The Saarland Cycle Route (ADFC 3-star quality cycle route) takes you around the beautiful Saarland, partly on old towpaths. In addition to historic towns such as Saarbrücken and St. Wendel, you will see impressive landscapes in the Schwarzwälder Hochwald and Saargau. Sights such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Völklingen Ironworks are dotted along the route, inviting you to discover them.
Wegbeschreibung
A good starting point for a round trip is the state capital Saarbrücken with its French flair. The route first leads along old towpaths along the Saar to nearby Lorraine and Saargemünd. It continues along the Blies to the European cultural park Reinheim-Bliesbruck. The cycle path now runs along a disused railway embankment to the small baroque town of Blieskastel. The Gollenstein, the largest menhir in Europe at seven metres, is worth a small detour. On the way to Homburg, the largest red sandstone caves in Europe, the Roman Museum in Schwarzenacker and the Saarland Mining Museum in Bexbach are well worth seeing. Continuing north, the Saarland Cycle Route winds through the beautiful floodplain of the Oster Valley. A detour leads to St. Wendel, where you can visit the most beautiful late Gothic hall church in Western Germany, the Wendalinus Basilica. Through the varied landscapes of the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park, you will reach the Bostalsee with its wide range of leisure activities. Via the mountain ranges of the Black Forest high forest, you will reach the Peterberg, from where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding area. The route leads in a westerly direction through lush green hilly landscapes, past the Celtic hillfort in Otzenhausen, the nearby Nohfelden Castle, the spa town of Weiskirchen and magnificent lakes to Mettlach, where a visit to the traditional ceramics manufacturer Villeroy&Boch is worthwhile. A detour to the viewing platform above the Saarschleife, the emblem of the Saarland, promises spectacular views of the river landscape. From Mettlach, you can travel down the Saar to the Rhineland-Palatinate border at Taben-Rodt. After a steep ascent, you will reach the wine-growing three-country corner of Germany, France and Luxembourg. The ancient Romans already felt at home here, as impressively documented by the largest and best-preserved Roman mosaic north of the Alps in Nennig and the villa complex at Perl-Borg. The route continues through the Saargau with its extensive orchards. At Hemmersdorf, the idyllic Niedtal cycle path crosses, allowing a shortcut to the Saar cycle path. In Niedaltdorf, a visit to the 7000-year-old stalactite cave is worthwhile. Via Berus and Überherrn, the route leads into the shady Warndt forest and rejoins the Saar at Völklingen. The Völklingen Ironworks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is particularly worth seeing with its changing exhibitions in the imposing gas blower hall. The last few kilometres of the round trip take you back to the state capital Saarbrücken on the Saar Cycle Path, where you can relax from the tour in one of the many old town cafés at the convivial St. Johanner Markt.
Weitere Informationen
