Country Guide

Luxembourg is only about as large as an average British or American county. It has had a customs union with Belgium and the Netherlands since 1948.

The north of the country consists of part of the forested Ardennes hills and has a similar climate to the neighbouring area of Belgium (see the table for Virton).

Southern Luxembourg borders France on the southwest and Germany on the east. It is the most populous area and contains the capital of the same name.

In the extreme southeast is part of the sheltered Moselle valley, where summers and autumns are warm enough for vines to be cultivated for wine-making.

The south of the country is drier and sunnier than the north. On occasions winters can be quite severe, with snow cover lasting for some weeks. Its inland position and the shelter of the Ardennes exclude the milder influence of the sea, which is more evident in the Netherlands and north Belgium.