Once a hub for stock car, auto, and motocross events, the site holds historical significance in Luxembourg’s sporting landscape. Despite the fact that hardly any such races are organised in the Grand Duchy these days, “Schanz,” located in the municipality of Bech just a few kilometres from Echternach, retains international renown, having hosted races since the 1960s.
Following the state’s acquisition of the property in 1993, racing activities ceased. What remains today is a desolate landscape marred by environmental degradation. The four parcels of land, still under state ownership, languish in neglect.
“Schanz” was one of the first locations where races were held in the 1960s. At the beginning of the 1990s, the Ministry of Sport suddenly became interested in the site in order to host its own racing events there. However, this plan was abandoned, leaving behind remnants of the past: a bus body used for jury seating, a toilet wagon, countless discarded tyres, and - to top it all off - a number of cars which, as those who raced there themselves back then can remember, were simply buried.
Hidden within the transformed landscapes of the former “Schanz” stock car site, lies a section ominously dubbed Lach (“Hole”)—the resting place of cars that met their demise during races, now buried underground. The true extent of environmental contamination resulting from these interred vehicles remains uncertain, prompting urgent analysis and action from environmental authorities.
Luc Zwank, Director of the Environment Agency, now tasked with overseeing the site, inherited this environmental dilemma from the previous Ministry of the Environment.
In view of the fact that the site lies within a water protection zone, the location once renowned for its stock car, auto, and motocross events now gains infamy as an example of the state’s non-compliance with its own environmental regulations. An oversight or rather negligence?
The current Minister of the Environment Serge Wilmes pledges to address the issue promptly, committing to analysis and remediation efforts as necessary. However, despite assurances of action, the lingering repercussions of environmental oversights raise concerns and leave a troubling legacy.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish)
