Land of the Red Rocks

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

The Land of the Red Rocks is, as its name would imply, known for its rocks, which are red due to high quantities of iron ore

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
Aerial view of the Rockhal in Esch surrounded by industrial heritage.
  • 🌍 Centre d'Art Nei Liicht / Dominique Lang, 25 Rue Dominique Lang, L-3505 Dudelange, ☎ +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. (updated Aug 2016)
  • 🌍 National Resistance Museum, Place de la Résistance, L-4041 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +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. (updated Aug 2016)
  • 🌍 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.), ☎ +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. (updated Jun 2017)

Do
Steam locomotive 507 at Fond-de-Gras railway station

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, ☎ +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 (updated Aug 2016)
  • 🌍 Train 1900 (Pétange), Route de Niederkorn, L-4762 Pétange. (updated Jun 2017)
  • 🌍 Minièresbunn, Rue Principale, L-4640 Lasauvage. 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. (updated Aug 2016)
  • 🌍 Musée National des Mines de Fer Luxembourgeoises (National Museum of the Luxembourgian Iron Mines), 26 Rue de la Bruyere, L-3714 Rumelange, ☎ +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. (updated Jun 2017)
  • 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.

Buy

Malls
Belval Plaza

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

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, ☎ +352 50 59 69. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Aldi (Dudelange), Route du Luxembourg, 3515 Dudelange. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Aldi (Esch-sur-Alzette), 59 Rue d'Audun, L-4018 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 54 36 36. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Aldi (Foetz), Rue du Brill - Zone Commerciale, L-3898 Foetz. 8:30-19:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
  • Carrefour - French hypermarket
    • 🌍 Carrefour (Esch-sur-Alzette), 5-7 Rue de l'Alzette, L-4011 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 26 53 03 23. 07:00-20:00 (-18:30 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Carrefour (Longwy (France)), 26 Rue Aristide Briand, F-54400 Longwy, ☎ +33 3 82 23 25 79. 07:00-21:00 (08:30-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
  • Cactus - Luxembourgian supermarket
    • 🌍 Cactus (Bascharage), 6 Avenue de Luxembourg, L-4950 Käerjeng, ☎ +352 26 50 50 1. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Cactus (Esch-sur-Alzette/Lallange), 136 Rue de Luxembourg, L-4222 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 55 14 14. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Cactus (Kayl), Rue Principale, L-3612 Kayl, ☎ +352 28 28 90 15. 08:00-20:00. (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Cactus (Pétange), 1 Rue Pierre Grégoire, L-4702 Pétange, ☎ +352 28 28 90 18. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
  • Delhaize - Belgian supermarket
    • 🌍 Delhaize (Differdange), 19 Rue du chemin de Fer, L-4556 Differdange, ☎ +352 58 46 44. 07:30-19:00 (closed on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Delhaize (Dudelange), 12 An Hinnefen, L-3491 Dudelangen, ☎ +352 27 51 03 71. 07:30-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Delhaize (Esch-sur-Alzette (Located at Belval Plaza)), 14 Avenue du Rock'n'Roll, L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 26 57 89 13. 07:30-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
  • Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
    • 🌍 Match (Dudelange), 75 Rue du Commerce, L-3450 Dudelange, ☎ +352 52 07 61. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Match (Esch-sur-Alzette), 29 Rue de Moedling, L-4246 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 26 17 98. (updated Jun 2017)
    • 🌍 Match (Livange), Rue de Bettembourg, L-3378 Livange, ☎ +352 51 95 27. 08:00-20:00 (-13:00 on Sundays). (updated Jun 2017)

Eat

Drink

Sleep
This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
BudgetUnder €65 ($73)
Mid-range€65 - €90 ($73 - $100)
SplurgeOver €90 ($100)

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.

Mid-range

Splurge

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.

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. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Bureau des Postes Rumelange, 1 Place Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, L-3710 Rumelange, ☎ +352 56 50 31 21. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Bureau des Postes Esch-Lallange, 5 Boulevard Pierre Dupong, 4086 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 800 28 004. M-F 13:30-17:00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • 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. (updated Jun 2017)
  • 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. (updated Jun 2017)

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. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Police Esch Sud, 104 Boulevard J.-F. Kennedy, L-4171 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 24 45 82 00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Police Esch Nord, 46 Rue du N, L-4260 Esch-sur-Alzette, ☎ +352 24 45 42 00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Police Dudelange, 30 Rue Jean Wolter, L-3544 Dudelange, ☎ +352 24 46 22 00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Police Pétange, Place du Marché, L-4756 Pétange, ☎ +352 24 45 62 00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • Police Mondercange, 10 Rue de Reckange, L-3943 Mondercange, ☎ +352 24 45 52 00. (updated Jun 2017)

Go next
  • Luxembourg City, the only UNESCO World Heritage listing 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 effortless 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.
Routes through Land of the Red Rocks

Luxembourg ← Bettembourg ←  N  S  → Metz → Nancy
Luxembourg ←  NE  SW  → Esch-sur-Alzette
Pétange ← Esch-sur-Alzette ←  W  E  → Mondorf-les-Bains → Saarbrücken
Le Havre ← Amiens ←  W  E  → Trier → Koblenz → Giessen
Luxembourg ← Bettembourg ←  N  S  → Metz → Nancy
Arlon ← Pétange ← Differdange ←  W  E  → Esch-sur-Alzette → Luxembourg


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