Land of the Red Rocks - canton in Luxembourg

The Land of the Red Rocks (French: Région Terres Rouges), also known as the Esch-sur-Alzette canton, is the furthest southwest region of Luxembourg.

Understand

The Land of the Red Rocks, also known as the Esch-sur-Alzette Canton, is a former mining region in southern Luxembourg that is filled to its brim with industrial heritage.

The name Land of the Red Rocks comes from the reddish iron ore that was found and extracted from the ground in high amounts. The growth the region experienced during the 1900s can still be seen in numbers: Six of the ten biggest cities and towns of Luxembourg are located in the Land of the Red Rocks.

Get in

By car

The A13 services the entire canton, starting at Pétange, combining with the A4 near Esch-sur-Alzette to continue eastward as the A13 again in the direction of Mondorf-les-Bains. After passing the German border, the Autobahn 8 connects to Saarlouis, Neunkirchen and Homburg.

From Luxembourg City

The Land of Red Rocks can be accessed via three main highways when travelling from Luxembourg City, namely the A3, which links up to the A13 near Dudelange, the A4, which connects to Esch and the E44, which connects to Pétange.

From Belgium

Coming from Belgium, use the E25 (when travelling from Liège or the E411 (when traveling from Namur) to head for Luxembourg, but before the border, at exit 32, turn right onto the N81. When the road turns into the A28, take the first exit (Pétange), and take a left onto the N88. Ater the border crossing, you will find yourself on a roundabout in the west of Pétange. Turning left here will get you onto the E44/A13, which connects to the rest of the canton. Alternatively, the A6 can be used to get to Luxembourg City, followed with the E44, A4 or A3 as described above. This does however result in a longer route.

From France

When travelling from France, first get to Metz or Thionville, from which you take the A31 heading north. Not long after crossing the border you will find yourself at the Croix de Bettembourg, from which you can turn left onto the A13 heading for Esch-sur-Alzette to connect to the entire canton.

By train

Most of the region is covered in railway tracks, most of which service(d) the mines. The bigger cities such as Dudelange 📍, Esch-sur-Alzette 📍, Differdange 📍 and Pétange 📍 can easily be accessed by rail. Trains from Luxembourg to Nancy (and vice versa) both stop in Bettembourg 📍, from where the entire canton can be reached.

Get around

While all of the cities can easily be explored on foot, getting from one city of town to another usually takes a long time and a lot of effort. If you still want to see the best parts of the region while hopping between places, then use a mountainbike. The region is filled with cycling routes and dedicated cycling lanes and roads (pistes cyclable), most of the touristic routes will go off-road.

The best way to get around quickly is by either car or train. You will be able to easily drive from one city over to another via the highway network, which is one of the densest in Luxembourg. Trains service only the most important cities and some of the towns in between them. They connect directly to Luxembourg City and Namur (Belgium). Alternatively, most of the heritage railways listed here connect several towns and cities. Using them as a daily way of travel may get expensive, though visiting just one town for a day using the heritage rail network may very well be a welcome addition to your visit.

See

• Centre d'Art Nei Liicht / Dominique Lang, 25 Rue Dominique Lang, L-3505 Dudelange, 49.48255°, 6.08584°, +352 51 61 21 29 2. Two joint museums in the town of Dudelange focused on showing and facilitating access to modern art for the people of Dudelange, and provide a platform for up and coming local artists. Free 2016-08-20
• National Resistance Museum, Place de la Résistance, L-4041 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.49240°, 5.97605°, +352 54 84 72. Tuesday-Sunday: 14:00-18:00. The National Resistance Museum traces the history of Luxembourg from 1940 to 1945. There is also an exhibition of the Nazi concentration camps and the treatment of Luxembourg Jews. Free entrance 2016-08-18
• Parc Merveilleux (Parc Bettembourg), Route de Mondorf, L-3260 Bettembourg (Use the A13 heading for exit 8. Head towards Bettembourg and turn right onto National Road 13. The park will be to your left as soon as you've passed underneath the A3.), 49.5107°, 6.1198°, +352 51 10 48 1. Easter until early October. The Parc Merveilleux is an amusement park just east of Bettembourg in the south of Luxembourg. Designed above all for children, the park has a wide range of attractions including exotic birds, animals in their natural habitats, a pony ranch, a miniature railway, children's self-drive cars, adventure playgrounds, scenes from fairy tales, a restaurant and a cafeteria. 2017-06-03

