Esch-sur-Alzette
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Esch-sur-Alzette is the second largest city (so-called despite its small size) in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with a population of about 30,000 people. It lies in the south-west of the country, close to the border with France. The town is usually referred to just as Esch, but there is also a village further north named Esch-sur-Sūre 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 (10 miles) to the north-east, and can be reached by road (the A4) or by rail.
There is a museum, called the National Museum of the Resistance, which has material related to the resistance to Nazi 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 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.
Esch is twinned with Cologne, Ličge, Lille, Rotterdam, Turin and Coimbra.
External links
- The city's website (http://www.esch.lu/)
- A large private collection of pictures of the city and its surroundings (http://www.eschalzette.com)
- Luxembourg Towns (http://www.luxcentral.com/LuxTowns.html) - a guide by Gary Little (please be aware that there are only 12 cities (!) in the Grand Duchy; have a look at the lb Wiki)
- A brief description of the twinning agreement (http://asp1.nordcompo.fr/mairielille/LilleTouristique/GB/CultureGB/FramesCulture/FCEschAlzGB.htm)
- FEATS Newsletter, December 1999 (http://www.feats.org/archive/news/news1299.htm) - discusses quite a few matters relating to Esch
- Arcelor website (http://www.arcelor.com/)
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