Luxembourg

Me on the Chemin de la Corniche

From Belgium, I visited Luxembourg, and while I was there I went for a walk through the old town of Luxembourg city, and also along the Chemin de la Corniche, a pedestrian promenade that runs along the top of the 17th century ramparts of the city's fortifications.

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Along the ramparts there are the remains of a fortress which was built up over nine centuries. Because of it's location it was an important part of the border between Germany and France. It was known as one of Europe's strongest fortresses, and was used to hold off many attacks. In 1867, as part of the negotiations of a peace treaty to help to ensure that Luxembourg would be politically neutral, most of the original fortress was destroyed. Even though it has been largely destroyed the fortress is a UNESCO heritage site because of it's long association with military history.

As well as the fortress there is a network of tunnels underneath. While a lot of the outer part of the fortress was destroyed, the tunnels underneath remain. They were still in use in WW2, when they were used to shelter residents of the city from bombing.

What the fortress used to look like

Tunnels underneath the fortress