Ettelbruck sits where the rivers Alzette and Sûre meet, in the middle of northern Luxembourg, and it has been a junction town for as long as there have been roads. People here call it the capital of the north, which is a bit of a stretch for a place of six thousand souls, but it does have the feel of a working crossroads: a railway station, a market, and a good number of cafes where farmers and commuters mix.
The town's big moment in the history books came in December 1944, when the Battle of the Bulge swirled through the valley. General George Patton, who commanded the American Third Army that fought to relieve Bastogne, is remembered with a museum and a monument here, and his statue stands in a small park. His grave is not far away in the American cemetery at Hamm, outside Luxembourg City.
For a rider, Ettelbruck is the gateway to the Ardennes, or the Luxembourg Ösling as the northern part is called. Pick the roads along the Sûre to the north-west and you find forested hills, little villages with slate roofs, and a kinked river lined with cliffs and castles. Vianden, with its great fortress above the Our valley, is about twenty-five minutes away and is a good lunch or photo stop. Diekirch, next door, has a brewing tradition worth a pint if you are not riding on. Roads are smooth, signs are in French and German, and the tarmac is generally kept in good repair.
Fuel is a pleasant surprise here: Luxembourg taxes it less than its neighbours, so many riders cross the border specifically to fill up. Expect a station or two close to the roundabouts on the main road. Late spring and early autumn give you the best weather, while winter fog can pool in the valleys and frost lasts long in the shady hollows.
A day among the hills, a coffee at a river terrace and a fill-up before the border is a very Luxembourg way to spend a ride.