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Saarland
Saarland
Oscar suspicious
Even if Lafontaine no longer rules the Saar, his homeland is definitely worth a trip.
Ralf Schanze
December 21, 1998
“It Saarland is a Gardsche with a chimney in it,” is how Saarbrucken cabaret artist Jurgen Albers once aptly described his homeland. Of the ironworks and cabbage mines in the region, which are mainly concentrated in the south of the small state, there is not much to see today, but the less sprawled north is recommended for a motorcycle tour, as the Saarland is located between Trier and Dillingen Acted more »Gardsche« than an industrial landscape. You can feel this especially when you approach it from the east on the so-called “Eichenlaubstrasse”, which meanders from Weiskirchen via Mettlach to almost the French border. There are hardly any oaks left along the winding country road, but you will be spoiled with wonderful views from the mountain ranges, which are strongly reminiscent of Dr. Brinkmann & Co. and its Black Forest clinic backdrops. It is not for nothing that this area is also called the Black Forest High Forest. The oak leaf road winds its way west for many kilometers through shady forests. There are also plenty of fir trees and rolling hills around Freiburg, but the pear-shaped Saar loop near the triangle of Saarland, France and Luxembourg is unique. From the Cloef vantage point, you can see how the long barges and tugs torment their way through the narrow curve of the river hundreds of meters below. From up here it looks almost like maneuvering a pencil through a garden hose, and it’s also worth taking a closer look. Because where a river meanders through a narrow valley, the road must logically follow it mostly in a zigzag. And so there are nice little streets along the banks of the Saar where you can scratch curves. But since the lookout point is relatively far away from the river, a detour over Freudenburg and Saarburg is recommended. From there it goes over Serrig in wide sweeping left-right-left combinations directly along the river with the lazily pounding ships. If you feel like it, you can visit the 250-year-old Villeroy porcelain and ceramics factory in Mettlach & Boch look at the company’s own show »Keravision« or, perhaps a little more exciting, take a look at the demonstrations and the expedition museum of the wolf researcher Erwin Freud. From the location on the Saarschleife, the tour heads west and past the Losheim train station, where an old museum train often leaves during the summer. If you are lucky, you will experience it in the wild, as the route partly runs along the tracks. The last destination of the short tour through Saarland is Ottweiler, a well-preserved half-timbered town at the southernmost tip of the route and almost in the catchment area of the greater Saarbrucken area, which tempts you to take a short tour of the city. Despite all the joy of bends, you shouldn’t miss a stop at one of the small taverns along the route. Because nearby France has left its signature in the Saarland cuisine. A “bowl”, a kind of potato cake with jerky meat and leek, and a glass of wine – or maybe better, mineral water? – belong to the culinary »saar-vivre« like Oskar Lafontaine to the political image of the state. Even if he has now extended his sphere of influence to the whole of the republic.
Pictograms
Route length: 300 kilometers Duration: weekend tour Route profile: Curvy country roads over gently undulating ridges and through pretty river valleys. No problem even for beginners. At the weekend, however, the small village petrol stations are often closed. Coffee breaks: small cafe at the Cloef viewpoint, otherwise in Mettlach and Ottweiler. Possibly possible at the Bostalsee. Worth seeing: Saar lookout point Cloef, Montclair Castle, Losheim Museum Railway
Info
In contrast to a normal travel report, the tour tip is dedicated to smaller regions. These are often areas that are suitable for a long round trip due to an unattractive environment or a lack of sufficient route selection. The Saarland in the south offers little driving stimulus due to the strong industrial settlement. But the worthwhile spots in the region are twice as beautiful. Therefore, here is a short tour through the north, which can be comfortably driven on a weekend and also leaves time for the warm-up breaks that are urgently needed in winter. And one more thing: Tour tips give even beginners with a poor kilometer-guzzling condition a chance to tour according to the MOTORRAD plan.
From the north take the A1 to Trier, and from there continue on country roads along the Saar. Alternatively, you can come from the east via the A 6, A 62 and A 1 and turn from Nonnweiler onto the »Eichenlaubstrabe«, which is marked with signs. Coming from the south, A 6 and then A 8 lead to Merzig near Mettlach. Spending the night Along the route described, there are a number of small and inexpensive inns in the villages. In Orscholz there is also the comfortable hotel »Zur Saarschleife« at Cloefstrasse 44, which is located directly near the Cloef viewpoint on the Saarschleife. The hotel also has a rustic restaurant and a cozy fireplace room. Prices from 100 marks per person, phone 06865/1790. Those who prefer something a little more central will feel at home in the hotel “Zum Schwan” in Freiherr-von-Stein Strasse 34 in the pedestrian zone of Mettlach. From 80 marks, phone 06864/7279. At 45 marks, the Hotel Waldesruh, Am Hasselt 7 in Neubrucke, phone 06782/2263, is significantly cheaper, simpler and still good. The Cloef viewpoint on the outskirts of Orscholz is particularly impressive, with a view of the entire Saar loop. If you want, you can also explore the river by boat, which leaves Mettlach several times a day. Information on phone 06868/12379. Villeroy & In Mettlach, Boch offers an interesting multi-media show “Keravsion” in the Benedictine during the week from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday mornings about their ceramic work. Only the wolf show in the expedition museum of the wolf researcher Werner Freund is more exciting, on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Steam locomotive nostalgics, on the other hand, get their money’s worth in Losheim: There a museum railway puffs up all summer long.Activities: Fishing, hiking and cycling are among the most popular leisure activities in Saarland. If you want to swap, you can request a directory of bicycle rental companies from the General Bicycle Club in Saarbrucken by calling 0681/45098. Information: Information material and room records are available from the Saarland Tourist Office, Franz-Josef-Roder Str. 9, 66119 Saarbrucken, phone 0681 / 92720-0. Also: Saarschleife-Touristik in Mettlach, phone 06864/8334, and the Merzig tourist office, phone 06861/72120. Literature and maps: The HB-Bildatlas Saarland, No. 161, for 16.80 Marks, offers a compact overview with lots of background information. The Mairs General Map No. 15 or No. 3 of the Large Paper Collection is suitable for orientation.
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