Ettelbruck

Luxembourg

Ettelbruck (Luxembourgish: Ettelbréck, German: Ettelbrück) is a small city in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It's located in the centre of the country, where the rivers Sauer, Wark and Alzette meet. This practical location has made Ettelbruck a major junction and transport hub, both historically and today. Although this friendly place doesn't have any of the impressive sites some other cities in Luxembourg have, it makes for a fine base from where to explore this compact country.

  • Tourist Information Office, 5, rue Abbé Muller. Mo-Fri 10AM-5PM. Located on the church square, between "Le Resto" and the "Schumacher" bakery.

Tourist Information Office, 5, rue Abbé Muller. Mo-Fri 10AM-5PM. Located on the church square, between "Le Resto" and the "Schumacher" bakery.

The town's main attraction is the George S. Patton Memorial Museum, opened in 1995. It's a tribute to the American army General Patton, a folk hero and famous for quotes like "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country". Although the general himself never set foot in Ettelbruck, the town promotes itself as "Patton town", and he is widely celebrated as the Ettelbruck's liberator and symbol for the victory over the Germans in 1944. The central square is named after him, and in July, there's the annual Remembrance Day celebration, in honour of him and the American, British, French, Belgian and of course Luxembourgish troops who fought in the region. There's also a memorial for the celebrated general. Both the square and the memorial are located along the Sure-bridge, right at the spot where the Allied Forces finally succeeded to stop the German advancements into the south.

  • George S. Patton Memorial Museum, 5, rue Dr. Klein, +352 81 03 22. From the 1st of June to the 15th of Sept., daily from 10AM to 5PM. Other months: Sundays from 2 to 5PM.. Truth be told, this is neither the only nor the best war time museum in the area. Nearby Diekirch has a museum of its own with perhaps an even more impressive collection, but still, the Ettelbruck Patton Museum has a well maintained selection of WWII helmets, costumes, weapons and photographs on display, as well as some fallen aircraft parts. €5 for adults, €3 for children..

George S. Patton Memorial Museum, 5, rue Dr. Klein, +352 81 03 22. From the 1st of June to the 15th of Sept., daily from 10AM to 5PM. Other months: Sundays from 2 to 5PM.. Truth be told, this is neither the only nor the best war time museum in the area. Nearby [[Diekirch]] has a museum of its own with perhaps an even more impressive collection, but still, the Ettelbruck Patton Museum has a well maintained selection of WWII helmets, costumes, weapons and photographs on display, as well as some fallen aircraft parts. €5 for adults, €3 for children..

As in all of Luxembourg, hiking and biking are popular activities. The tourist information office has some good routes.

When you're travelling with children, there's a water playground below the camp site, at the bottom of the hill. This area is called the Grondwee.

Several restaurants are available in the town centre. Don't expect any haute cuisine, but there are different cuisines to choose from.

  • River Café, 15 Rue Prince Henri, +352 26 81 08 86. Serves mostly grill dishes. around €25.
  • Le Resto Chez Fred, 7, rue Abbé Henry Müller, +352 81 02 80. 11.30am-2PM and 6.30pm-9.30om. Closed on Tue and Wednesday evenings.. One of the better restaurants in town, serving simple but tasty French bistro dishes. Mains from €17, dish of the day for €9.50.

River Café, 15 Rue Prince Henri, +352 26 81 08 86. Serves mostly grill dishes. around €25.

Le Resto Chez Fred, 7, rue Abbé Henry Müller, +352 81 02 80. 11.30am-2PM and 6.30pm-9.30om. Closed on Tue and Wednesday evenings.. One of the better restaurants in town, serving simple but tasty French bistro dishes. Mains from €17, dish of the day for €9.50.