Esch-sur-Alzette

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Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-Uelzecht
Coat of arms of Esch-sur-Alzette
Location of Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg
Administration
Country Luxembourg
District (Dark grey) Luxembourg
Canton (Dark red) Esch-sur-Alzette
LAU 2 LU00010004
Mayor Lydia Mutsch
Geography
Area
  - Rank		 14.35 km² (5.54 sq mi)
89th of 116
Highest point
  - Rank		 426 m (1,398 ft)
39th of 116
Lowest point
  - Rank		 279 m (915 ft)
92nd of 116
Population
Population (2005)
  - Rank		 28,000
2nd of 116
Density (2005)
  - Rank		 1,951 /km² (5,050 /sq mi)
1st of 116
List of communes of Luxembourg

Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourgish: Esch-Uelzecht, German: Esch-an-der-Alzette or Esch-an-der-Alzig, French: Esch-sur-Alzette) is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 28,000 people. The town of Esch-sur-Alzette lies in the centre of the commune; with a population of 27,146 (as of 2001), it is Luxembourg's second-most populous town.

It lies in the south-west of the country, on the border with France. The town is usually referred to just as Esch, but there is also a village and commune further north named Esch-sur-Sûre from which to distinguish it. Esch lies in the valley of the Alzette, which flows through the town. The capital, Luxembourg City, is roughly 15 km (9 miles) to the north-east.

Contents

[edit] Places of interest

Hotel de Ville
Hotel de Ville

There is a museum, called the National Museum of the Resistance, which has material related to the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War. Other tourist attractions include the large park, and the Berwart Tower, built in 1621.

There are two cinemas, called the 'Ariston' and the 'Kinosch'. The main theatre is the Municipal Theatre. There is also the 'Kulturfabrik', a cultural centre in a reconverted abattoir which hosts performances of various kinds. The town is the site of one of the six regional headquarters of the Grand Ducal Police.

The city is the centre of the country's steel manufacture. One of the largest employers in the town is Arcelor, the world's largest steel producer, which formed from the merger of Aceralia, Arbed, and Usinor.

[edit] Sport

Esch is in the heart of the traditional footballing heartland of the south of the country, and the town was the first place in the country to embrace the game. The first two football clubs in the country, CS Fola Esch (founded in 1906) and Jeunesse Esch (1907), both come from the town. Jeunesse have been the most successful Luxembourgian club, winning an unrivalled twenty-seven National Division titles; combined with twelve Luxembourg Cup victories, Jeunesse have won eight Doubles. They play at Stade de la Frontière, in the south of the town. Fola were very important in the early history of the sport in Luxembourg, winning five titles up to 1930, but have since declined, currently playing in the second-tier Division of Honour. Fola's home stadium is Stade Émile Mayrisch, in the south-east of Esch, which it shares with its sister athletics club CA Fola Esch.

At the 2006 Tour de France, Esch-sur-Alzette hosted the end of Stage 2 and the start of Stage 3.

[edit] Transport

Sign at Esch-sur-Alzette railway station.
Sign at Esch-sur-Alzette railway station.

Esch-sur-Alzette is the southern terminus of the A4 motorway, which runs northwards to Luxembourg City. The east-west A13 meets the A4 just to the north of Esch, and terminates at Pétange in the west and meets the German Bundesautobahn 8 at its eastern end.

Esch is one of four Luxembourgian towns to have multiple railway stations.[1] Esch's three railway stations, Esch-sur-Alzette, Belval-Rédange, and Belval-Usines, all lie on Line 60 of the Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois network.

[edit] Twin towns

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ The others are Luxembourg City (4 stations), Dudelange (4), and Mamer (2)

[edit] External links

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Communes of Esch-sur-Alzette

Coordinates: 49°30′N, 5°59′E