Ettelbruck (Luxembourgish: Ettelbréck, German: Ettelbrück) is a small city in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It's located in the centre of the country, where the rivers Sauer, Wark and Alzette meet. This practical location has made Ettelbruck a major junction and transport hub, both historically and today. Although this friendly place doesn't have any of the impressive sites some other cities in Luxembourg have, it makes for a fine base from where to explore this compact country.
Ettelbruck is easily reachable by car, as it lies along the A7 Motorway (sometimes called the Motorway of the North).
By train it's equally well-connected, as it serves as a major railway junction. The main line 10 from Luxembourg (city) to Liège stops here. From Ettelbruck station, connecting trains run in the direction of Diekirch.
Practically all parts of town are reachable by car and bike. The centre itself is small enough to walk around, although the camp site and Grondwee area are a bit further.
The town's main attraction is the George S. Patton Memorial Museum, opened in 1995. It's a tribute to the American army General Patton, a folk hero and famous for quotes like "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country". Although the general himself never set foot in Ettelbruck, the town promotes itself as "Patton town", and he is widely celebrated as the Ettelbruck's liberator and symbol for the victory over the Germans in 1944. The central square is named after him, and in July, there's the annual Remembrance Day celebration, in honour of him and the American, British, French, Belgian and of course Luxembourgish troops who fought in the region. There's also a memorial for the celebrated general. Both the square and the memorial are located along the Sure-bridge, right at the spot where the Allied Forces finally succeeded to stop the German advancements into the south.
As in all of Luxembourg, hiking and biking are popular activities. The tourist information office has some good routes.
When you're travelling with children, there's a water playground below the camp site, at the bottom of the hill. This area is called the Grondwee.
Several restaurants are available in the town centre. Don't expect any haute cuisine, but there are different cuisines to choose from.
There are a few accommodation options in and around Ettelbruck, but there aren't nearly as many as in more tourist oriented towns. If you have no luck, drive a few km out of town or even to nearby Diekirch or Bourscheid for additional options. In about a 10 or 12 km radius, you'll find a number of fine options.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division