Luang Prabang is by far the biggest (some would say only) tourist attraction in Laos. Although both Vientiane and Luang Prabang served as capitals at various times, and often at the same time, Luang Prabang was the home of the royal family and the main French base during colonial times. During royal times a large number of temples were founded, which continue to draw a large population of monks, who make up well over 10 percent of the population. Keep in mind, though, that this population is about 20,000, so remember this when considering the guide books' advice to spend at least a week here.
The big challenge used to be getting here, as Vientiane was the only place where foreigners were allowed to enter the country, so you had to make your way to Luang Prabang from Vientiane. This involved a very unpredictable and uncomfortable trip by boat up the Mekhong, or flying on Lao Aviation, the airline with the world's worst safety record. Today, there are direct flights from Bangkok so you can avoid Lao Aviation, or nicer boat trips if you have more time. You can also drive between the two now that they've cleared a reasonably safe path through all the unexploded bombs. Lao Aviation is still lethal, and recently the UN and the various embassies have forbidden their employees from flying on it. We opted for the death flight, and lived to talk about it. (It was completely uneventful actually).
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