LEADER - Accueil

PEOPLE. SHAPING. REGIONS.

Locals know best what their region needs!

Welcome to the LEADER approach in Luxembourg! LEADER provides financial and organisational support to citizens, associations, communities and companies who wish to become active to shape and strengthen their region.

LEADER inspires people to implement their ideas to bring their region further, true to the motto: People. Shaping. Regions.

Regions

Leader | Luxembourg

The LEADER approach enables participatory regional development at the service of rural citizens, communities, associations and companies who wish to become active to shape and strengthen their region. The acronym LEADER derives from the French phrase "Liaisons Entre Actions de Développement de l‘Economie Rurale" which means 'links between activities for the development of the rural economy'. LEADER is a European-funded initiative and is implemented through the LEADER approach where the Local Action Group (LAG) acts as an interface between the numerous local actors in the form of a public-private partnership.

There are five LEADER regions in Luxembourg: the LEADER region Éislek in the north, the LEADER regions Mëllerdall and Miselerland in the east, and the LEADER regions Wëlle Westen and Zentrum Westen in the west.

LEADER | Éislek

The LEADER region Éislek covers the territory of the municipalities of the cantons of Wiltz, Vianden and Clervaux as well as the municipalities of Bourscheid and Feulen in the canton of Diekirch. It presents in terms of its area the largest LEADER region in Luxembourg. The region's economy relies mainly on agriculture, trade and crafts, as well as tourism. The stunning plateaus, the lush green wooded hills and valleys, and the country's largest reservoir are attractions for hikers and nature lovers alike from home and abroad. The numerous castles as well as the charming town centres of Vianden, Clervaux and Wiltz are also important cultural heritage sites.

Population: 50,587
Area: 747.2 km²
Population density: 67.7 inhabitants/km²
Members: 55

LEADER | Mëllerdall

The LEADER region Mëllerdall is located in the east of the country bordering Germany. The Luxembourgish name "Mëllerdall", translates as "Valley of the Mills" and is a reference to the area’s tradition of mills. The rock formations of the Luxembourg sandstone are distinctive, extraordinary and fascinating. The sandstone presents a unique attraction that has turned the region into a popular tourism and leisure destination with a high experience value. The region also became a Nature & Geopark Region in 2016 and is part of the worldwide network of UNESCO Global Geoparks since 2022. An award that, among other things, recognises the cooperation between the numerous partners in the region.

The region's economy is based mainly on tourism, agriculture, trade and crafts, the service sector such as gastronomy or retail.

Population: 31,071
Area: 311.0 km²
Population density: 99.9 inhabitants/km²
Members: 33

LEADER | Miselerland

The Miselerland region is unique for the Grand Duchy in many ways: it borders the largest river (the Moselle), it is the only wine-growing region (Moselle luxembourgeoise), it has the lowest point (d'Spatz in Wasserbillig), features the largest port (Port du Mertert) and the only spa town (Mondorf-les-Bains) as well as the ecologically most valuable wetland (Haff Réimech nature reserve).

History was written in one of the many wine-growing villages of the region: the Schengen Agreement created the "Schengen Area", which enables freedom of travel and movement for people and goods between signatory countries. Thanks to these achievements of the European integration process, Schengen is often referred to as the "cradle of Europe".

LEADER has adopted this European spirit: in cooperation with the neighbouring region of Moselfranken in Germany, Miselerland has produced a joint local development strategy. Both regions thus form the first transnational LEADER region in Europe and implement many LEADER projects together across the Luxembourg-German border. Local and regional projects that help to bring the Miselerland region further complement the international cooperation activities.

Population: 44,345
Area: 240.6 km²
Population density: 184.3 inhabitants/km²
Members: 42

LEADER | Wëlle Westen

The LEADER region Wëlle Westen focuses on the slow tourism movement, offers in the area of inclusive tourism and the development of short, high-quality hiking trails. The international "EuroVelo Route 5" (between London and Rome) crosses the region and leads from the north past the unique Obermartelingen slate mine over the old narrow-gauge railway "Jhangeli" through quaint villages towards the south. Other tourist offers include the UNESCO award-winning castle in Useldingen and the innovative overnight accommodation "MushRooms", the Beckerich "Kulturmillen" with the energy museum and the "TouristInfo Kanton Réiden" that informs tourists and visitors on the regional activities. In addition to tourism, the region has specialized economically on agriculture, trade and crafts.

Population: 22,138
Area: 268.3 km²
Population density: 82.5 inhabitants/km²
Members: 31

LEADER | Zentrum Westen

The LEADER region Zentrum Westen stretches north-west of Luxembourg City from the Belgian border up to the centre of the Grand Duchy. Bordering the suburbs of Luxembourg City, the region has a much higher population density than the other LEADER regions. The Zentrum Westen region impresses with its unique landscapes. The largest habitat protection zone in Luxembourg, which is part of the European Natura 2000 network can be found between the valleys of the Mamer and Eisch rivers. The so-called ‘Valley of the Seven Castles’ also belongs to the area covered by the LEADER region, as several important cultural monuments from all eras of human history.