XX International Conference on Chemical Reactors
"CHEMREACTOR-20"
December 3-7, 2012, Luxemburg

Cultural program

The Organizing Committee will suggest an entertaining program and the excursions to the participants and accompanying persons. The city-tour (Guide Excursion around Luxemburg) is included in the package of the registration fee. Other excursions to Excursions are offered to the participants optionally. Given the proximity of Luxembourg to other countries, have a look at their most interesting places.

December 2, Sunday, 2.30 p.m Excursion to Nancy, France (75 Euro)
December 3, Monday, 7.00 p.m Welcome reception
December 4, Tuesday, 5.00 p.m City-Tour (Guide Excursion around Luxemburg)
December 5, Wednesday, 7.00 p.m. Conference Banquet (75 Euro)
December 6, Thursday, 2.30 p.m. Excursion to Metz, France (60 Euro + entrance fee to Metropole Cour d’Or Museum)
December 7, Friday, 10.00 a.m. Excursion to Trier, Germany (60 Euro+ entrance fees to Porta Nigra and amphitheatre)
December 8, Saturday, 9.00 a.m. Excursion to Brugge, Belgium (112 Euro + entrance fee Brewery de Halve Maan)


EXCURSION TO NANCY

Nancy is a city in the north-eastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of Lorraine, French province. The earliest signs of human settlement in the area date back to 800 BC. Early settlers were likely attracted by easily mined iron ore and a ford in the Meurthe River. A small fortified town named Nanciacum (Nancy) was built by Gerard, Duke of Lorraine around 1050. Lorraine is proud of its strategic position at the border of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A strategic position at the crossroads of Europe explains Lorraine's long, colorful and often turbulent history, which has endowed two major cities with diverse artistic wealth: Metz, once a Gallo-Roman stronghold; and Nancy, whose elegant 18th-century buildings make artwork out of urban architecture.

In the 18th century Nancy had already become a centre of European culture. The old city centre's heritage dates from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The cathedral of Nancy, the Triumphal Arch and the "Place de la Carriere" are a fine examples of 18th century architecture. At the end of the 19th century, Nancy became a major influence in Europe's Art Nouveau movement. The city is known for its World Heritage buildings and places: The Place Stanislas named after the king of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and duke of Lorraine Stanisław Leszczyński, Place de la Carrière, and Place d'Alliance were added on the World Heritage Sites list by the UNESCO in 1983.
The "École de Nancy", a group of artists and architects founded by the glassmaster and furniture maker Émile Gallé, worked in the Art Nouveau style at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century. It was principally their work which made Nancy a centre of art and architecture that rivaled Paris and helped give the city the nickname "Capitale de l'Est." The city still possesses many Art Nouveau buildings (mostly banks or private homes). The city still possesses many Art Nouveau buildings (mostly banks or private homes). The trimmings of the decorative arts are conserved at the Musée de l'École de Nancy.

LUXEMBOURG CITY-TOUR

Luxembourg City lies on the southern part of the Luxembourg plateau, a large Early Jurassicsandstone formation that forms the heart of the Gutland, a low-lying and flat area that covers the southern two-thirds of the country. The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc (today Luxembourg Castle) situated on the Bock rock by Siegfried, Count of Ardennes in 963 through an exchange act with the abbey of St Maximin in Trier. Around this fort, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a small state of great strategic value.
The city centre occupies a picturesque site on a salient, perched high on precipitous cliffs that drop into the narrow valleys of the Alzette and Pétrusserivers, whose confluence is in Luxembourg City. The 70 m deep gorges cut by the rivers are spanned by many bridges and viaducts, including the Adolphe Bridge, the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge, and the Passerelle. Although Luxembourg City is not particularly large, its layout is complex, as the city is set on several levels, straddling hills and dropping into the two gorges.
Despite the city's comparatively small size, it has several notable museums: the recently renovated National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the Luxembourg City History Museum, the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudam) and National Museum of Natural History (NMHN). The city of Luxembourg itself is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, on account of the historical importance of its fortifications.  In addition to its two main theatres, the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and the Théâtre des Capucins, there is an impressive new concert hall, the Philharmonie, as well as a conservatory with a large auditorium. Art galleries include the Villa Vauban, the Casino Luxembourg and Am Tunnel.
Luxembourg was the first city to be named European Capital of Culture twice. The first time was in 1995. In 2007, the European Capital of Culture was to be a cross-border area consisting of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland in Germany, the Walloon Region and the German-speaking part of Belgium, and the Lorraine area in France. The event was an attempt to promote mobility and the exchange of ideas, crossing borders in all areas, physical, psychological, artistic and emotional.

