3 Best Sights in Esch-sur-Alzette and the Redlands, Luxembourg

Just 7 km (4½ miles) east of Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange is known as the most “Mediterranean” town in Luxembourg. It's certainly not for the weather. It stems from the fact that around 70% of its 17,000 residents are of Italian or Portuguese heritage, as the descendants of immigrant workers who came here at the height of the mining boom. At the heart of its Little Italy neighborhood, in an old railway station, you can seek out the Centré de Documentation sur les Migrations Humaines (www.cdmh.lu), one of the more enlightening exhibitions and tours in the Grand Duchy, exploring the country's rich history of migration and occupation. This town certainly has a long history of visitors. Romans first set up camp here at the base of what is now Mt. St.-Jean. The site was later a stop during the Crusades, and by the 12th century it was the location of a church built for the Order of the Brethren of St. Jean of Jerusalem. The current castle ruins—which include the foundation, a small chapel, and a tower—date from the 1550s. Atop Mt. St.-Jean, the commanding view south stares deep into France.

This small valley lies around 10 km (6 miles) northwest of Esch-sur-Alzette, and was once the heart of the country's mining industry, connected via a pair of railway lines: one to ship equipment and ore in and out of nearby Pétange; another to transport the workers to the mining village of Lasauvage or into France. It was still operating by the 1960s. In summer, visitors can ride trains into the old mining tunnels, pedal a "draisine" (€10) along the tracks, see rail and mining museums, and tour the old villages where the miners once lived. July also sees the arrival of blues and steampunk festivals. 

Luxembourg was deeply scarred by World War II. The Musée de la Résistance honors its Resistance fighters and is the home of the country's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Exhibits focus on the plight of Luxembourg's Jewish population and other communities that were lost during the war. It has recently been renovated in time for its 2022 reopening.