Moien

This is the very first word to learn and use in Luxembourgish. ‘Wéi geet et?’ would be a nice addition to it, together meaning: ‘Morning! How are you?’.

Nowadays, ‘Moien’ is used throughout the day, from dawn to dusk and beyond, whereas less and less people use ‘Mëtteg’ and ‘Nowend’ for the afternoon or evening, respectively.

If you like to mix things up, ‘salut’, ‘hallo’ or ‘hey’ are perfectly acceptable alternatives. You pick! Anyway: Moien, and welcome to the world of Emoxies!

Äddi

‘Äddi’ is the counterpart to ‘Moien’ and very close to the French ‘Adieu’, even though Luxembourgers use it more casually.

For your pronunciation, just think of an Eddy you know, and you’ll be spot on! ‘Bis dann!’ (‘see you!’) or ‘Bis geschwënn!’ (‘see you soon!’) are also commonly used.

Don’t leave just yet though, there are quite a few Emoxies left for you to discover!

Applause

A noisy mix of claps and cheering as a universal way of showing recognition and appreciation? Absolutely!

If it’s deserved, that is. Occasionally, people in Luxembourg might turn out a little hard to please, but once we get going, we can’t be stopped!

Space

In 2017, Luxembourg announced its aim to ‘contribute to the peaceful exploration and sustainable utilization of space resources for the benefit of humankind’.

To the global public, the space resources initiative may have sounded surprising.

But why not? We have proven our courage and innovative spirit, and are keen to take on new challenges, together with our partners. Join us in orbit!

Innovation

Progress cannot be stopped, they say. But it doesn’t come by itself either.

Although not seeking to reinvent the wheel – or its contemporary equivalents, Luxembourg joins its European partners in systematically promoting innovation and entrepreneurship by way of investments from government and the business community.

Seize the opportunity!

Renewable energy

Luxembourg is currently ramping up its capacity to produce green energy. Wind power plays a key part in this.

Several new wind parks are in the process of being planned, authorised or constructed, in addition to those already in operation.

Considerable investment is being undertaken across-the-board to raise the country’s potential for renewable energy to the fullest.

Tram

Some Luxembourgers will remember the old Luxembourg-City Tram, running from 1875 until 1964.

Today, we have a brand new, modern version, which has already proven to be a great success as it improves the flow of people coming to work in the city each day.

Given the constant growth in population and need for mobility in Luxembourg, the new tram line will connect key areas of the city with multimodal interchanges at its periphery. Roll on, tram!

Fireworks

True, fireworks are common around the world.

Yet in Luxembourg, they really are enjoyed as a closing (or opening) act for many great events, including the yearly funfair ‘Schueberfouer’ and the national holiday in June.

We’ve celebrated this holiday – the anniversary of the Grand Duchess or Grand Duke – on the same day for three generations, even though it’s not actually her (or his) birthday. Anyway, see you on the eve of June 23^rd!

Multilingualism

Luxembourgers are proud of their heritage and their language, but they are pragmatic about it as well. On top of the three official languages of the country – Luxembourgish, German and French, English is also taught as a mandatory subject in school.

Furthermore, many people speak other languages such as Portuguese, Italian or Spanish. In fact, an average resident speaks 3.6 languages!

In any case, given that the international community makes up roughly 47% of Luxembourg’s population, you will always find someone who understands you.

Beer

In our neighbouring countries of Belgium and Germany, the choice may be larger, but our (growing) offer of locally brewed beer can surely compete when it comes to taste and quality.

The offer ranges from beers brewed in historical breweries with a long tradition, to new craft beers from start-up breweries, and everything in between.

Luxembourg even exports beers, to countries such as Belgium, Germany, and China!

Crémant

Since 1991 ‘Crémant’ has been Luxembourg’s answer to French Champagne, quickly becoming an all-time favourite.

Just like the champagne method, Crémant is made of grapes harvested by hand and fermented in the bottle. By the way, Luxembourg is one of the few countries allowed to produce the sparkling wine named Crémant outside France.

Luxembourgish Crémant regularly impresses juries at international competitions and remains our drink of choice to toast those special moments. Prost!

Wine

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Rivaner, Elbling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir – those are the main grape varieties one can find in Luxembourg, mainly along the Moselle, due to its mild climate.

Since Roman times, a genuine wine culture has developed, with at its heart, wine tastings, festivals and all kinds of festivities.

Meet you at the Moselle, for a glass of wine, or two!

Gromperekichelchen

A favourite of our culinary culture, and not merely for its phonetics. There is no local fair, or Schueberfouer, without our tasty ‘Gromperekichelcher‘, rounded off with some delicious apple sauce.

For most Luxembourgers, these fried potato cakes bring back childhood memories, and of course Grand Ma’s are always the best.

Make sure you get to taste one!

Weather

No doubt, blue skies and bright sunshine are good for everyone’s mood. Of course, this applies especially to countries like Luxembourg, where one is necessarily familiar with the contrast of showers and pouring rain.

When the sun comes out, the terraces fill up, sports seem easier, parks get busy, children are heard playing. It typically starts in spring when weather conditions improve and can last well into a golden autumn.

May the sun be with you!