Bike used
Trek Dual sport 3. Some of my friends adopted the e-bike, I don’t. My motto? I’m not powered by a battery but by my own determination!
Favourite cycling route
I recently discovered a series of bike paths which are ideally located for a bike tour around the Capital city. It starts at Mamer’s Park am Brill, a nice place to gather with friends. First I took the PC 13 from Mamer to Luxembourg. Once I’m in the city, I ride towards the Pfaffenthal/Kirchberg Funicular. The carriages are big enough to welcome many cyclists on board, and the view from the top is always beautiful. Once I arrive in the valley, I ride along the Alzette river and cross Clausen, Pulvermuhl and Hamm towards Hesperange. This path is gorgeous because it follows the water, is surrounded by trees and there are no cars. It’s peaceful.
At Hesperange Park, I follow another cycle path to Kockelscheuer. That’s the tricky part because the cycle path switches from quiet sections to sections where you share the road with cars and sometimes next to the motorway. After Cessange I follow the direction of Merl. At the rue des Celtes, a board indicates Bertrange. But honestly, you have to be lucky to find it: it’s hidden among the trees and many people don’t see the signs.
Once you are on this cycle path, you forget about the city. It criss crosses the allotments from the “cite jardinière” Alfred Thinnes and follows the Petrusse river via the Park Lentz and the centre of Bertrange. Once there, I just follow the cycle sign to the European School Campus and then I’m back at the Parc am Brill in Mamer, beside the Mamer River. This 55 km tour offers another point of view on Luxembourg-city and its surroundings. Besides the fact that there are many places to stop for a break, most of the route follows cycle paths where there are no cars.
Level of difficulty
Easy. Most of the ride is on tarmac road, except a part close to Kockelsheuer.
Highlights and comments
On this tour I recommend many places to stop and enjoy the surroundings.
1) (With a small diversion) The Kyosk at Kirchberg Central Park
2) Hesperange Park
3) Around Kockelsheuer
4) Park Lentz in Bertrange
5) And of course Parc am Brill in Mamer!
The cycle path along the tram section (between place de l’Etoile and Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg) is new and comfortable. Unfortunately, the signs give contradictory directions for cyclists: if you follow them, you may lose time at the red lights!
Why I ride
Cycling is a perfect outdoor activity to satisfy my curiosity for Luxembourg, discover new landscapes and villages and also get a suntan.
What is missing from the cycling infrastructure in Luxembourg?
We need more and better signage for cycle paths. Many of the signs are hidden in trees or lying on the ground.
We need more and better signage for cycle paths. Many of the signs are hidden in trees or lying on the ground. What is more, the cycling path network in Luxembourg is poorly known and many users are lost between the national, regional and communal paths.
Once you have enough information, you can enjoy roads in good conditions, compared with the ones I used to know in Belgium. I just think it’s sad to have poor connections between some cycle paths. In many cases cyclists need to ride along unsafe stretches of road, which is sad. I like the cycle paths that are reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, but some pedestrians behave dangerously, especially when they listen to loud music or when they are focused on their smartphone. Every road user needs to be alert, especially the weakest ones!
Read also