvery full-time employee has the right to a minimum of 25 days paid vacation per year, plus public holidays.

ON THE WEBwww.luxembourgforbusiness.lu

www.guichet.lu BUSINESS AND CITIZENS' PORTAL

WORK&GROW

Our business secret? We build on economic diversity. There is much more to our country than excellence in fi nance and steel making. Being Europe’s strongest low-latency hub in the heart of the ‘golden circle’, Luxembourg is known for its ambitious IT and communication infrastructure, and is proud of its fl ourishing digital content distribution and online gaming industry. Also, we care about our planet. Dedicated to green technologies and life sciences, we aim to make our country the healthiest place on earth.

SOCIAL STABILITYClose relationships of the government with its social partners provide social stability. We really have a passion for constructive discussions and, compared to other European countries, there is hardly ever a labour strike in Luxembourg.

INNOVATIONOver the past 10 years, R&D has experienced steady investment. The private sector is capitalising on its innovation activities, owing above all to the very favourable R&D conditions. Luxembourg is curious to learn about your ideas too!

START-UPLuxinnovation, our National Agency for innovation and research, will support you in any innovation project you may have.

TAXESLuxembourg has one of the lowest public debts in Europe and therefore has no pressure to raise taxes. Furthermore, we have one of the lowest VAT rates, with personal income and corporate taxes rating amongst the most competitive in Europe. These may be interesting conditions for you and your business!

ON THE WEBwww.investinluxembourg.luwww.luxinnovation.lu LUXEMBOURG PORTAL FOR INNOVATION AND RESEARCH

www.start-up.luwww.business.lu HOW TO SET UP A BUSINESS IN LUXEMBOURG

www.cc.lu CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUXEMBOURG

www.cdm.lu CHAMBER OF SKILLED CRAFTS

LEARN&KNOWWe like change – also in education. We pass from primary school to secondary school, switching from German to French overnight. When we leave secondary school, we are fl uent in at least four languages. Happy to see so many students from all over the world, we will very soon welcome even more young people on a new university campus with cutting-edge research centres in Belval. And success stories have been lining up – professors and students from our university have received awards for ICT, solar research and other outstanding projects!

SCHOOLPublic education is free in Luxembourg. Children are required to attend two years of kindergarten, six years of primary school and at least three years of secondary school.

COSMOPOLITANBesides international baccalaureates in French and English in some public as well as private international schools, children can enjoy lessons in complementary schools in Japanese, Chinese and Russian if one of those is your mother tongue.

HIGHER EDUCATIONThe University of Luxembourg has three faculties: the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, the Faculty of Sciences, Technology and Communication and the Faculty of Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education Sciences.

STUDENT EXCHANGESThe European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) allows students to discover Europe without any barriers. The University of Luxembourg enables young people to study abroad with 50 university exchange agreements worldwide and 300 within Europe.

ON THE WEBwww.uni.lu UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG

www.lus.lu LUXEMBOURG UNIVERSITY STUDENT ORGANISATION

www.belval.lu UNIVERSITY LOCATION & INFORMATION

www.men.public.lu MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

QUICK INTERVIEWOFFICIAL NAME: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

CAPITAL: Luxembourg

LANGUAGES: Luxembourgish, French, German

FORM OF STATE: Constitutional monarchy

HEAD OF STATE: H.R.H. Grand Duke Henri

POPULATION: 511,800

AREA: 2,586 sq. kilometres / 999 sq. miles

INTERNATIONAL DIALING CODE: +352

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES: Germany, Belgium, France

CURRENCY: Euro (EUR)

TIME ZONE: UTC+1

CLIMATEWeather is pleasant from May to mid-October with the sunniest months being May and June and the hottest being July and August. We often enjoy our very own ‘Indian Summer’ in September/October. Average temperatures in summer are around 20 °C and temperatures below 0 °Cduring winter days do not occur very often. Each year, we hope for a white Christmas. But unfortunately, snowfalls are usually moderate in Luxembourg.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSLocated between Germany, France and Belgium, Luxembourg has been proving itself as a European mediator for many years. Besides Brussels and Strasbourg, Luxembourg is home to the key EU institutions. Being also a member and founder of many international organisations, such as BENELUX, the EU, NATO, the UN and the OECD, the only Grand Duchy in the world remains one of the strongest economies in Europe.

