Land of the Red Rocks

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

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, , and  can easily be accessed by rail. Trains from Luxembourg to Nancy (and vice versa) both stop in, 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.

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: The region also houses a major nature reserve, large zoo and large swimming pool, all of which can be found around Esch.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

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.

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
 * Carrefour - French hypermarket
 * Cactus - Luxembourgian supermarket
 * Delhaize - Belgian supermarket
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Carrefour - French hypermarket
 * Cactus - Luxembourgian supermarket
 * Delhaize - Belgian supermarket
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Delhaize - Belgian supermarket
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Delhaize - Belgian supermarket
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)
 * Match - Hungarian supermarket (part of Delhaize)

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.

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.

Emergencies
Luxembourgian Police (Police Grand-Ducale) can be reached on phone number. Their offices are found in the bigger cities. In case of medical help, phone. 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.

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.