Bettembourg, between town and country

Bettembourg is very popular and has many economic, tourist and environmental advantages. And ideal connections with the capital.

The town of Bettembourg has more than one marvel. If it is known, everywhere, for its marvellous park, high tourist place of the Grand Duchy, the commune, located in the centre of the southern region of the country, is in the heart of the Grand Ducal countryside while remaining extremely close to the capital. This proximity is not only geographical. It is mainly maintained by the connections that Bettembourg has with Luxembourg City and the whole region. In addition to the direct access to the A31, the city is one of the most important railway junctions in the country. From Bettembourg, trains quickly connect the capital as well as France, Germany and Belgium.

It is therefore not surprising that Bettembourg is expanding. At present, the town has more than 10,000 inhabitants, spread over five localities. The demography is growing but under control. The municipal authorities recommend moderate population growth, in line with the housing pact, i.e. 1.5% per year.

Bettembourg aims to be a welcoming city with real development potential. Indeed, ten thousand inhabitants is not really the city. But it is not really the countryside either. Bettembourg is therefore positioned halfway between the two, focusing on green tourism but also on clearly identified economic development axes.

Tourist assets

If we talk about the tourist potential of Bettembourg, we cannot ignore the Wonder Park. And for good reason, since it is nothing less than the only amusement park in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Every year, nearly 225,000 visitors come to discover animals from the five continents, enjoy the playgrounds and admire the animated fairy tales that are told there. But the city's tourist appeal extends far beyond the park. Here, the link with nature is constantly maintained, between the small gardens and the vast expanses of landscape. In addition, residents and visitors can enjoy an excellent network of forest walks. Bettembourg is surrounded by three nature reserves.

In addition, Bettembourg has a complete tourist infrastructure: indoor swimming pool with slides and wellness (saunas, Turkish bath, hammam), hotels, numerous restaurants (French, Italian, Chinese) and a cinema, which benefit both visitors and inhabitants.

Growing while preserving the friendly character

Apart from the traffic, which is sometimes congested at rush hour, Bettembourg has the appearance of a peaceful city. On either side of the railway, which cuts the city in two, the city unfolds, structured by the main roads and commercial routes that cross it. Public parks allow residents to relax in the heart of a city that has never neglected the green aspects.

If Bettembourg is a growing city, new housing is regularly created. In the heart of Bettembourg, the desire is to preserve this friendly character, with its secondary roads with a speed limit of 30 km/h, but above all by preserving the urban characteristics of the town, with its houses and buildings of, at most, medium size. Bettembourg does not intend to sacrifice this image by increasing the density of housing in the heart of the city. This is fortunate.

If housing is created, it is mainly on the outskirts of the town and in the other villages of the municipality, where there is still building space. In recent years, the municipality has seen a number of important housing projects, which have enabled its population to exceed the 10,000 mark. However, as has been pointed out, if this continues, there is no question of indulging in uncontrolled growth. Of course, the demand is there. But demographic growth requires a rethinking of the infrastructure for the reception and services to the population, both in the city and in the villages.