RELIGIONPredominant is Roman Catholicism. However, different beliefs coexist and are naturally accepted among Luxembourg’s citizens.

ON THE WEBwww.gouvernement.lu THE LUXEMBOURG GOVERNMENT

www.luxembourg.lu

NEVER FAR

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LUXEMBOURG

GLOSSARYBASICS (Luxembourgish - English)

Moien! [‘moiən] > Hello

Salut! [sɑ’ly:] > Hi

Wéi geet et? [vəi ge:dˬət] > How are you? (neutral)

Wéi ass et? [vəi ɑzˬət] > How are you? (informal)

Merci, ganz gudd. An Iech? [‘mæxsi gɑnts gut] [ɑn iəɕ] > Thank you, I’m fi ne. And you?

Enchantéiert/Et freet mech [ãɕã’təiɐt][ət fRe:t məɕ] > Pleased to meet you

Äddi [‘ædi:] > Goodbye

Gudde Moien [‘gudə ‘moiən] > Good morning

Gudd Nuecht [gut nuəɕt] > Good night

E schéinen Owend nach [ə ‘ʃəinən ‘o:vənt nɑx] > Have a nice evening

Merci [‘mæxsi] > Thank you

Wann ech gelift [vɑn əɕ gə’lift] > Please/There you are

Entschëllegt, wou fannen ech [ən’tʃələɕt vou ‘fɑnən əɕ] > Excuse me, where can I fi nd

d’Toiletten? [‘twɑlætən] > the restroom/toilet?

EAT & DRINKGudden Appetit! [‘gudən ɑpə’tit] > Enjoy (your meal)!

Prost! [pRost] > Cheers!

Ech hätt wann ech gelift gär... [əɕ hæt vɑn əɕ gə’lift gɛ:ɐ] > I’ll have ...

Brout [bRout] > Bread

Botter [‘botɐ] > Butter

Kéis [kəis] > Cheese

Ham [ha:m] > Ham

Fleesch [fl e:ʃ] > Meat

Fësch [fəʃ] > Fish

Poulet [pule:] > Chicken

Vegetaresch [ve:ʒe:’ta:Rəɕ] > Vegetarian

Waasser [‘va:sɐ] > Water

Mëllech [‘mələɕ] > Milk

Béier [‘bəiɐ] > Beer

Wäin (rouden/wäissen) [væːin] [‘Roudən] [‘væːisən] > Wine (red/white)

Crémant kRe:mã] > Sparkling wine

Drëpp [dRəp] > Hard liquor

ON THE WEBwww.insl.lu NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGES

www.dico.lu LUXEMBOURGISH-FRENCH DICTIONARY

EDITOR : LUXEMBOURG FOR BUSINESS G.I.E.

LAYOUT: LOLA.LU

PHOTOGRAPHES : JEAN-CLAUDE DAHN,

PIERRETTE DAHN, GETTYIMAGES, XAVIER HORNICK,

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, JOHN KIRSCH, LEX KLEREN,

MARCEL MARCHAL, MIKE ZENARI

19-21, BOULEVARD ROYAL

L-2449 LUXEMBOURG

GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG

TEL. : +352-247-84116

FAX : +352-223-485

WWW.LUXEMBOURGFORBUSINESS.LU

NUMERALS0 > Null [nul]1 > Een [e:n]2 > Zwee [tswe:]3 > Dräi [dRæːi]4 > Véier [‘fəiɐ]5 > Fënnef [‘fənəf]6 > Sechs [zæks]7 > Siwen [‘zi:vən]8 > Aacht [a:xt]9 > Néng [neŋ]10 > Zéng [tseŋ]

EMOTIONSEch si frou matt dir [əɕ zi fRou mɑt diɐ] > I like you

Ech hunn dech gär [əɕ hun dəɕ gɛ:ɐ] > I love you

Et deet mir Leed/Pardon [ət de:t miə le:t] [pɑRdõ] > I am sorry

THE LUXEMBOURG WAYNondikass! [nondi’kɑs] > Damn!

Daje! [dɑie:] > Come on!/Hurry up!

Roude Léiw, huel se! [‘Roudə ləif huəl sə] > Red lion, go for it!

Allez hëpp! [‘ɑle: həp] > Move on!

WWW.PROMOTELUXEMBOURG.LU