Do

The Land of the Red Rocks is not only covered in rocks, rich in iron, but is also covered in railway tracks built to transport the mined iron to smelting works. Some of these have been converted into heritage railways, namely:

• Train 1900 (Fond de Gras), Fond-de-Gras, L-4676 Niederkorn, 49.5349°, 5.8577°, +352 26 50 41 24. Pétange to FdG: 14:15, 16:15, 18:15. FdG--Pétange: 13:30, 15:30, 17:30. Available from May to the last Sunday of September. A touristic steam train between Fond-de-Gras and Pétange 2016-08-20
• Train 1900 (Pétange), Route de Niederkorn, L-4762 Pétange, 49.5535°, 5.8770°. 2017-06-03
• Minièresbunn, Rue Principale, L-4640 Lasauvage, 49.5271°, 5.8380°. From Fond-de-Gras: 14:45, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00. Available from May to the last Sunday of September. Narrow gauge track connecting Fond-de-Gras with Lasauvage. The track goes through the abandoned mine galleries. 2016-08-20
• Musée National des Mines de Fer Luxembourgeoises (National Museum of the Luxembourgian Iron Mines), 26 Rue de la Bruyere, L-3714 Rumelange, 49.46082°, 6.02292°, +352 56 56 88. Small museum on local mining activities and a guided tour through the mines. Entry to which is serviced by a narrow-gauge railway. The tour guides speak mostly Luxembourgish and French, translations are available in the form of audio guide, which is available in Dutch, English, French, German. 2017-06-03
• Circular hikes and tours. The region also houses a major nature reserve, large zoo and large swimming pool, all of which can be found around Esch.
• Ellergronn nature reserve, Rue Jean-Pierre Bausch, L-4114 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4737°, 5.9763°, +352 26 54 42 1. Expositions and guided viewings 2016-08-18
• Escher Déirepark-Gaalgebierg, Rue du Stade, Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4833°, 5.9859°, +352 27 54 37 50. Large terrain with sport-infrastructure, playgrounds, animal park, rosary and waterfall. 2016-08-18
• Bains du Parc indoor pool and sauna, 1 Place des Sacrifiés 1940-1945, L-4115 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.49981°, 5.97744°, +352 26 53 13 53. 2016-08-18
• Football: CS Fola Esch play soccer in the National Division, the country's top tier. Their home ground is Stade Émile Mayrisch (capacity 7800) south side of Esch-sur-Alzette city. F91 Dudelange or Diddeleng also play in National Division at Stade Jos Nosbaum, capacity 2500.

Buy

Malls

The region offers just one mall, which are rare in Luxembourg. Aside from Belval Plaza, another mall can be found in Mersch, about 30-40 minutes from Esch-sur-Alzette when travelling by car.

• Cine & Shopping-Center Belval Plaza, Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.5010°, 5.9448°. 2016-08-18

Supermarkets

While malls are limited in the area, supermarkets are found in much higher quantities. The major chains have shops throughout the region, though mostly located in and around the major cities.

