Schifflange, older than Esch and proud of its independence

Schifflange lives in the shadow of Esch, its big neighbour, but history is on its side in one respect. For centuries it was Esch that depended on Schifflange, not the other way round. Today it’s a commune of just under 12,000 people in the Alzette valley, with a railway station and a couple of wetland walks worth a stop.

One of the oldest places in the country

STATEC counted 11,674 people here on the first day of 2026, all in a single locality. Its official history says the first document naming it dates from between 795 and 798, a gift of land at Scuffelingen to Echternach Abbey, and that the parish goes back to 983. In 1287 the Duke of Lorraine raised it to a free new town. And from 1128 Esch-sur-Alzette belonged to the parish of Schifflange, whose church stood on St Martin’s hill, until the two separated in 1742.

From iron to independence

Napoleonic troops destroyed the old church, and the new one went up in 1822 in the middle of the village. Then came a great fire in 1862, cholera in 1866 and, above all, the iron mines and blast furnaces linked to the railway network. Schifflange had ended up inside the commune of Esch, and in 1875 a petition with a thousand signatures asked for a split. The decree came on 6 July 1876, signed by Prince Henry on behalf of William III. In 1912 the merger of the local works with the Eich-Dommeldange steelworks brought more than 500 new workers and the first rows of workers’ cottages.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Esch-sur-Alzette before prices climb.

Walks along the Alzette

What I’d do in Schifflange is walk. And if you’d like something noisier, close by in Mondercange is the karting circuit opened in 1974 that Michael Schumacher once raced on. visitluxembourg lists an easy 3.06 km nature trail in the Brill, starting at 1 rue du Moulin, and a 7.65 km walking circuit from the cemetery that takes about two and a quarter hours. The family-friendly Dumontshaff trail shows off the Alzette valley after the river was renatured, with plenty of protected Natura 2000 birds. Part of the 267-hectare Brucherbierg and Lallengerbierg reserve, shared with Esch and Kayl, also lies within the commune.

Skating, swimming and art

The Red Rock skatepark is the biggest concrete park in the southern region, according to the commune. It covers 1,700 m², was built from 2009 by the German specialist Matt Grabowski, and stays open all day and all night, with floodlights until 10pm in summer. The sports centre on rue du Parc, opened in 1972, has a 25-metre pool, sauna and steam room. And the Schëfflenger Konschthaus gallery opens Wednesday to Sunday, 2pm to 6pm.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Esch-sur-Alzette before prices climb.

Getting there

Trains from the capital to Esch-sur-Alzette and Rodange stop at Schifflange, and second class costs nothing. Its carnival parade is among the best known in the country, according to the official portal. For the rest of the south, see the Minett guide.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Esch-sur-Alzette and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Luxembourg on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

So you do not pay over the odds, look at trains, coaches and flights to Luxembourg on Omio and pick the one that suits you.