EuroVelo 5: Via Romea Francigena

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg welcomes the EuroVelo 5 for a 107 km stretch which follows a network of dedicated cycle paths from the Belgian border, through the stunning cliff-top capital city, towards the French and German borders at Schengen, symbolic center of Europe and home to the European museum.
On the first part of the journey, the route continuously follows the cycling paths (PCs for 'pistes cyclables') of the national cycle network until the borders of Luxembourg city, which is crossed on the local cycle network, while the second part of the Journey towards Schengen consists currently of a mix of sections following the PCs and sections leading over the road network.

EuroVelo 5 enters Luxembourg in the border Town of Rombach-Martelange from where it follows the PC18 des Ardoisières that connects the area with the PC17 de l'Ouest in Koetschette. Over the course of about 15 kilometers this PC will lead you, on a mostly descending former railway track, towards Noerdange where it joins the PC12 de l'Attert. Just as the previous cycle path, this one also follows an old railway track for most of its length. It is noteworthy that the 380m peak shown in the height profile of the map (linked below) is actually passed by a tunnel on the PC and does not need to be climbed. After a slightly more hilly section the PC12 will reach a branch-off where you should switch to the PC13 Nicolas Frantz that will continue south for a short distance, before turning to the east to approach Luxembourg city. In Strassen PC13 ends and connects to PC1 du Centre which should only be followed for a very brief stretch in order to reach the local cycling network that runs throughout the whole capital city.

Before continuing your road towards the south-east of Luxembourg it is highly recommended to plan a few day of 'rest' in the capital city in order to fully take advantage of the cultural events and the architectural beauty that this UNESCO world heritage site has to offer. A good place to start looking for more information would be at the national tourism portal and the tourism office of the city of Luxembourg.

To leave the city of Luxembourg and continue the EuroVelo 5 route you have the choice between  driving to the 'Judiciary City' where an elevator is available that can take people and bikes from the plateau, on which the city is built, all the way down to the 'Grund' or to take the panoramic Elevator in the ‘Pescatore’ park with its amazing view over the Pfaffenthal valley and pedal from there to the ‘Grund’. Here you can again reach the PC1, which makes a circle around the whole city center, and follow it south in the direction of Hesperange.
From here on it gets a bit more complicated as the following 6 kilometers are not yet part of the national cycle network and the ensuing PC11 Charly Gaul that can be reached in Hassel is not yet equipped with signposting. However, as all of the second part of the Luxembourgian EuroVelo 5 section is overlapping with the Veloroute Saar-Lor-Lux, it can be helpful to look out for the pictograms of that route or the directional signs pointing towards the PC7 Jangli, for better orientation.
After crossing the town of Ellange from northwest to southeast you will reach the PC7 Jangli which should be cycled through the vineyards all the way down to Remich. Finally, you can then accomplish the last part of the journey on the Luxembourgian territory on the PC3 des Trois Rivières that is located along the riverbank of the Moselle and follows it until the town of Schengen, a place with historic importance in regard to a more open Europe, located on the south-eastern tip of the country on the border with Germany and France. The EuroVelo 5 will continue its way into the former before returning to France a bit later.

A detailed view of a map with the track of these two sections can be seen here. On this interactive map you will also be able to download the GPS tracks of the route in KML or GPX format or activate additional layers with useful information.

To leave the city of Luxembourg and continue the EuroVelo 5 route you have the choice between  driving to the 'Judiciary City' where an elevator is available that can take people and bikes from the plateau, on which the city is built, all the way down to the 'Grund' or to take the panoramic Elevator in the ‘Pescatore’ park with its amazing view over the Pfaffenthal valley and pedal from there to the ‘Grund’. Here you can again reach the PC1, which makes a circle around the whole city center, and follow it south in the direction of Hesperange.
From here on it gets a bit more complicated as the following 6 kilometers are not yet part of the national cycle network and the ensuing PC11 Charly Gaul that can be reached in Hassel is not yet equipped with signposting. However, as all of the second part of the Luxembourgian EuroVelo 5 section is overlapping with the Veloroute Saar-Lor-Lux, it can be helpful to look out for the pictograms of that route or the directional signs pointing towards the PC7 Jangli, for better orientation.
After crossing the town of Ellange from northwest to southeast you will reach the PC7 Jangli which should be cycled through the vineyards all the way down to Remich. Finally, you can then accomplish the last part of the journey on the Luxembourgian territory on the PC3 des Trois Rivières that is located along the riverbank of the Moselle and follows it until the town of Schengen, a place with historic importance in regard to a more open Europe, located on the south-eastern tip of the country on the border with Germany and France. The EuroVelo 5 will continue its way into the former before returning to France a bit later.

A detailed view of a map with the track of these two sections can be seen here. On this interactive map you will also be able to download the GPS tracks of the route in KML or GPX format or activate additional layers with useful information.

Signposting in Luxembourg

All signs relating to infrastructure that is accessible to bicycles can be found via the following link.

Further Information

When looking for accommodation on your trip, it is highly recommended to check out the bed+bike homepage, a label that certifies establishments that fulfill a set of criteria making the life easier for every cycle-tourist. As mentioned above, you can alternatively also activate the appropriate layers on the Geoportail website or search for accommodation through the national tourism portal.

In the Grand Duchy, bikes can be carried on trains and buses free of charge as long as there is adequate space. Though trains always have at least a small bike compartment it is recommended for groups to contact the national railway company CFL in advance to ensure sufficient space.
Information about national train and bus connections can also be found at the website of the Mobilitéitszentral or by activating the ‘public transport’ and CFL train stations’ layers on the interactive Geoportail map.

If you are looking for maps or guides about the cycling network in Luxembourg you can have a look at the materials that ProVelo is offering here.
Additional helpful links for cycle tourists trying to get around in Luxembourg can be found here.
For more information about EuroVelo and their different routes, you can check out their homepage.