Culture

Bilateral cultural ties

Luxembourg and India have strong cultural ties.

The modernist Indian artist Amar Nath Sehgal (1922-2007) had a very rich and long relationship with Luxembourg where he lived for more than two decades.

The artist left a remarkable heritage with numerous sculptures, paintings and drawings in private and public collections. Indian visitors will find the bust of Mahatma Gandhi created by Sehgal in the Municipal Park of the capital (photo).

Occasionally, he will be wearing a marigold wreath around his neck, which shows that Bapu is also revered by the growing Indian diaspora in Luxembourg.

The Indian actress and scientist, Niharica Raizada, born and raised in Luxembourg has acted in many “Bollywood” productions and likes to recall that “India taught her patience and Luxembourg taught her diversity”.

Every year we participate in many Film Festivals throughout India showing film productions or co-productions from Luxembourg.

Arts and Culture in Luxembourg

© Thibaud Bastien / Comité Inspiring Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a cosmopolitan country located in the heart of Europe with a thousand-year-old multicultural capital and different regions each with their very own characteristics. Due to its geological location, Luxembourg is home to an array of different landscapes, which include the dense woodlands and valleys of the Ardennes , the fascinating rock formations of the Mullerthal  region and the region of the 'Red Rocks'  with its former mining landscapes as well as the vineyards of the Moselle  region or Schengen, a small wine-producing town in the Southeastern part of Luxembourg in the 3-Border-Region with Germany and France, where the “ Schengen Agreement ” was signed in 1985.

WORLD HERITAGE

Luxembourg invites you to discover its three fabulous cultural sites, all registered on the UNESCO world heritage list.

ON 17 December 1994, the fortifications of the Old City of Luxembourg  and its ancient ruins have been recognised as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site. They combine the historical, medieval, classical and contemporary architectural styles like nowhere else. The capital’s old city, located around the “Bock”, highlights the 1000-year-old history of the fortress. Also known as the “Gibraltar of the North”, the military engineer Vauban contributed to the development of the fortifications. The ruins can still be visited today and are a unique tourist attraction in Europe with 17 km of underground tunnels. The Corniche offers panoramic views of the historic sites and the modern buildings, monuments and European institutions at the Kirchberg district.

Luxembourg City hosts a number interesting museums, among others, the Museum of Modern Art , which was designed by the Sino-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei and the museum “ Drai Eechelen ”, presenting the history of the fortress in the restored keep of Fort Thüngen, the “ Villa Vauban ”, the Luxembourg City Art Museum, the “ Casino Luxembourg ”, the forum for Contemporary art, the “ MNHA ”, the National Museum of History and Art or the “ Natur Musée ”, the National Museum of Natural History. You will find a detailed list of the Museums in Luxembourg on the VisitLuxembourg  website.    

LUXEMBOURG, A LAND OF CASTLES 

© Jengel / Castle Vianden

Luxembourg’s history has been marked by its geopolitical situation in the heart of Europe and many castles are witnesses of this millenary history.

Among the many castles to be visited, figure the Castle of Vianden , built between the 11th and 14th centuries, which remains one of the most beautiful feudal residences of the Roman and Gothic periods in Europe. The Beaufort castles  have been built during four different periods between the 11th and 17th centuries.

The Castle of Clervaux , built in the 12th century, houses among others the world famous photo exhibition “ The Family of Man ” curated by the Luxembourg born Sino-American director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and photographer Edward Steichen. The exhibition comprises 503 photographs by 273 artists from 68 countries presented for the first time in 1955. Having toured the world and displayed in over 150 museums and seen by more than 10 millions of visitors, it was Edward Steichen’s will that the final complete version of the exhibition was permanently installed in the castle in Clervaux in 1994. In 2003, the collection was listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register and has toured the world for years before being permanently installed at the castle of Clervaux and has been recognized by UNESCO.

HOPPING PROCESSION OF ECHTERNACH

The city of Echternach, already famous for its Benedictine abbey  and papal basilica founded by Saint Willibrord in the year 698, is also where the hopping procession of Echternach  takes place every year on Whit Tuesday. Thousands of pilgrims and spectators gather to participate in this unique cultural procession in honour of the abbey’s founder. The procession was recognised as a “UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2010.

When Willibrord, the founder of the abbey died in 739, pilgrims flocked to Echternach to pay homage to the missionary, who is buried in the church. The first testimonials go back to the 11th century. The abbey museum also highlights the life and deeds of St. Willibrord.

For more information of cultural places to visit and events in Luxembourg, click here . 

Luxembourgish culture in the Indian press

Luxembourg Coverage in the Fine Wine and Champagne magazine

Luxembourg is covered in the recent issue of the Fine Wine and Champagne magazine which highlights the heritage and culture, the nature, food and cuisine and the industry of Luxembourg.  Read the coverage..

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Interview of the Ambassador - Travel + Leisure magazine July 2020 issue

Read the interview of the Ambassador about the strong Luxembourg - India bilateral relations, millenary history of the Grand Duchy, its culinary delights and places to visit in an interview with the Deputy Editor Mr. Sumeet Keswani in the July issue of  Travel +Leisure India magazine . 

Interview of the Ambassador - Travel+Leisure - July 2020     Luxembourg Tourism coverage - Travel+Leisure - July 2020

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Launch of Commemorative Stamps of Mahatma Gandhi

In order to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the official launch of commemorative stamps by the Luxembourg  and Indian Post and a customised envelope had been organised at the Luxembourg Ambassador’s Residence on 21 October in the presence among others of the Secretary Posts and the Director General of the Indian Post.

The event has been covered by Delhi Times and The Week

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Interview of Mr. Antoine Clasen, Director General,Bernard Massard in the India Empire magazine - September 2019

Read the interview of Mr. Antoine Clasen, Director General of Luxembourgish wine producer Bernard Massard in the September 2019 issue of the India Empire Magazine with its ediitor, Mr. Sayantan Chakravarty. Mr. Clasen in the interview mentions about the Schengen wines produced by the Bernard Massard using the "Méthode traditionnelle'' and plans for the Indian market.  Read the interview..