Luxembourg is one of Europe’s smallest countries, located between Belgium, Germany, and France, yet it has played an outsized role in European history and finance. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is dramatically situated on cliffs and deep river gorges, giving it one of the most striking landscapes of any European capital. Luxembourg’s strategic location made it a prized fortress territory for centuries. Because of its massive fortifications, it was once known as the “Gibraltar of the North.” The city passed through the hands of Burgundians, Spanish Habsburgs, Austrians, French rulers, and the Dutch before becoming fully independent in the 19th century.