In Europe, there are several places where countries come together at a so-called three-country point. Well-known is the tri-border point near Vaals in the Netherlands, but countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Italy offer these unique geographical particularities. If you are looking for a cool cycling route in Luxembourg, you will find that these tri-border points are surprisingly close to each other. In fact, if you wish, you can cycle from Longwy in France to the famous Schengen in Luxembourg - and back again - within a distance of 120 kilometres. This makes Luxembourg an outstanding cycling destination where you can effortlessly enjoy routes through FranceLuxembourg, Germany and Belgium.
Beautiful route
We have mapped out a beautiful cycle route in Luxembourg for you that, if you follow it, is exactly 200 kilometres long. This route is ideal for both a micro-adventure and a mini-adventure. Are you ready to follow us on this cross-border cycling adventure? With this cycle route in Luxembourg, you will not only experience the charming diversity of the region, but also enjoy the boundless freedom that cycling in Luxembourg offers you. Whether you are a novice cyclist or a seasoned adventurer, this route offers something for everyone. Thus, cycling in Luxembourg becomes an unforgettable experience where you can truly experience the rich culture and breathtaking nature of the heart of Europe.
Start in Esch
This piece is about cycling in Luxembourg, but the route eventually leads back to Luxembourg via Germany and then back to Esch, where we started, via Belgium and a corner in France. It's a snappy ride, if we do say so ourselves. The first part is relaxed, though. The route leads us through a hilly landscape towards the water, just below Remich. The climb to Filsdorf, after about 25 kilometres is the first real challenge. Before that, it's very much just short work. At Bech, we follow the river Moselle towards Schengen. This place is really worth a stop, if only for its historical significance.
Schengen
The village of Schengen will be familiar to many. The 'Schengen countries' are all countries that agreed to allow free movement of people and goods. As a Dutchman, you benefit from this in many ways. No passport checks, easy stuff to import or export. Less hassle, in other words. It's actually funny that Schengen is a village of minuscule size, but has a huge impact on our daily lives. The route towards it along the Moselle is nice and flat and therefore quite pleasant to start with.
Auf geht's to Germany
Germany is our next destination, especially the routes around Saarbrucken and Saarburg. Saarland is well known for its beautiful nature, its tough climbs and beautiful 'river bends'. Directly from Schengen, it goes up too. A 4.5-kilometre climb towards a plateau. There you have stunning views. It's also nice and fast as we're now about 50 kilometres on the road. Once on the plateau you reach a maximum height of 411 metres and after another small upward bend you dive down again. Then comes a vicious stretch where you encounter the steepest 26% in the area. This does make for some nice pictures.
Cycling up and back to Luxembourg
Eventually we make a wide loop, riding up again to Saarburg after this little climb of 26%. Here the terrain undulates a bit, but without any notable, Flemish-looking hills. At Saarburg we tap the 100 kilometres mark, so we're over halfway through this ride. From Saarburg it's steep into the sky again. The 4.6-kilometre climb certainly hurts the legs towards the end, as you are then up to 10-15%! That's no mean feat. You notice that you really have to cross a ridge here to get back into another valley. After just over 105 kilometres, we ride back into Luxembourg.
Luxembourg - City
Now another beautiful stretch arrives. We ride a bit below Luxembourg city. First before climbing again, we cross the Moselle. After the Moselle valley, we slowly go up again. Now it goes up and down but steadily up. When we are 10 kilometres back in Luxembourg, another vicious calf bite awaits us. Here again, the percentages are heading towards 10-11-15%. They hadn't told us that beforehand!
On to France
Once past Luxembourg city, we pass underneath as mentioned earlier, we make another small loop towards Garnich, where the climb to the top gives another nice view. We are now very close to Belgium and also France. The border triangle itself, near Longwy, is nicely framed by a monument and some flags. It just looks a bit desolate, next to a petrol station and by the river. It could be better. Via Petange we ride through Belgium (very briefly) towards Longwy and then back into the Grand Duchy via Differdange. On the border between France and Luxembourg we are unpleasantly surprised by a nasty 1100-metre long hill. From then on, it's rolling out to Esch. By the way, want to do something really cool? Then drive to the Bamhaischer café. A unique place for a coffee or good lunch!
