Pedalling Towards a Cycling Nation - Luxembourg's Two-Wheeled Future

In September, Luxembourg welcomed more than one hundred professional cyclists for the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg, the country's most prestigious road race. 

This event served as a reminder that cycling in the Grand Duchy is not only a sport but also an integral part of daily life. I witnessed how the team presentation on Place Guillaume II attracted numerous enthusiasts, with and without their own bicycles. In Luxembourg, the bicycle is not limited to sport: children ride to school, parents commute to work, and couriers deliver orders, showing how two wheels are woven into everyday life across all generations. 

Cycling Culture in Luxembourg 

Luxembourg's cycling culture has deep roots. The country has produced several champions, from Charly Gaul in the 1950s to the Schleck brothers in the 2000s, with Andy Schleck, a former Tour de France winner, now serving as president of the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg. Professional races continue to attract large crowds, but cycling in the Grand Duchy is also firmly established beyond the competitive stage. 

In recent years, more and more residents have embraced cycling as everyday transport. The growing popularity of e-bikes has made longer commutes and hilly terrain more accessible, while demand for better infrastructure reflects a shift from cycling as a sport to cycling as part of daily mobility. This dual character, high-level sport and practical transport, is what makes Luxembourg's cycling culture unique. 

Everyday Choices 

For the past eight months, I have also been regularly taking my three-year-old son to kindergarten on a child seat mounted above the rear wheel of my bicycle. The short 1.5-kilometre route can easily be managed without a car, while avoiding pollution. 

For me, a real example came from one of my son's classmates' fathers, who every morning brought and collected his children from school on a cargo bike. In warm weather or in the rain, he made the trip the same way, showing how practical such bikes can be for family life. I am not yet ready to follow his lead, but perhaps some readers already are - and Luxembourg makes this choice easier through its subsidy programme. 

Incentives and Support 

To make such choices easier, Luxembourg offers substantial financial incentives for cycling. Through the national subsidy scheme, residents can apply for a refund of up to 50% of the purchase price of a new bicycle or e-bike, capped at €600 per person. This aid also extends to cargo bikes, electric trailers and adapted bicycles for people with reduced mobility. The application is made online via guichet.lu, with proof of purchase and residence in Luxembourg. 

Many communes complement the national scheme with their own subsidies, meaning that in some cases the combined support can cover a large part of the cost of a new bicycle. These incentives have significantly boosted the popularity of e-bikes, particularly among commuters and families. By reducing the initial purchase barrier, the government is not only encouraging more people to cycle, but also making it a practical alternative to car use in everyday life. 

Infrastructure and Development 

Luxembourg has invested heavily in building and expanding its cycling infrastructure. The national network of pistes cyclables (cycle paths) already stretches across the country, linking towns, villages and scenic regions such as the Moselle Valley. New routes are being added to connect residential areas with workplaces and schools, supporting both everyday mobility and leisure cycling. Despite these efforts, challenges remain, with gaps in the network and difficult integration into traffic-heavy urban areas. 

Cycling education also starts early in Luxembourg. For example, free weekly cycling lessons are offered to children from the age of three. When my son arrived here at three and a half years old in spring 2022, he was able to take part in such classes once a week from the autumn - a clear illustration of how cycling is encouraged from an early age and embedded in everyday life. 

Several initiatives underline this early commitment. The City of Luxembourg runs a Sports pour tous programme with a dedicated cycling school for children aged four to eight years at the Stade Boy Konen sports complex in Cessange. The non-profit organisation ProVelo.lu also offers courses to help children build confidence on two wheels. In Niederanven, a children's traffic training area supported by SWARCO allows young cyclists to practise safely with real traffic lights and road layouts. 

These programmes reflect Luxembourg's broader effort to embed cycling into daily life from the earliest age, making it both a sport and a natural means of mobility. 

Challenges and Perspectives 

Despite Luxembourg's progress, several challenges remain. Gaps in the cycling network make some routes less safe or practical, particularly where cycle paths suddenly end or merge into busy roads. Urban areas often struggle with limited space, forcing cyclists to share narrow streets with cars, buses and delivery vans. For families, the lack of continuous, well-marked routes can be a deterrent, especially when transporting children. 

Safety is another concern. While the government has launched awareness campaigns for motorists and cyclists alike, tensions between road users still exist. More education and clearer rules - such as prioritising bicycles at crossings and ensuring safe overtaking distances - are needed to make cycling an everyday choice for all. 

Cycling alone cannot solve these issues, but by combining better infrastructure, expanded public transport and incentives for multimodal mobility, the country has an opportunity to position itself as a European leader in sustainable transport. According to the European Cyclists' Federation, Luxembourg is already among the top investors in active mobility, spending about €53 per inhabitant per year on cycling projects. At the same time, national statistics show that the share of walking and cycling for commuting has increased from 8.4% in 2011 to 12.7% in 2021, while car use has slightly decreased from 72.3% to 69.3%. These trends, combined with ambitious government plans under the Modu 2.0 and PNM 2035 strategies, point to a country steadily shifting its transport culture. 

Conclusion 

Cycling in Luxembourg is more than a sport, even if events like the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg showcase its elite traditions. It is part of everyday life, from children learning to ride in local parks to commuters on e-bikes and families loading their cargo bikes for the school run. The support of the state - through subsidies, infrastructure projects and educational programmes - has helped make this possible. 

My own experiences, whether cycling a short daily route with my son or watching professionals race through the streets of the Grand Duchy, have shown me how deeply two wheels are embedded in this country's culture. Luxembourg has made great strides, but the next challenge is to ensure that cycling becomes not just a passion or a policy, but a natural, safe and reliable choice for everyone.