The Pëttenerbësch (literally “Pettingen Forest” in Luxembourgish) is a nature reserve located half an hour’s drive north of Luxembourg City. At first sight, there is nothing special about this forest (apart from the fact that it is in the middle of the A7 motorway).
In 2009, the land registry and topography department was in charge of the determination of the geographical centre of the Grand Duchy. It takes into account the various historical treaties that have defined the borders between the years 1659 and 1839. It also takes into account land swaps, the most recent of which occurred in 2006 between the communes of Sanem (Luxembourg) and Russange (France). The result of these calculations places the centre of the country in the Pëttenerbësch: 49°46’38”N 6°05’43”E
In 2011, a monument in Corten steel was unveiled in the forest as a marker for this site. Its shape marks the 4 points of the compass. The inscription reads: “centre géographique 6°05’43’’E 49°46’38’’N”. It is accompanied by an information panel which describes the treaties that have been taken into account and the method of calculation.
A decade after the monument was inaugurated, it is still little known and there are no information panels indicating the site.
It is not possible to access the site by car. The easiest way to get there is to park in the centre of Pettingen (the ruins of Pettingen Castle, which are free to visit, are well worth seeing) and walk along Rue Urtelbach.
It’s best to take a map with you, as the geographical centre is not signposted.
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Published
June 19, 2026
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