Esch-sur-Sûre
Esch-sur-Sûre (Luxembourgish: Esch-Sauer, pronounced [ˌæʃˈzɑʊɐ] ⓘ, German: Esch-Sauer [ˌɛʃˈzaʊ̯ɐ]) is a commune and small town in north-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Wiltz, which is part of the district of Diekirch. At one point it was the second smallest commune by area in Luxembourg (after Remich), until Neunhausen and Heiderscheid were merged into it in 2011.
Esch-sur-Sûre
Esch-Sauer | |
|---|---|
Commune | |
Esch-sur-Sûre | |
|
Coat of arms | |
Map of Luxembourg with Esch-sur-Sûre highlighted in orange, and the canton in dark red | |
| Coordinates: 49.911°N 5.93467°E | |
| Country | Luxembourg |
| Canton | Wiltz |
| Area | |
| • Total | 51.26 km2 (19.79 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 8th of 100 |
| Highest elevation | 529 m (1,736 ft) |
| • Rank | 10th of 100 |
| Lowest elevation | 238 m (781 ft) |
| • Rank | 46th of 100 |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Total | 3,129 |
| • Rank | 56th of 100 |
| • Density | 61/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 91st of 100 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| LAU 2 | LU0000802 |
| Website | esch-sur-sure.lu |
As of 2023, the town of Esch-sur-Sûre, which lies in the north of the commune, has a population of 402.
Esch-sur-Sûre is situated by the river Sauer, just east and downstream of the artificial Upper Sauer Lake. The town's prominent AD 927 castle, and the main part of the town below, sit on a spur of a land within a sharp meander of the river.
The suffix to its name distinguishes Esch-sur-Sûre from the city of Esch-sur-Alzette, which is often known just as Esch.
Immediately above the town, the river has been dammed to form a hydroelectric reservoir extending some 6 miles (10 km) up the valley. The Upper Sauer dam was built in the 1960s to meet the country's drinking water needs.