EXCURSION TO METZ

Metz (French pronunciation of "listen") is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place of the European Greater Region. A historic Garrison town, Metz is the economic heart of the Lorraine region, being specialized in information technology and automotive industries. Metz is home to the University of Lorraine and a center for applied research and development in the materials sector notably in metallurgy and metallography, the heritage of the Lorraine region's past in the iron and steel industry.
The Saint-Louis square with its arcades, where currency changers gathered, remains a major symbol of the High Medieval heritage of the city, as well as, a Knights Templar chapel. The Gothic Saint-Stephen Cathedral, several churches and Hôtels, and two remarkable municipal granaries reflect the Late Middle Ages. Examples of Renaissance architecture can be seen in Hôtels from the 16th century, such as the House of Heads. The Centre Pompidou-Metz is a museum of modern and contemporary arts, the largest temporary exhibition area outside Paris in France. The museum features exhibition from the extensive collection of the Centre Pompidou, the Europe's largest collection of 20th century art.
In addition, Metz features other museums and exhibition venues. The Golden Courtyard is a museum dedicated to the history of Metz, divided into four sections (e.g. archeology, medieval, architecture, and fine arts). The Saint-Stephen Cathedral exhibits the rich collection of the Bishopric of Metz, including the items used in the service of the Eucharist. The Lorraine Contemporary Arts Gallery is located in the Saint-Liver Hôtel and organizes exhibitions of local and international contemporary artists. The Verlaine museum is located in the native house of the poet and is dedicated to his artworks.
Many events are celebrated in Metz throughout the year. The city of Metz dedicates two weeks to the Mirabelle plum during the Mirabelle Festival held in August. In addition to open markets selling fresh prunes, mirabelle tarts, and mirabelle liquor, there is live music, fireworks, parties, art exhibits, a parade with floral floats and competition, and the crowning of the Mirabelle Queen and a gala of celebration.  Also, a festival of literature is held in June. The Montgolfiades hot air balloon festival is organized in September. The Metz White Night festival takes place in October. The second most popular Christmas Market in France occurs in November and December. Finally, a Saint Nicholas parade honors the patron saint of the Lorraine region in December.

EXCURSION TO TRIER

Trier is a historic city in west central Germany, just six miles from the Luxembourg border and 120 miles SW of Frankfurt. Trier is Germany's oldest city. Legend has it that in 2000 BC the Assyrians established a colony here. The Roman colony of Augusta Treverorum (Trier) was founded by Augustus in 16 BC. Trier became a favored residence of several Roman emperors, including Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. The cathedral Constantine built in Trier in 326 AD is Germany's oldest. After destruction by Germanic tribes in the 5th century, the great city of Trier became a small town. It still feels pleasantly small today, despite its population of 100,000. Trier's market square (Hauptmarkt) is one of the nicest in Germany, filled with fruit stands, flowers, painted facades, and fountains. Catholic pilgrims still come to Trier in large numbers to honor the relic of the Holy Robe at the Dom St. Peter and the tomb of St. Matthias in the Benedictine church named for him.
The happy coexistence of the old and the new - the illustrious past and a modern, youthful lifestyle - is precisely what gives Trier its special charm. You come across most of the places of interest, such as the centrepieces of all nine of its UNESCO world heritage sites, as you stroll around the town centre and sightseeing is easily combined with taking a break for a glass of Moselle wine in the medieval market square. Trier's vineyards actually start just 500 meters from the amphitheater.
The most famous places of interest are:
The Porta Nigra gate, staggeringly high and colossal, weathered sandstone blocks and Constantine's Basilica whose interior is the largest single room to have survived since antiquity. The imperial baths were part of the largest bathing complex in the Roman empire and can also be explored below ground. The amphitheater, the arena at the foot of Petrisberg hill that saw gladiatorial and animal combat, was where crowds of up to 20,000 cheered on the shows and is one of the venues for the modern-day Antiquity Festival together with the imperial baths.
Cathedral and Church of Our Lady stands on the site of a former palace of Emperor Constantine and still contains part of the Roman original. Its art and architecture covers a time span of more than 1,650 years. Directly adjacent stands the earliest Gothic church in Germany, the Church of Our Lady, built in the 13th century.
Zurlaubener Ufer, by the Kaiser-Wilhelm Bridge, is a quaint little spot on the Moselle. Formerly a fishing village, many of its houses date back to around 1800 and it has retained much of its traditional character.

EXCURSION TO BRUGGE

Brugge (Bruges in English) is located in the northwest of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region. The historic city center is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. Its medieval old-town and its charming canals makes Brugge one of the most picturesque towns in Belgium, also called the “Venice of the North”.
Brugge is an outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement, which has maintained its historic fabric as this has evolved over the centuries, and where original Gothic constructions form is a part of the town's identity.  As one of the commercial and cultural capitals of Europe, Brugge developed cultural links to different parts of the world. It is closely associated with the school of Flemish Primitive painting.

The most important of the squares are the Burg and the Grand'Place. For some 1,000 years the Burg square has remained the symbol of the alliance of religious and civic authorities, as well as the seat of several public institutions, including the dispensing of justice. The Grand'Place, on the other hand, is the site of the halls, the belfry and the Waterhalle, symbolizing municipal autonomy.
The architecture of Brugge, from the Middle Ages until modern times, is principally characterized by brick Gothic, and particularly by a style of construction known astravée brugeoise . This type of construction was well established in the early 16th century and, with some later variations, it was maintained until the 17th century. It also became the main inspiration for 19th-century restorations.
Brugge is a romantic open-air museum with churches and patrician houses. One can look at picturesque Groene Reie, the beautiful old houses along the river, the typical cobbled squares with their ancient coloured and ornate houses reminding us of another time.