Top 9 Attractions in Saarland

Forming part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage, the Völklingen Iron-works is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed destination in the Saarland town of Völklingen. The ironworks dates to 1881 when it was constructed by Carl Röchling and didn’t close its doors until 1986. It now stands as the world’s only sur-viving smelting works from the 19th and 20th-century Golden Age of iron and steel. The Völklingen Ironworks is open to the public as an industrial museum, comprising a themed discovery park and an interactive science center that details the making of iron ...

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Transporting visitors back to the prehistoric world of the dinosaurs, GONDWANA - the Prehistorium is an interactive and immersive science museum in Schiffweiler. Visitors are greeted by an introductory 3D film “Evolution” that explores nearly four billion years of evolution and offers a fascinating insight in-to our past. Wander through the life-like primeval landscapes of the Evolution Live exhibit to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the prehistoric world, then learn about the developments of mammals and humans in the Time Travel area ...

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Located near the villages of Borg and Oberleuken, the Roman Villa Borg is a beautifully reconstructed Roman villa that was discovered at the end of the 19th century. The site consists of a villa rustica agricultural facility that encompasses a large palatial residence and its surrounding settlement. Excavations have indicat-ed little activity at the site since Roman times, resulting in the preservation of its remains ...

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Consisting of several partially-recreated structures of a Gallo-Roman settlement, the Schwarzenacker Roman Museum is an open-air archaeological museum in the district of Schwarzenacker. It was established by archaeologist Alfonso Kolling who led the excavations at the site and exhibits the remains of a Roman vicus (country town) where around 2,000 people lived from the 1st century AD until it was destroyed by Alemanni in 275 AD. The settlement benefitted from the Roman military and trade routes leading from what is now Trier to Strasbourg, as well as from modern-day Metz to Worms ...

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Discover the industrial heritage of Saarland at the Saarländisches Bergbaumuseum, a museum that’s dedicated to the region’s mining legacy. Surrounded by beautiful parklands, the museum is located in the Hindenburg Tower and follows the coal mining history of Saarland dating back to the 15th century. It was August Ferdinand Cullmann, a lawyer from Zweibrücken and a liberal member of the Frankfurt am Main National Assembly, who in 1879 transformed the pit into the largest coal mine in Germany’s southwest ...

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Originally built as a lohmühle to serve the purposes of a local tannery, Schloss Fellenberg was transformed into the castle seen today by the Swiss manufacturer, William Tell von Fellenberg. Located in the charming capital of Merzig-Wadern, it features ornate carved sandstone, turrets and oriel bay windows, together with drainage pipes and bauziers, making it a striking example of 19th-century archi-tecture. The castle consists of two distinct sections, a large, multi-level and yellow-plastered structure and a smaller red sandstone one with a tower and gargoyle ...

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Located on Kreuzberg Hill in the charming town of Merzig (near where Germany, France and Luxembourg meet), the Garden of the Senses is a leafy oasis designed around 11 themed gardens that are divided into hedge-lined sections. It’s been created to ignite all of the senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste - through carefully thought out plant and flower selections. Visitors are greeted by a geometric, modern-art sculpture at the entrance to the garden that is themed around the element of water, which is vitally important for the garden to thrive ...

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Serving as the headquarters of the famous Villeroy & Boch ceramics company for more than 200 years, the Benedictine Abbey in Mettlach boasts a rich history. Its Old Tower stands as the oldest religious building in the Saarland and it’s surrounded by a garden that’s planted with a diversity of native deciduous and evergreen trees. The former Benedictine monastery was purchased by Jean-François Boch in 1809 and restored following damage during the 18th-century War of the First Coalition ...

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Following the Saar River from Saarbrücken (near the French border) to the city of Konz (where the Saar River meets the Moselle), the Saar Cycle Route has been designated as a four-star premium route by the German Cyclists’ Federation. It can be completed in either direction, with relatively level cycling paths that make it ideal for young and old alike. The Saar Cycle Route encompasses asphalt paths and farm tracks while winding through terraced vineyards and steep valleys. It passes through plenty of charming villages where you can stop for refreshments and soak up the stunning views along the way ...

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