• Aldi - German discount supermarket
  • Aldi (Bascharage), Avenue du Luxembourg, L-4950 Bascharage, 49.5614°, 5.8987°, +352 50 59 69. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Aldi (Dudelange), Route du Luxembourg, 3515 Dudelange, 49.4952°, 6.0863°. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Aldi (Esch-sur-Alzette), 59 Rue d'Audun, L-4018 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4891°, 5.9769°, +352 54 36 36. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Aldi (Foetz), Rue du Brill - Zone Commerciale, L-3898 Foetz, 49.5200°, 6.0108°. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
• Carrefour - French hypermarket
  • Carrefour (Esch-sur-Alzette), 5-7 Rue de l'Alzette, L-4011 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4961°, 5.9856°, +352 26 53 03 23. 07:00-20:00 (-18:30 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
• Cactus - Luxembourgian supermarket
  • Cactus (Bascharage), 6 Avenue de Luxembourg, L-4950 Käerjeng, 49.5606°, 5.9002°, +352 26 50 50 1. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Cactus (Esch-sur-Alzette/Lallange), 136 Rue de Luxembourg, L-4222 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.5048°, 5.9888°, +352 55 14 14. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Cactus (Kayl), Rue Principale, L-3612 Kayl, 49.4803°, 6.0418°, +352 28 28 90 15. 08:00-20:00. 2017-06-10
  • Cactus (Pétange), 1 Rue Pierre Grégoire, L-4702 Pétange, 49.5558°, 5.8675°, +352 28 28 90 18. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
• Delhaize - Belgian supermarket
  • Delhaize (Differdange), 19 Rue du chemin de Fer, L-4556 Differdange, 49.5246°, 5.8916°, +352 58 46 44. 07:30-19:00 (closed on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Delhaize (Dudelange), 12 An Hinnefen, L-3491 Dudelangen, 49.4795°, 6.0906°, +352 27 51 03 71. 07:30-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Delhaize (Esch-sur-Alzette (Located at Belval Plaza)), 14 Avenue du Rock'n'Roll, L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.5020°, 5.9456°, +352 26 57 89 13. 07:30-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
• Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
  • Match (Dudelange), 75 Rue du Commerce, L-3450 Dudelange, 49.4771°, 6.0830°, +352 52 07 61. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10
  • Match (Esch-sur-Alzette), 29 Rue de Moedling, L-4246 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.5103°, 5.9567°, +352 26 17 98. 2017-06-10
  • Match (Livange), Rue de Bettembourg, L-3378 Livange, 49.5319°, 6.1245°, +352 51 95 27. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). 2017-06-10

Eat

• Stella Rosa, 273 Rue Metzerlach, L-4441 Soleuvre, +352 59 39 02. W-Su 12:00-14:00, 18:00-22:00,. 2016-08-18
• Moustache, 52 Grand-Rue, L-4132 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 26 53 02 90. Tu-F 12:00-0:00, Sa 18:30-00:00, Su 12:00-0:00. 2016-08-18
• Brasserie K116, 116 r. de Luxembourg, L-4221 Esch an der Alzette,, +352 26 17 59 74. 2016-08-18
• Restaurant le Pavillon, Rue du Stade, L-4142 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 54 02 28. 12:00-14:00, 18:00-22:30. 2016-08-18
• Restaurant Postkutsch, 8 Rue Xavier Brasseur, L-4040 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 54 51 69. Tu-F 12:00-23:00, Sa 18:00-23:00, Su 12:00-15:00. 2016-08-18
• Dimmi Si, 12 Avenue du Rock'n'Roll, L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 26 54 33 33. 11:45-14:30, 17:45-23:00. 2016-08-18
• Happy House, 68 Rue Emile Mark, L-4620 Differdange, +352 26 58 15 86. 2016-08-20
• Villa Hadir, 51 Rue Emile Mark, L-4620 Differdange, +352 26 58 02 15. 2016-08-20
• Lagano, 67 Grand-Rue, L-4575 Differdange, +352 26 58 22 04. 2016-08-20
• Asia Garden, 13 Rue Jean-Baptiste Gillardin, L-4735 Pétange, +352 50 35 28. 2016-08-20
• Restaurant Annapurna, 13 Rue de la Reconnaissance Nationale, L-4936 Pétange, +352 50 01 79. 2016-08-20
• Restaurant Kathmandu, 29 Rue Jean Jaurès, L-3490 Dudelange, +352 51 64 09. 2016-08-20
• Antica Bari - Ristorante Pizzeria, 28 Rue de la Fontaine, L-3470 Dudelange, +352 26 51 07 32. 2016-08-20
• Les 3 amis, 4734, 33 Avenue de la Gare, L-4734 Pétange, 49.55422°, 5.87756°, +352 50 71 12. 2017-06-03

