In Saarburg.

July 23, 2024

This morning I woke around 5:30 and slunk out the door to explore Saarburg. When I stepped out the door, it was noticeably chilly this morning, and the waning moon sat high against the early morning sky. Although Saarburg is a tourist destination, this morning I had it all to myself, so I wandered off with the only sounds being the echoes of my steps against the city walls and the early morning swallows screeching in the sky. Pretty idyllic.

Geraniums and the Leuk running through Saarburg Altstadt.

Saarburg and the bridges spanning the Leuk.

Saarburg sits in rolling terrain high above the banks of the Saar River. It is now known as a tourist attraction, and the river Leuk flows into the town centre and makes a spectacular drop of some 60 feet over a waterfall before joining the larger Saar that bisects the town. The waterfall is the result of a 13th-century project to redirect the Leuk through the city centre, and spanning the Leuk are several quaint bridges linking both sides of the Altstadt. I imagine, if it wasn't for the waterfall, Saarburg might not be such a tourist destination. It is a spectacular and interesting feature of the town.

After the drop of the waterfall. Must have been quite the civil engineering project back in the 13th century to divert the river through town like this. Look at those walls.

If you look closely there's a mill wheel down there still spinning as the water travels down the sluice.

I set my sights on the castle and fortress just outside of town, and so I walked along cobbled streets and I climbed higher from one crenelated tower and lookout to another, and the views continued to improve.

View of Saarburg from one of the crenelated towers along the way to the castle.

When I reached the bottom of the main tower of the fortress, I was surprised to see the spiraling staircase leading to the top open, so off I went into the darkness, and it took my eyes a few moments to adjust to the change of light. It was a surprisingly longer climb then I thought and when I had reached the top, down below wove the Saar river and the rolling hills and vineyards in the distance.

The rolling hills and the Saar river below.

The Saar river down below. Here we're looking downstream.

Tower. Saarburg Castle. Built around the 13th century.

On the way back through town, I stopped by St. Laurent's Church, and pulled on the large iron handle to the entrance. I was not surprised to be met with the stubborn resistance of a locked door. However, on the door was a sign that said Eisgang, or entrance, with an arrow that indicated that there were another set of doors around the corner. Of course, they were locked too. But, as I turned to walk away, surprisingly the doors opened and women motioned for me that I could enter.

St. Laurent's church sits on a former church from the 13th century. The church's roof was partially destroyed in WWII, then rebuilt.

Feature of stained glass. St. Laurent's.

So, really nice way to spend the morning before breakfast and our ride to Saarbrucken today. Today, we follow the Saar river south, and the following day we enter the northern Vosges region, and into the Alsace.

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Rachael AndersonWhat an amazing walk! Your photos are beautiful. How long was the walk?
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2 months ago

Angela NaefBeautiful views!
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2 months ago

Patrick O'HaraTo Angela NaefThanks Angela. It really was a spectacular morning.
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2 months ago