Esch-sur-Alzette
Luxembourg · Minett · 300 m
Description
Esch-sur-Alzette is the second city of Luxembourg and the capital of the Minett, the southern iron-ore country that built the Grand Duchy's industrial wealth. The blast furnaces of Belval were left standing when the steelworks closed and now rise directly out of a new university and culture quarter, an unusually blunt piece of industrial heritage. The whole region carries UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, and abandoned open-cast mines have turned into red-rock nature reserves crossed by walking trails. The Rockhal concert hall makes the town the country's live-music centre, and its shopping street is the longest in Luxembourg.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Belval blast furnaces
- Rockhal concert hall
- Minett UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
- Ellergronn and Prënzebierg red-rock nature reserves
- National Museum of the Resistance
- Rue de l'Alzette shopping street
- Fond-de-Gras industrial railway(Day trip)
- Belval university quarter and Möllerei
- Gaalgebierg park and animal enclosure
- Art deco and art nouveau facades of the old centre
- Minett Trail long-distance path
- Bassin Minett mining museum in Rumelange(Day trip)
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Esch-sur-Alzette, Lankelz, Nonnewisen
- Border town:
- Luxembourg