Drink

• {{drink | name=Café Belami | alt= | url=http://www.belami.lu (dead link: December 2020) | email= | address=135 av. d'Oberkorn, L-4640 Differdange | lat= | long= | directions= | phone=+352 26 58 38 01 | tollfree= | fax= | hours=M-F 09:00-00:00; Sa-Su 09:00-02:00 | price= | lastedit=2017-06-02 | content= }}
• Coyote Café, 10-12 Avenue du Swing, L-4367 Belvaux, 49.50247°, 5.94128°, +352 42 85 86. 2017-06-03
• Bar/Lounge/Café La Strada, 2 Rue de Belvaux, L-4025 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.50034°, 5.97698°, +352 26 55 06 17. 2017-06-03
• Amadeus Bar, 23 Rue de l'Église, L-4106 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.49785°, 5.98174°, +352 53 23 70. 2017-06-03
• Café Casablanca, 110 Rue de l'Alzette, L-4010 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.49294°, 5.97820°, +352 26 53 18 34. 2017-06-03
• Café du Parc, 1 Rue du Parc, L-4771 Pétange, 49.55720°, 5.87799°, +352 50 41 72. 2017-06-03

Sleep

Budget: under €65, mid-range: €65–90, splurge: over €90 (standard double room).

Budget

Budget hotels in the region are mostly located where travellers wouldn't normally go. Some of them will be distanced from the highways, located some ways out from the cities. Changing your travel routes to end up in cheaper hotels that are just as decent as mid-range hotels might end up being rewarding.

• {{sleep | name=Hôtel-Restaurant de la Frontière | alt= | url=http://www.hoteldelafrontiere.lu (dead link: December 2020) | email= | address=52 Robert Schuman Strooss, L-5751 Frisange | lat=49.5064 | long=6.1926 | directions=Located on the south side of exit 10 (Frisange) of the A13, meters before the border crossing into France. The hotel is best to use when travelling from or to the Grevenmacher district. | phone=+352 23 61 51 | tollfree= | fax= | checkin= | checkout= | price=€55 | lastedit=2017-06-04 | content= }}
• Logis Hotel Cottage Dudelange, Rue Auguste Liesch., Dudelange, 49.4799°, 6.0804°, +352 52 05 91. €64 2016-08-20

Mid-range

• Threeland Hotel, 50 Rue Pierre Hamer, Pétange, 49.5576°, 5.8671°, +352 26 50 80 0. 4-star hotel €85 2016-08-20
• Hotel-Restaurant Gulliver, 58 Rue Nicolas Meyers, L- 4918 Käerjeng, 49.5563°, 5.8971°, +352 50 44 55 1. 3-star hotel €86 2016-08-20
• Hotel Ibis Luxembourg Sud, Rue de Turi, L-3378 Livange (Located on the west side of exit 2 (Livange) on the A3.), 49.53223°, 6.11136°, +352 26 52 01. €89 2017-06-04

Splurge

• Hotel de la Poste, 107 Rue de l'Alzette, L-4011 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4927°, 5.9781°, +352 54 00 18. €92 2016-08-18
• Logis Hotel Acacia, 10 Rue de la Libération, L-4210 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4931°, 5.9803°, +352 54 10 61. 3-star hotel €99 2016-08-18
• Hotel Ibis Esch Belval, Avenue du Rock n Roll, 12, L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.5011°, 5.9467°, +352 26 17 31. 3-star hotel. €109 2016-08-18
• The Seven Hotel, 50 Galgebierg (rue du stade), L-4142 Esch-sur-Alzette, 49.4869°, 5.9851°, +352 54 02 28. 4-star hotel €115 2016-08-18

Connect

Tourist Offices

Whenever you need information on the region, visit tourist offices. They will be the best places to get your information from people that know what they are talking about.

