Luxembourg: Kneiff (23/28)

We followed the Mosel river for a while before crossing into the next country, Luxembourg. This was only to be a flying visit as we hadn’t planned to visit Luxembourg City (where most of the attractions appear to be located). Crossing into northern Luxembourg we ended up driving through the quaint town of Viaden which has an impressive castle towering over it on the cliffs above. The castle’s origins can be traced back to the 10th century but it was rebuilt in various styles in the 11th, 14th and 17th centuries before being left to fall into ruins. Conveniently for us it has recently been fully restored and is very photogenic.

We stopped for the night at some parking by a pumped hydro-electric plant where we enjoyed the last of our German wine and a caprese salad in the sunshine.

In the morning we headed for the peak, this involved driving half the length of the country which only took 45mins. I think this comes a close second to the least impressive highest peak. The spot is marked by a white concrete square next to the road.

However with another peak under our belts we headed across the border into Belgium. But before we go here are a few fun Luxembourg facts:

• Luxembourg has three official languages: German, French and Luxembourgish

• The first EU leader to marry a same-sex partner was Xavier Bettel, the prime minister of Luxembourg in 2015

• Luxembourg has the second highest GDP in the world (second to Qatar)

• Luxembourg has the highest minimum wage in Europe and second highest in the world

• Unemployment in Luxembourg is the lowest in all of Europe and has been for 40 years

• 43% of Luxembourgs population are foreign residents, this is the highest of all European countries.