Ettelbruck : A town on a human scale, which has all the advantages of a city

With 8850 inhabitants, Ettelbruck is a town where life is good, at the heart of the Grand Duchy, on the edge of the verdant Ardenne. But this tranquil city is not sitting on its laurels. It has all the advantages of a small capital city in terms of amenities and services, and its commercial, community and cultural vitality seduces all generations.

The gateway town to the Luxembourg Ardenne, Ettelbruck has the benefit of a privileged geographical location and an unspoilt environment. At the heart of the country, it is located 5 km from Diekirch, under 50 km from Bitburg (Germany), 40 km from Bastogne (Belgium) and only 36 km from the capital, Luxembourg-Ville.

The advantage of proximity

There is no question of being isolated in the shade of the massif and of the forest: while the region is clearly well-placed for a whole range of activities in idyllic surroundings and leisure activities for those who love Nature with a capital ”N”, the station in Ettelbruck is the second busiest in the country in terms of passenger numbers! Connections are available with the rest of the country all hours of the day from 1 January to 31 December…

However, while the number of inhabitants has doubled since the end of the Second World War, with 8850
inhabitants currently, the town remains resolutely “on a human scale”.

A passion for sport

Even though not in any sense a conglomeration, it does have all the advantages of one… Sportsmen and
women know something about this (there were 22 associations at the last count), and benefit from the numerous facilities and infrastructures (swimming pools, tennis courts, stadiums and gymnasiums).

Amongst the large numbers of members of sports associations, many are young people. Which is quite logical. Some 3500 students converge on Ettelbruck every day from throughout the region to pursue their studies in one of the town’s four lycées: in addition to the traditional and scientific education, the provision for secondary studies in the technical field is very rich (agricultural, and health professions particularly). A private establishment, Saint-Anne, for girls, has also been established. Finally, a Professional continuous training centre [Centre de formation professionnelle continue] provides access for young people and for the working population, to enable them to develop their skills further…

Culture is the focus

For inhabitants and students of Ettelbruck there is also plenty of enrichment to be found from the cultural perspective. The town can be rightly proud of the fact that it shares with Diekirch the Conservatoire de musique du Nord {Northern conservatory of music], the second largest establishment of its type in Luxembourg. No fewer than 1450 students are enrolled at its two sites, in Ettelbruck and in Diekirch. 

Inaugurated in 2000, CAPE- the Centre des Arts Pluriels d’Ettelbruck has become an authoritative benchmark in the Grand Duchy. Hundreds of events are presented there each year (theatre, concerts), in programmes that combine contemporary works and the classical repertoire, professional artists, and rising young talents from the region.

Not forgetting the history museum dedicated to General Patton and in general to the heroes of winter 1944, as the decisive Battle of Ardennes took place in this region, when the Allies had to resist the German counter-offensive…

Everything in situ!

When peace returned, the town thrived… In a pleasant urban setting, Ettelbruck is also very well provided for from the commercial point of view, with a pedestrian zone unanimously considered to be the finest in the country. The ratio is impressive: for nearly 9000 habitants, the town has no fewer than 180 lively shops, restaurants and bistros. “We want for nothing, everything is here, in situ” as people rightly say, in the shops and breweries…

This is equally true in the vital field of healthcare. Within its own territory, the town has the Centre hospitalier du Nord [Northern hospital centre] (CHdN). This is a generalist establishment that serves the north of the country, with, in particular, its branch in Wiltz. It has 110 doctors registered there, with a capacity of 275 beds, 16 of which are for intensive care. There is a 24-hour accident and emergency department.

Also regarding healthcare, there is a Medical Centre next to the hospital.

The Centre Hospitalier Neuropsychiatrique [Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Centre] (CHNP), which has become a psychiatric rehabilitation clinic that does not take emergency patients, completes the picture of quality hospital treatment for the town.

The accommodation aspect

Regarding accommodation, the provision is just as appealing… Although it was necessary to wait thirteen long months to obtain the environmental authorisations for the environmental study for the new PAG [General development plan] in the planning stage, a number of projects that implement the current new PAG, will now be built. A number of the PAPs [special planning schemes] that have been authorised are even in the process of construction. “This represents a total of 159 houses and 294 apartments, or 453 new residences liable to be granted permission, or that are for sale, or under construction”, confirms Jean-Paul Schaaf, the town’s burgomaster. The commune currently has eight main projects running in various locations. The largest development is the Auf dem Moor project: 79 houses, and 50 apartments, located on the plateau heading towards Michelbouch. “This very sunny plateau will be linked by the local bus local”. The “Hinter dem Dorf” development in Warken-Ettelbruck consists of 55 houses and 36 apartments. 15 houses and 71 apartments will be built in Warken “bei de Buchen”, 50 apartments in rue Um Boeschel, 38 apartments in Cité Patten, 45 apartments in rue Prince Henri, 6 houses in rue de Welscheid and 4 houses in rue Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

“These projects are evidence of the great dynamism to be found in Ettelbruck. Some locations still require a second environmental analysis phase involving new changes between now and 2018 with districts possible in some of the areas that had been deferred”. The number of inhabitants and the construction projects will therefore grow even more. Here, ”you can still buy accommodation!”