• Esch-sur-Alzette Tourist Information, Place du l'Hôtel de Ville, L-4138 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 54 16 37. M-F 09:00-17:00 During summers: M-Sa 09:00-17:00. 2016-08-18
• Differdange Tourist Office, 38 Avenue Charlotte, L-4530 Differdange, +352 58 77 1-1900. 2016-08-20
• Pétange Tourist Information, Place J-F Kennedy, L-4760 Pétange. 2016-08-20
• Dudelange Tourist Office, Plade de l'Hôtel de Ville, L-3401 Dudelange, +352 51 61 21-1. 2016-08-20

Post offices

All post offices in the region can be found online. Post Luxembourg offers, aside from typical mail-related items, a wide range of telecom solutions. May you be in need of for instance a Luxembourgian SIM-card for cheaper data and phone calls in the country, your solution is as easy as browsing their site or visiting one of their many offices, located in most every town.

• Bureau des Postes Bettembourg, 8 Rue de l'Indépendance, L-3238 Bettembourg, +352 51 12 31 21. M-F 08:00-12:00, 13:30-17:15. 2017-06-11
• Bureau des Postes Rumelange, 1 Place Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, L-3710 Rumelange, +352 56 50 31 21. 2017-06-11
• Bureau des Postes Esch-Lallange, 5 Boulevard Pierre Dupong, 4086 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 800 28 004. M-F 13:30-17:00. 2017-06-11
• Bureau de Poste Esch-sur-Alzette, Rue Zénon Bernard/Rue Xacier Brasseur, L-4030 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 800 28 004. M-F 07:00 - 17:00, Sa 09:00 - 18:00. 2017-06-11
• Bureau des Postes Pétange, 13 Avenue de la Gare, L-4734 Pétange, +352 800 28 004. M-F 08:00-12:00, 13:30 - 17:00. 2017-06-11

Emergencies

Luxembourgian Police (Police Grand-Ducale) can be reached on phone number 113 . Their offices are found in the bigger cities. In case of medical help, phone 112 . Hospitals are found in Esch-sur-Alzette and Niederkorn. Almost all major cities and town have a drug store (Pharmacie) for the non-severe cases.

• Police Bettembourg, 33 Rue de l'Indépendance, L-3238 Bettembourg, +352 24 46 12 00. 2017-06-11
• Police Esch Sud, 104 Boulevard J.-F. Kennedy, L-4171 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 24 45 82 00. 2017-06-11
• Police Esch Nord, 46 Rue du N, L-4260 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 24 45 42 00. 2017-06-11
• Police Dudelange, 30 Rue Jean Wolter, L-3544 Dudelange, +352 24 46 22 00. 2017-06-11
• Police Pétange, Place du Marché, L-4756 Pétange, +352 24 45 62 00. 2017-06-11
• Police Mondercange, 10 Rue de Reckange, L-3943 Mondercange, +352 24 45 52 00. 2017-06-11

Go next

• Luxembourg City, the only in the country is Luxembourg's old quarters and fortifications. The city can easily be reached via the highway or rail network.
• Echternach, the oldest town of the country, being founded in the 7th century. The city is filled with historical heritage and is surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of the Mullerthal.
• Namur (Belgium), the capital of the Wallonia region, located along the river Meuse, which can be reached effortlessly by train.
• Metz, Nancy and Strasbourg are all French cities worth visiting and they too are reached easily by train via the capital.
• Vianden, a delightful historical town and one of Luxembourg's biggest tourist attractions, featuring a wonderfully restored medieval castle.