Belvaux, Grenz

South of Luxembourg lies the Land of Red Earth (Terre rouge), a former industrial region that experienced an economic boom in the mid-19th century after the discovery of iron ore deposits. Our cycling route invites you to explore this unique area, which derives its charm from visible industrial history on one hand and the renaissance of nature on the other. The deep green forests, red canyons, and unique biotopes will surprise you! Since the route partly runs on paved roads with car traffic, it is not necessarily suitable for families with small children. Immediately after starting in Bettembourg, the cycle path delights young and old with the "fairy tale park", where a puppet-animated fairy tale land, a large animal enclosure, many playgrounds, and floral displays can be admired. A tourist attraction you should definitely not miss, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Along the way, the viewer is constantly presented with a new, surprising backdrop: steeply dropping red rocks (which gave the area its name) alternate with abandoned mines, fields, towns, and forests. History lovers will find the ruins excavation site at Titelberg (near Pétange) with ancient Roman-era remains particularly interesting. In the Fond-de-Gras railway park, you experience historical insights into the world of railways from over 100 years ago. The route also takes you through Esch-Alzette, the country’s second-largest city. As a future university city, it offers a diverse cultural program (theater, numerous rock and pop concerts), shopping opportunities (the country’s longest car-free shopping street), and architecturally valuable buildings such as the many townhouses with Art Nouveau facades.

In the south of Luxembourg lies the Minett region, the land of the Red Earth (Terre rouge), named after the ore-containing rock in the soil that also stains it red. Through the entire region there will soon be a continuous, fully signposted cycling route: the «Minett Cycle». After 2023, the total of 150 kilometers (divided into three loops) of cycling infrastructure will invite discovery. Until then, you can already ride parts of the future «Minett Cycle» and discover the unique Minett region in sections. On this section, the path between Belvaux and Tétange goes along the "Piste Cyclable" number 8, and thus also along the border with France (and even for a few meters through French territory). Passing the new district Esch-Belval, through Esch-sur-Alzette and the nature reserve Ellergronn, past the "Leiffrächen" and the national miner monument, it continues to the border at Rumelange. Then it continues and climbs up to the "Schungfabrik" and the "Musée vun der Aarbecht" (MUAR) in Kayl.

At the beginning of this stage, you can already see one of the highlights of the Minett Trail: the Belval district. It is one of the largest urban development projects in Europe on a former industrial site. On the way here, you'll find one of the local orchards, freely accessible as part of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere's "Tutti Frutti" project: "Parc Belval" boasts 33 fruit trees, including cherry, apple, and pear trees. In Belval itself, former industrial giants such as the iconic blast furnaces meet newly built residential and commercial areas. You can visit the former blast furnace plant and climb the blast furnace. The panorama over the district is fantastic. Continue across the longest bicycle bridge, the "Veloduct," towards Rue de l'Alzette. Luxembourg's longest shopping street also houses the Escher Infofabrik, where you can get information about other sights, hiking and biking routes, and cultural events nearby. Local producers such as the coffee roastery "Jolt Coffee Roasters" or the chocolates of the chocolatier "Lola Valerius" (both not directly on the way, but only a short detour away) await your visit, as does the shop "Kaf lokal", which offers all kinds of regional and local specialties and products directly along the way in the Rue de l'Alzette. The section between Belval and the train station in Esch-sur-Alzette is also completely barrier-free and can be recommended as an alternative route for people with limited mobility.

Together with artists from the DKollektiv, the "Wee vum Steen" shows in various ways how Minett stone was mined and finally transported to the blast furnace via conveyor belts and train wagons. Numerous information boards provide more detailed information about the mining and transportation processes. At the former crusher, a specially made sculpture shows the inner workings of the machine, showing how the Minett stones were crushed for further transportation.