Differdange

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 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

thumb|Aerial view of the Rockhal in Esch surrounded by industrial heritage.

Do

thumb|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: 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.

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.