Discovering Luxembourg: An Insider’s Guide to the Multicultural Heart of Europe

“That was never my plan,” admits Reddeker, who was also a bit strange to the country at first. “It was really stressful, almost every day you have to communicate in four languages. But today I don’t have a problem with that anymore.” In Luxembourg, the Hövelhofer can communicate perfectly in the four common languages. German, French and Luxembourgish are the three official languages, and of course English is also spoken in the multicultural country in the heart of Europe.

He describes his move to the university in Luxembourg as a real stroke of luck, where he also did his doctorate on advertising communication in multicultural areas. “The contact to Luxembourg came about through a Bielefeld professor that my parents knew. I was able to do field research there, got to know the country and its people and built up a good network.” He still benefits from that today.

“Luxembourg is like a flower”

Because even if the country is just under 2,600 square kilometers in size, it has a lot to offer – especially a lot of different things. “Luxembourg is like a flower. Each page has its own offer and the city is in the middle,” says the tourism expert, describing the special features of the state with 640,000 inhabitants.

There are the Ardennes and nature parks in the north, the rocky Müllerthal in the east as a perfect hiking region, the Moselle valley in the southeast and the south is characterized by the iron and steel industry, which made the country so rich through ore mining. Right in the middle is the capital Luxembourg, which boasts both its medieval old town and its modern big city flair. “The city is cool,” says Sebastian Reddeker in a nutshell. But also expensive.

Anyone looking for an apartment or even a house there has to dig deep into their pockets – despite the attractive tax rates that apply there. Reddeker doesn’t have to. He has lived in Trier since 2007 and commutes to work. “Luxembourg is a lovely country with a culture all of its own, a French and German mix,” says Reddeker.

Reddeker still lives in Germany

But it was clear to him. “I am leaving my homeland, but not my country. I’ve lived in Trier for 16 years, I have friends there and I know what language is spoken there,” he smiles a little. But in 2010 he toyed with the idea of ​​going back to Paderborn. Because after the dissertation, he initially did not continue professionally. But thanks to the good contacts he now has and his doctoral thesis, Reddeker started working for the Luxembourg trade association in 2011 – there he was already responsible for the country’s marketing, but also for digitization, urban development and intercultural communication.

So the offer to join the agency for national tourist marketing, Luxembourg for Tourism (LFT), came almost inevitably. The then boss left the company, which is 80 percent state-owned and 20 percent privately financed. “I was only supposed to replace her on an interim basis at first. Actually, I didn’t want to do that,” his East Westphalian reserve came through, “but after three or four months I tasted blood and thought to myself, I won’t give up the job anymore”. He prevailed against other competitors for the post, including well-established Luxembourgers, and has been General Director of LFT since October 2018. There he is responsible for an annual budget of a good seven million euros, which the agency receives.

With his team he takes care of the marketing of the land. Because although it is so centrally located in Europe and can score points with many unique selling points in a relatively small area, there is still room for improvement in terms of tourism. Most holidaymakers come from Holland and, unsurprisingly, take advantage of the many camping opportunities. Germans also visit Luxembourg. “But we still see the greatest potential in Germany,” says Reddeker. Among other things, there is a direct connection of the Luxembourg railway to Düsseldorf.

Most vacationers come from Holland

“Luxembourg is attractive for people from metropolitan areas, for people who love nature and hiking,” he lists. The country also has a high density of starred restaurants, the world’s best vegetarian restaurant is also in Luxembourg. “It’s also perfect for culture lovers. World stars regularly perform in the Philharmonie, we have a large theater and art scene.” But the country of banks also lives from business. The airport handles around four million travelers a year. “There are also a lot of business trips. For example, it goes to London and back every day.”

Reddeker’s job is also to market Luxembourg’s tourist destinations around the world. North America is already doing very well, and interest in China and Japan is also growing. Also because Luxembourg is taking part in Expo 2025 in Osaka. “I’m in a strategic working group at the ministry,” explains the 43-year-old, who found his dream job in Luxembourg.

“This is supported by the internationality, the variety of languages, I can be creative, make a difference with my decisions and I also have the freedom to go home.” He is still regularly drawn to the Senne community, because he feels really at home there Luxembourg not. “I’m still caught between three chairs. I live in Trier, work in Luxembourg and visit my parents and friends in Hövelhof every six to eight weeks,” says Reddeker.

A piece of the exotic for everyone from OWL

But when he returns to Luxembourg, he still feels good, as he emphasizes. “Luxembourg is a bit like Westphalia – Catholic, very down-to-earth, a lot of agriculture, but also – that’s special – like a big city. There is a bit of the exotic here for everyone from OWL,” the head of tourism in Luxembourg is now advertising in Paderborner Land.