Esch-sur-Alzette (French: [ɛʃ syʁ alzɛt]; Luxembourgish: Esch-Uelzecht [ˌæʒ ˈuəltsəɕt]; German: Esch an der Alzette [ˈɛʃ ʔan deːɐ̯ ʔalˈzɛt] or Esch an der Alzig) is the second city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country's second-most populous commune, with a population of 35,040 inhabitants, as of 2018. It lies in the south-west of the country, on the border with France and in the valley of the Alzette, which flows through the city. The city is usually referred to as just Esch; however, the full name distinguishes it from the village and commune of Esch-sur-Sûre which lies 45 kilometres (28 miles) further north. The country's capital, Luxembourg City, is roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) to the north-east. Esch was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2022, alongside Kaunas and Novi Sad.